Page 10 - March/April 2020 - Outdoor Oklahoma

2019 CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

“THE FIRST COLD MORNING”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conserva-
tion and Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club International join to sponsor a
creative writing competition for Oklahoma middle and high school students. A boy
and a girl from two age divisions are selected winners. Students were required to
write essays using the theme “Hunting: Sharing the Heritage” or “Archery: What
I Like About Archery in the Schools and Bowhunting.” Winners in the age 15-17
category receive a guided antelope hunt in the Texas Panhandle, and winners in the
11-14 age category receive a hunting trip at the Circle P Pogue Ranch (or similar)
and a scholarship to the Outdoor Texas Camp. In this issue, Outdoor Oklahoma
honors junior category female winner Jesse Hardy, 13, from Maple Public School.
HUNTING: SHARING was different. He kept staring out the window, never
looking over at me. He nodded his head toward the field.
THE HERITAGE I looked out and saw a big deer across the meadow. It had
its head down and was moving fast. Its tail was straight
By Jesse Hardy back. The deer would stop, run a little further, and then
I studied hard and finally gotten stop again.
my youth hunter safety card. Rifle Finally, the deer raised its head. I didn’t need binoculars
season was finally here. Dad said that to see that it was a large buck with wide, tall horns. Sud-
I better brush my teeth and get to denly, I felt a shortness of breath. My heart was pounding
bed as we had to get an early start and there was a cold so loud. I just knew he would hear us. Dad leaned over to
front coming in. That night, I could hardly sleep! I heard me and whispered, “This is what we came for. Remember
dad’s alarm clock sound and was dressed by the time he your practice, you’ll be fine.” His words help me settle
knocked on my door. down a little. I shouldered my rifle and found the buck in
We left the house and drove to the spot where we would the scope. I thought he would never stop moving. Dad said,
park. We’d have to walk the rest of the way to our blind “Take your time, be patient.” The buck finally stood still
that we built together a couple months earlier. It was still and was looking back at the woods from where he came.
very dark. Dad gave me a green light to see when I walked, I took the safety off my gun and slowly moved my finger
but I stayed close to him so he could see too. We got to the toward the trigger.
blind and felt much colder than the day before. The sun Heart still pounding, I took the shot. I knew I fired my
finally started to come up, and I could see patches of light gun because I heard the report of the rifle but never felt the
fog rolling across the meadow. kick of the gun that had bruised my shoulder many times
The morning light began to cast shadows over the field, before in practice. The deer hunched up then kicked like
and it seemed that everything looked like a deer. I had my a rodeo horse. He took off running back the way he came.
binoculars up and looking everywhere. I could see my dad I thought I missed until dad whispered with excitement,
occasionally chuckle. He told me, “Don’t look for vertical “You got him son!”
line, like a tree up and town. Look for horizontal lines, I saw the white underbelly of the deer as he went down.
like a deer’s back”. That helped me see further into the Dad said, “He just crashed. Remember to secure your
woods right away. rifle.” “Yes sir,” I said, with a deep breath. I unloaded my
“I think I hear something coming,” I told Dad. He rifle. I sat my gun on the wall of our blind. Dad took my
smiled and pointed to an old raccoon making his way hand and knelt down to give thanks.
back to the hollow tree near our blind. After a while, Dad After our prayer, we left the blind to retrieve the buck. I
tapped my leg and pointed off to the right side of the field. was so excited. I wanted to tell the world what I had done.
I saw two does, a fawn, and a small spike. Then I heard my dad say, “I’m proud of you son,” and put
“Not the ones we’re looking for,” Dad said, “but they’re his hand on my shoulder which was enough for me.
still fun to watch.” My anticipation grew as I watched That was seven years ago when I harvested the 12 point
them silently graze for what seemed like hours. Dad told off the back side of our property. I’m 13 now, and deer
me watching the deer would give me good practice with season is almost here. While looking out the window of
my binoculars. They finally moved on, I guess to bed the bus, searching the fields and tree lines for deer, a cold
down for the day. We spent a while watching squirrels front came through last night. Once again, I remembered
play, and an occasional crow looking for some corn. Dad my first hunt and first cold morning I spent in the woods
nudged my shoulder with his elbow. This time something with my dad.

8 Off the Beaten Path