Katy's Buck

This is my daughter Katy. I have twin daughters who started going to the deer woods with me when they were around 8 years old. They are 11 now. Last year I believed it was time to allow them to start their gun training. They both did very well and after becoming confident enough to ensure they were safe, we went hunting. My father owns several acres in Oklahoma and last years hunt didn't produce a deer for them. The weekend of October 18th, 2008 is the youth gun hunt in Oklahoma. We again hit the woods in an attempt let them take their first deer. This year we split them up. One daughter (Hanna) would go with me, the other (Katy) would go with my cousin Larry. The evening was very slow and none of us saw any movement during the hunt. Hanna and I decided the light had become a little low so we loaded up and headed back to the truck. My cousin Larry and daughter Katy were having the same issues hunting only about 1/2 mile from us. As Larry was loading up to leave, he observed a nice buck enter the field. According to him the next moments went fast, very fast. Larry grabbed the .243 and handed it to Katy. As the deer stopped to feed, Larry told her to put the scope on his shoulder and "shoot it." Katy did exactly as told and with one shot, dropped the deer right were it stood. Neither, at that time, knew exactly how big this deer was. On approach to the deer, Larry knew that Katy had accomplished something that none of us adults had managed to do in the many years of hunting. The buck was a 10 pointer with a 21 and a half inch spread. Split brow tine and lots of character. Though I don't really think she understands exactly what she did, it was a moment to remember for a lifetime and we all are very proud. My dad (PaPa) has vowed to engrave the gun she shot the buck with and will allow her to keep the gun to remember her "first deer." And here we thought we were only going after does...-Mike G.