Page 23 - September/October Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

AN UNFORGETTABLE

DAY AFIELD

DEER SEASON EXPERIENCE FUELS

BOY’S PASSION FOR HUNTING

EDITOR’S NOTE: Follow along as the author shares the special story of
a boy’s youth deer season hunting adventure during the 2021 season.

By David Falconer
Hunting seasons are upon us. And youth The temperature had cooled off for the
deer season, held the third weekend of night. But as cool as it was at home, San Bois
October, has resulted in a lot of new hunters bottom is always 10 degrees colder than
venturing afield, in hopes of taking deer for that. Think of the coldest place in Alaska at
the first time in their lives. the same time of year, and that’s how it feels
Walker Lovell, 7, has taken deer before. in San Bois bottom! Parking high above the
He has taken wild hogs before, but nothing blind, father and son walked in to the hunting
except for his dad’s advice and his practice at site and settled in. Walker Lovell, 7, with
the range prepared him for what happened The day before, Walker and his little broth- the remarkable buck
he took the evening of
during the 2021 Oklahoma youth deer season er, had been playing a child’s game of “This Oct. 16, 2021.
in Haskell County.
Walker is the son of Weston and Kristan Lovell. PROVIDED
Weston’s hunting values are the values of a hunt-
er who loves and respects the animal he chases
and the manner in which they are taken. He is
a steward of wildlife, not just someone who is
there for the kill. He is teaching his sons those
values, just as he was taught by his dad.
October 16 started at 5:50 a.m. as Weston
and Walker awoke and donned their careful-
ly laid-out clothes. Weston decided to take
Walker to hunt from his dad’s blind on San Bois
Creek. Walker was excited; the boy’s demean-
or reminded Weston of those sleepless nights
he had before deer season started when he
was Walker’s age.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 21