Editor’s Note: The following story was written and submitted by Catherine Farley, a Lake Vermilion resident, about her recent experience while deer hunting. We hope readers enjoy it.

My name is Catherine. I am in my 50s and have been hunting every year for the past ten years. I never hunted in my earlier years.

The thing about hunting for me, is that it is my time with nature, the big animals, the birds, the critters. I love to watch the sunrise and the forest come alive. When I sit in my stand, the rest of the world disappears, there’s nothing else like it for me. The rules say a hunting day officially begins a half hour before sunrise and ends a half our past sunset. I will sit in my stand for the entire day. Day after day, uninterrupted. Sometimes I take pictures, read, do puzzles, and even catch a nap when it feels too quiet. I pack a lunch and a thermos and I make it my time. I look forward to the experience every year and refuse to miss a minute because seeing a deer, is always a gift.

Deer are, indeed, beautiful animals as well as a great way to feed the family. But, there is much more to deer hunting than that. For me, deer hunting is truly a sport. While I am sitting in my stand, the sight of a deer will spark my competitive spirit, and I can feel what I call “an adrenaline rush”. It is that same rush I used to get before my performance in athletic competitions: just before mounting the balance beam or uneven parallel bars, or just before climbing the ladder of the diving board to perform my first dive of the event, or just before I hit my golf ball off the first tee with the crowd watching and holding their breath to see if I hit it in the fairway. I had a routine before each performance where I would take a deep breath, blow it out slowly, calm myself, and then just go for it. My routine and that “adrenaline rush” happens each time I perform in the woods. The adrenaline rush is what I get when I am in my stand and I see a deer. The routine I perform each and every time before taking my shot. Deer hunting is indeed a sport for me, and one I enjoy as much as any sport I have competed in. The difference, of course, is that there is no audience, no team, no coach counting on my performance. It’s just me. It’s my decision to shoot, the angle to shoot at, the distance to shoot and the accuracy with my 243 that determines the type of kill and the quality of my performance. In the end, it’s just me and my desire to walk away from this season’s hunt with an experience that will allow me to return next season.

Two years ago, Nov. 14, 2016, I believed I shot my “deer of a lifetime”...an eight-pointer. (see snowy photo on page 4B).

I have had that deer mounted and was quite comfortable with that experience as my deer hunting “moment to remember”.

Then came deer opener, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018...

I woke up late that morning due to the fact that I had been sick for the past seven days with “the crud”. The crud virus that causes one to cough on and off all day and wake up in the middle of the night with a coughing attack, which ultimately leaves one feeling completely worn out and exhausted. I woke up late that morning feeling tired and exhausted and I needed to hurry if I was going to get to my stand thirty minutes before sunrise. I did not hurry and wound up arriving fifteen minutes later than planned, but that was ok as I did not intend to actually shoot anything. I had arrived to watch the forest, the sunrise and maybe get some much-needed sleep, as I had been sleeping better in an upright position, due to the crud. This was my time and I had been waiting all year for it, I was not going to miss it. However, after sitting down, I confirmed once again that I was just too tired to deal with a deer alone and there would be other days to shoot a deer, when I was feeling stronger...unless of course...I happen to see a “deer of a lifetime.”

It was not ten minutes and I see a deer walking slowly through the trees toward my lane. I grab the binoculars to confirm it is a doe. She was moving cautiously now and when I go to put down my binoculars, because I am not going to shoot her even though she is rather large, I catch this buck out of the corner of my eye standing proudly in my lane. My first thought is, “You’ve got to be kidding,” standing there in his glory, head held high with the pink sunrise behind him just staring right at me. “Are you for real?” So, I just wait. He does not move. I think, “He’s the real deal.” I wait. I pick up my gun and take the safety off. I have that feeling. He is still looking in my direction. I counted 10 points. “Well,” I think, “let’s see what he does.” Nothing. I put the cross hairs on his chest. He is at about 35 yards and facing me straight on. “I have never shot a deer straight on,” I think, “not much room for error.” He starts to move toward me. One slow step at a time. I wait. I am shaking. I am going to laugh because I cannot keep still. The crosshairs are moving all over. I cannot take a breath as I am afraid I will cough. I tell myself, “Breathe. Just breathe.” He stopped. Still looking straight at me. Ok, I breathe, blow it out, I shoot. I have no idea if it will kill him fast or if I will have to track him. He runs towards me, takes a 90 degree left, runs zig-zagging, he follows the edge of the open area and away from me, he is still running. Wait, did he stumble? I must have blinked, I lost him. I wait. I hear a shot fired in the distance. I must wait, just in case he needs time, or someone else got him. I wait ten very long minutes. Ok, I go with my back pack and gun. I start where I first saw him. I see his hoof prints dug deep into the soft ground. No blood. Not a drop. Not good for tracking. I’m following his hoof scrapes even though I do not need to at this point because I saw him go here. So, just practicing. No blood. I get to the spot where I thought I saw him stumble, I look under the pines. Whoa! There he is! It was quick. Wow! He is huge! No blood anywhere. Amazing. The “deer of a lifetime”. Fifteen minutes...season over. Shortest season ever. Biggest deer ever. It is a story.

It is my story.

An experience that will allow me to return next season.