Boulder Elementary 7th grader Emmy Parsons, 13, was among 10 Montana schoolchildren named winners of the Governor’s Youth Hunting Story Contest.
Parsons, who wrote about tracking down a trophy-class, 156-inch buck with her grandfather, enjoyed lunch with Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday, Jan. 12, and received several prizes, including a Stone Glacier backpack, Kenetrek hunting boots, a Sitka coat, and a new gun case. Emmy also won a two-day pheasant and duck hunt at the Whitetail Ranch in Dillon.
On the hunt with Grandpa
Hunting has always been a part of my life, since I could remember. My earliest memories are writing initials and the year on packages of meat we just processed in my great grandparents’ garage.
My dad has been a hunting guide for 20 years. My mom, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, and uncles all hunt. It was never NOT a big deal when opening day rolls around.
Hunting is just like life. There are always trials you must go through, unless you are very lucky, to be successful. Sometimes the trials become the best memories. For example, this year my dad and I were hunting on our friend’s property. They own the wildest lab ever, named Dodger. As we were hiking up the mountain, we saw Dodger behind us.
We yelled at him to go home and thought that would be the end of it. About 10 minutes later, we were watching a few does, I looked behind me and saw Dodger again. My dad said he would run him back down to the house and be right back. After he got back, we kept looking for a buck. A couple of minutes later I heard something take a big breath behind us and Dodger had made his way back to us! Needless to say, our hunt was not successful.
This year I was also lucky enough to go hunting with my Grandpa Skeeter. I hadn’t got to go with him before, so I was so excited. My Uncle Will had been keeping his eyes out for a buck near his house. We began walking and almost turned back because the snow was blowing so badly. But just for the heck of it kept going. Then through the timber we saw a buck!
We immediately dropped to the ground to set up with my shooting sticks. I kept losing him in my scope because of the snow blowing right at us. Right when I got him in my scope (another trial) my shooting sticks broke!
Thankfully my grandpa was with me to hold them while I shot. The deer walked off but didn’t go far. I shot again and knew it was a great shot, but still the deer wandered in the nearby trees. We started tracking him. My grandpa and uncle went above me in case it ran out of the trees.
I was starting to lose hope, just as I saw a few tracks, turned the corner and saw its antlers. My grandpa and I walked up to the buck. We both looked at it, then looked at each other and busted out laughing in joy. My uncle joined us with the sled to pack out the deer.
This hunt is one I will never forget. It will probably be a while before I get another one this big. And honestly, I would be fine if I never get one bigger one because I got to share it with my Grandpa Skeeter and Uncle Will.
