The beginning of my hunting obsession all started about 5 years ago. I was going on my first hunt. We prepared carefully by spending time at the range and scouting out where we would go. I slipped on all of my camo and boots (no make up or deodorant) can’t have those bucks sniffing me out, jumped in the truck, and headed for the woods. I planned on sitting up in that tree stand all morning, I was ready. I have to admit, I was a little sketchy about getting up in the tree stand.

My boyfriend at the time (now husband) is a kind of a “do it yourselfer” and I wasn’t sure if those hand made stairs leading up the tree were going to hold my 5′10 frame and size 10 boot. Thank God! I made it up the tree and carefully sat down. It wasn’t too long after, I heard something, a little bit of brush moving around coming up on my left. I pointed it out to him (RJ) and he insisted that I whisper when I hear something and to hold very still. He said, “Here he comes.” I looked out and saw in the distance 8 points sticking up coming my way. I was ready to prove myself and to bag the big one. I replayed in my mind over and over “Buck Fever.” I was anticipating on becoming shaky, sweating, and freaking out. I DIDN’T DO THAT!!!

I was as cool as a cucumber and ready to shoot my muzzleloader. That buck came up on my tree stand perfectly. I watched him carefully, my husband grunted, the buck turned, and I shot. I didn’t shake or hesitate; I took a deep breath in, said a little prayer to the hunting gods, and blasted it. Now, my husband was shaking and was excited. He yelled, “You got it baby!” We climbed out of that treestand, I talked a little trash, and then we went to track him. It didn’t take too long to find the blood trail that led us to my “first blood.” We made sure that he was dead and then admired what I had been able to shoot. I was excited, more excited than what I had expected and from that day on, I knew I was hooked.

As my husband was doing the field dressing, he told me that I had to take and use some of the blood from the deer and swipe it under my eyes. He said that it was the ritual and basically the “rite of passage.” I didn’t want to seem like a wimp, so I did it. He didn’t think I would really do it, and started laughing at me. It was a joke. Anyways, it was a great day and a beginning for something that has become part of my life as well as my children’s, and I have had a lot of fun with hunting and being in the outdoors. This hunt was done up in Northern Virginia and was absolutely beautiful.