Hunter: Emma Walstad
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Newton
Season: 2019-2020
Hunt Story
Emma and her dad hunted that morning in a wooden box blind overlooking a long road and a small food plot. During the morning, we saw several different bucks, but none of the size we wanted to shoot. We broke around 11am to get lunch with friends at camp. After rehashing stories, eating, and watching the first few quarters of the Falcons game, it was time to get back in the stand. Emma\'s dad always gives her the option of choosing which stand and she immediately chose the same spot from that morning. By 3:30, we were back in the stand and waiting. Around 3:45, the first deer entered the field. As we sat, she would \"practice aim\" at the young buck, hoping she would get a chance at a better deer. After a few other deer entered the field, we caught movement at the end of the road. It was a good quality buck that her dad estimated 115 inches and 3.5 years old by body size. The buck was on a full trot down the edge, stopping every now and then to check scrapes. As he made his way from 300 yards to within 75 yards, he stopped at the edge of the food plot to look at the other deer in the field. He was quartering and standing at 75 yards, and she squeezed the trigger. He dropped in his tracks! The shot was a good one, behind the shoulder, but the bullet ended up breaking his lower neck (dropping him) and lodging just under his skin on his neck. We waited for the other deer to exit the field and made our way to him. She was very excited about the buck due to only taking a "cull" basket rack buck and several does in the past. It is all about passing on the sport, lifestyle, and great outdoors. These are the experiences that many children don't get today. Her dad measured the buck at 110 inches green!
