Since I was 3 years old I always wanted to go hunting with my dad. Then 6 years later he was gone I never got to go hunting with him. I pretty much just wanted to give up on everything. My dad was my everything I was a total daddy’s girl and I did not know what to do now cause he was gone. Then it got to me that God wanted him, now he will be in a better place and now be with me every second of everyday. I lived everyday as it came and now its 3 years later, I’m sitting in my room and I hear my mom calling my name she asked me if I want to go on this hunt with Mark Stackhouse, I said “of course” and I was so exited. Then its only a couple months till the hunt and we go down to Woodland Park to do a shoot. I was very nervous, I was scared that I would shoot bad and about the kick of the gun. We get there, and there is a lot of boys and I want to prove them all that girls can do better than boys. So I get up to shoot the gun, I freaked out for no reason, I pull the trigger, wow wasn’t so hard at all . I shoot a couple rounds and I’m about to do my last and I get the one and only bullseye I was shocked, yes:).

Days and days go by and it is finally 5 days till the hunt I was so exited I went and got all my stuff together that day. I wanted to leave right then but I had to wait. Its Friday and we wake up at 6:30 and start with the very long drive to get there. We got to Woodland Park and then we were on are way to meet Randy at his house. Mark and I meet him and the other kid and his dad then head to Colorado Springs to meet the rest of the kids at McDonald’s. We meet all the boys, eat dinner, and then head out to the hunting place. It’s a long drive, I slept the whole way and I wake up and we where there. We meet all the other boys. Then I got scared and remembered that I was the only girl. But kept a smile on my face cause I like being around boys better than girls. We walk into the building, wow its freezing. I meet Donny, then Randy starts talking about how trust is the most important thing and we all need to trust each other. It hit me that I have to trust everyone, so I put all my trust on every single person in the room. Then I was tired so I went to bed and opened my eyes and its time to hunt. My heart was beating so fast I was so nervous to go but at the same time so so exited. We get to the spot where Donny told us to go, we sat in the car for a couple minutes and then Mark saw deer it was crazy, the deer were right there and we just got there. Mark and I get out of the car quietly. Mark told me to watch were I walked so I did not step on a branch or anything and make noise and scare the deer. We walked and got to a spot where I could have taken the shot, well I thought I could have taken the shot, I was so ready I wanted to get one so bad. Mark said no I could not take the shot cause it was 300 yards. To far, awww, I was disappointed, but oh well. We start to go in the forest thing to track those deer without horns down so I could get a closer shot. We kept walking and walking and we could not find the deer. So we go looking some more, we walk up this hill thing and it was crazy steep and I had the gun and slipped, wow it was crazy, I didn’t fall but was so close to dropping the gun, but then Mark grabbed it. More and more walking and then we found a dead porcupine it was kinda sad. We sit down for a while and Mark was walky talkying Randy, he pushed some deer towards us. I was sitting there looking, and then I see deer running. I was exited so I told Mark loudly. The deer were running, and ran up towards a house. Dang, we met up with Randy and one of the kids and his dad. We go looking for deer, did not find any so we went back for lunch. We see that someone got a deer it was Matt, (? I think that is his name) I was pretty disappointed because I really wanted to get the first deer to prove to all the boys that girls were better. I watch them skin the deer, Matt kinda looked like he was scared to get blood on him. Then Randy says its time for the father son lunch I was pretty nervous about this because Mark is not my dad and I really didn’t know what to say. Its been a long time since I had a guy to talk to, and it was awkward. Mark started talking about choices and how that is how you make yourself, is by all the choices you make. That totally made me think, and ya duh Raelynn, it is. We talked more and then walked back to the camp. When I got back one of the other boys got a deer he was proud, the smile on his face made me smile. Now I was even more ready to go get a deer. I grabbed my gun and license and went heading with Donny, Mark and a kid and his dad. We get in the truck and just start driving and they found some deer. We get out of the truck and are in a hurry to go get closer to the deer. We get closer to the deer I get the gun set up to shoot, my heart was beating so fast it felt like 100 miles per hour. I shoot, oh dang I missed. A couple minutes later I hear Donny say that there they are, I get set up again and now it feels like my heart is beating 200 miles per hour. I take the shot, the deer made a weird movement and then I was so exited and proud. We went to go find the deer and it is no where to be found. Then Mark points out blood. We follow the blood and it keeps going for a very long time then all of a sudden stops we looked everywhere and could not find the wounded deer. We saw lots of other deer but none of them where limping or anything. Wow i totally felt like I just wanted to break down and cry because, I knew that once you wounded a deer your hunt was over. Now it is getting dark we head back to camp and to Donny’s rules, which are if you miss he gets to cut a piece out of your shirt. There I was and I missed twice, he cut one piece from the front and one piece from the back. It made me laugh and I went and changed into a pink shirt, but that what was what Donny really wanted, he wanted a piece of my pink shirt. We start talking about tomorrow and Randy and Donny were deciding whether I get to go back out in the morning and they decided yes. That made my day, they are the nicest people I have ever met. I go to sleep exited to get up and try again on getting a deer. I go to sleep and bam, the next day is here. It was freezing cold, I wake up, put on my warm stuff, head to the big living room thing, and get some hot chocolate that puts a little heat in me. We go out Mark and I, and we see lots of deer with horns but could not find any deer without horns and by then it was blizzarding outside. I totally lost my hope, and tried to still keep my head up high. Mark gets a message on his answering machine saying to meet Donny back at camp if I have not got anything yet, so we went back to camp. Once we got back to camp everyone else has gotten their animals and are cleaning up and then getting ready to leave. Donny, Mark, and me head out to go find me a deer with no horns. We look at several different places, no deer to be seen. Then we drove out to a place that took kinda long to get to. We found deer I start yelling, I see them which I should have been quiet but I was so exited. I did not get out of the truck fast enough, and then the deer heard us and ran away. Then we drive a little more and find some. More of the adrenaline in me was running so fast, so very fast. I get the gun set up to shoot and aim it right at its shoulder while its snowing. Bang, I shoot the gun and got the deer! OH YES! Right when I shot that deer, I thought of my dad and how proud he is up in Heaven watching.

We took pictures and than drag my deer threw the snow, over the fence, and to the back of Donny’s amazing truck:). Donny tells me how proud he is of me and gives me a hug and same with Mark. If it wasn’t for Mark and Donny I would of never gotten my deer. They are two amazing guys and I’m glad I have them in my life. On the way back it totally hit me, its not all about getting the first deer, duh me. Its about the people you meet, the memories you make, and the love that comes out. Now then I was glad every single thing happened because it was meant to happen and sure enough made it the best time ever. I haven’t been really into God ever since my dad died, its taken me this long to figure out it happened because it was meant to happen, to put my daddy in a better place and from that day on God has been more in my heart than he ever has been. We get back to camp to gut the deer. Wow I never knew how gross that was, but I dealt with it. Loaded up our stuff, the deer in the back, and it was time to say goodbye to that amazing place. It was sad saying good bye to Donny and Randy, I didn’t want to leave, it all felt like it was over way too soon. Donny now has a place in my heart. I thank Mark with all of my heart for taking me. Now I hope I get to come back and hunt on this every year. Its a great memory that is going to last forever.

Raelynn Northup