Sierra shot her first deer today!
Her ability to be diverse amazes me. She can dress up like a princess and carry herself like a queen. She can toss on sweats or running shorts, throw her hair in a messy bun or pony, and work her tail off. She can lace up hunting boots, toss on a hat, and keep up with the big guys.
Through it all, a couple of things remain the same. She is always sweet. She is always talking. AND she is totally competitive.
Her hunting goal was set high. She was determined to shoot nothing smaller than a four by four buck. She had absolutely decided she would shoot a buck the same size as her big brother's first buck. She had also made bets with several buddies that if they could do it, then she could do it, too. She is spunky. She is brave. She is gutsy. She is determined.
She and her dad spent A LOT of time hunting.
She had MANY opportunities to shoot does. One night the does were so close she could hear them chewing. Yet she REFUSED to shoot a doe.
She missed several bucks.
Her hamstring is still giving her fits. In fact she is at PT at least twice a week. She ices it, stretches it, tapes it, and takes ibuprofen. While the PT does not think all the field walking is making the injury worse, it IS certainly painful.
Let me tell you, if it were me, I would have taken an easy shot at a doe weeks ago.
But NOT Sierra.
On the final walk of the day, today, she confessed to being too tired to walk. So she and Chad capped. She assumed that she would not get a shot, but she was too tired and sore to care too much.
She was wrong!
The deer went a different direction than they expected.
Uncle Jim helped her along by trying to scare them toward her with a shot.
She found the deer in her scope and went for it, assuming she would miss.
But she was wrong again!
She hit him right in the kill zone.
She confesses to being terrified that he would still be alive when they walked up to him. She was begging her dad to finish him off. He told her she could do it. It would be OK.
And it was. The bick had died immediately.
I wish I could have seen her partying in the field. Sierra is all emotion and full of celebration. I'm sure she was a sight to behold.
While I have NO desire to spend multiple days in the freezing cold chasing after deer, I do desire to have the enthusiasm and perseverance of my Berra girl.
Congrats girly! I am proud of you!
(And of your daddy whom has unending patience with hunters.)
(And of your daddy whom has unending patience with hunters.)
