Laura’s First Deer
Adrenalin Pumping
I have been keen on shooting a game animal. I’m mindful as don’t want to injure or be responsible for an animal’s suffering but last Sunday I took up the challenge to go and find my first deer.
We parked up across the gully and looked for any sign of animals. With dusk approaching and still no sign, we geared up and headed across on foot. James had a plan. As we sidled the hill, we stumbled across two hinds that had just come out of the bush. Both us and them were equally surprised to see each other, we paused and looked at each other a moment before they took off back under cover. We carried on, adrenalin now pumping - are we going to see any more? James spotted a spiker about 800 yards away under a tree. We decided to go for it. James let out a call and that definitely got his attention! He was now heading our way in a hurry. He went down into a ditch out of sight and we rushed around the ridge to set up for a shot. He popped up exactly where James had thought. Rifle in hand I felt surprisingly calm as I identified him in the scope James called to him again and he stopped, he was standing side-on looking straight at us. Perfect. I gently squeezed the trigger. Thud. He turned and ran back, and I immediately thought the worst, but we watched him drop to the ground. Got him! My first deer. A wave of immense gratitude came over me. I was grateful that this beautiful animal hadn’t suffered. Grateful for his life and delicious meat. Grateful I had confronted my fear and accepted the challenge to hunt, and so grateful for James enabling this to happen. My first deer. The first of many to come.
Written By Laura Gunson
