Page 10 - Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine Mar-Apr2023

2022 CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

“SINCE BEFORE I WAS BORN”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club Interna-
tional sponsor a creative writing competition for middle and high school students. A boy and a girl from two age divisions are selected
winners. Students 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 with Rack Attack Outfitters of Fairview (or similar) and a scholarship to the Outdoor Texas Camp. In
this issue, Outdoor Oklahoma honors junior category female winner Emery Cannon from Cheyenne Public Schools.

HUNTING:
SHARING THE HERITAGE turning them into deer jerky. We have our own
setup, which includes jerky marinade, a slicer, and
By Emery Cannon a commercial dehydrator. Every year, it is my goal
My family has been hunting since before I was to kill at least one deer to have my own, delicious
born. My sister, mom, dad, grandad, and great deer jerky.
grandad have been hunting for over 50 years. The The first deer I killed, I used a crossbow. Then I
love of hunting runs in my family. My family’s heri- wanted to try something a little different, so I tried
tage consists of harvest- using a 6 mm Reming-
ing deer, making them My family consumes ton. I loved using that
into jerky, and spending every deer we harvest gun, so that was the one
time with my family. I used to kill the other
It all started with my by turning them into four deer that I shot.
great grandad. He start- deer jerky. We have The first year that I
ed hunting, and he has our own setup, which hunted with a gun, my
killed more deer than dad took me out to
one can count. Then includes jerky marinade, the farm and made me
he taught his son, my a slicer, and a commercial sight in my gun. Once
grandad, how to hunt. I got it sighted in, he
My grandad still hunts to dehydrator. Every year, it woke me up early the
this day! Then the same is my goal to kill at least next morning, and we
heritage was passed one deer to have my own, went to my great gran-
down again! Also, my dad’s house to get set
grandad taught his son, delicious deer jerky. up for the hunt. My dad
my dad, how to hunt. had previously set up a
My dad and grandad’s favorite hobby to do deer blind, and we went to get into the blind.
together is probably to go hunting. I do not blame While sitting in the blind, we both watched
them! It is one of my favorite pastimes. They use through our binoculars, and then in came the
bows or rifles to kill the animal that they are hunt- doe. I shot her with my 6 mm, and she dropped
ing. The animal that is hunted most in my family right there. This made me really excited, but I
is deer. think it excited my dad more.
My dad was the one who taught my mom, sister, To say the least, my family would not be the
and me to hunt! He is the best hunter I know. My same without getting to go hunting every year. It is
mom has killed four deer. My sister has also killed definitely a privilege that my family has made this
four deer! I have killed five deer. a tradition. I hope that this heritage continues on
My family consumes every deer we harvest by for many more generations.

8 OFF THE BEATEN PATH