Lora Meyers, 15, of Stewartville took part in the youth-only deer hunt in the Whitewater Wildlife Refuge last week. She was among 50 lucky hunters ages 15 and under who got the opportunity to harvest a deer in the refuge. More than 230 kids applied for the hunt, which was created last year as a joint effort of Bluffland Whitetails Association, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and the Minnesota Department of Resources.
Lora's mentor was her father, Mike. Here is the story of their hunt:
By Lora Meyers
My dad and I were up on a hill Thursday morning, and it was kind of hard to sit, it was so steep. I kept sliding off of my little chair.
We sat there for awhile, and we didn't see any deer, but it was kind of fun to just watch the squirrels and the birds, just think about the deer I hoped to see and relax. We really didn't talk much -- we just sat there.
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My dad had packed a little lunch, and I was glad he did. Eating helped me not feel so cold. I had five pairs of pants on, but it was still cold!
Finally, about 3:15, my dad hit me in the shoulder and said "Get your gun ready! Get your gun ready!" He'd seen a deer coming down the hill on our right, and she was moving pretty quick. I looked over there, saw her and got my gun up.
My dad whistled at the deer, trying to get her to stop, but it didn't work. She just kept moving.
So, my dad said "Shoot! Shoot!"
I said 'OK," and shot once -- I forgot I could shoot again. The deer kind of kicked a little when I shot, and then she cut down the hill, less than 15 yards away from us. Then she disappeared.
She ran behind a big hill, and we had to track her about 150 yards. I kept seeing what I thought was my deer, but it kept turning out to be logs.
Finally, I saw what I was really looking for.
"That's it! That's it! Right there!"
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I was so excited, and so was my dad. Finally, we had found her. My first deer.
