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2023 CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

“I WAS DETERMINED TO SHOOT A DEER”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club International sponsor
a creative writing competition for middle and high school students. A boy and a girl from two age divisions are selected winners. Students
write essays using the theme “Hunting: Sharing the Heritage” or “Archery: What I Like About Archery in the Schools and Bowhunting.”
Winners in the age 15-17 category receive a guided antelope hunt in the Texas Panhandle, and winners in the 11-14 age category receive
a hunting trip with Rack Attack Outfitters of Fairview (or similar) and a scholarship to the Outdoor Texas Camp. In this issue, Outdoor
Oklahoma honors junior category male winner Cooper Davidson, 14, from Elgin Public Schools.

By Cooper Davidson practiced over and over, and shooting is becom-
Bowhunting is a skill not all people can easily ing second nature. With a lot of hard work and
master. I think Ron Laclair said it best when he a little bit of luck (luck being God on my side),
said, “Archery is like a journey; it begins with a love opening day of deer season didn’t leave me disap-
for shooting a bow and a passion for watching our pointed. My dad dropped me off, and I climbed a
arrows fly.” I couldn’t agree with him more. tree. Shockingly, not even 30 minutes later, a doe
In 2016, at the age of 7, I was first introduced to walked out 20 yards from me. I drew back my bow
the love of archery. My mom was the teacher/coach and let my arrow fly. I hit her, that beautiful doe,
of the school’s National Archery in the Schools Pro- perfectly behind the shoulder and watched as she
gram (NASP), and my two older brothers were on ran 40 yards and fell. I was pumped that I had just
the team. I was compelled to attend their practices, shot my very first deer with that bow I had been
but after only a couple of practices, I started to join carrying around like a prized possession.
in as I thought it looked fun. I quickly found out how After that, I set another goal for myself of shooting
much fun shooting a bow could be. Unfortunately, a buck with my bow. I had no luck at first. Then, it
I was never able to compete because we changed was a couple of weeks that my dad and I went out
schools, but I still used the archery skills I learned. hunting just for fun; we didn’t think we were going
Just two years ago, I got my first compound to shoot a buck. Little did we know, our day would
bow. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It look different from what we had expected. It was
was Christmas morning, and I thought that I had 4:30 p.m., and we heard some noise behind us that
already opened all my presents. Yet, I did not was getting closer and closer. We looked over to our
know that my parents had one more gift for me. right and saw a nice buck walking about 40 yards
They said they had to go grab it, and then I looked from us. We grunted at him to get his attention. My
up and saw it. It was my very own compound bow, dad and I thought that the buck would come to us,
and I was filled with pure joy. The Fred Bear Legit but he didn’t want to wander our way. So my dad
bow was just the bow I wanted. It even had my rubbed one of our rattling antlers on a tree behind
favorite camo pattern on it, veil Whitetail Camo. us thinking he would come. Sure enough, he started
I quickly went to set up the bow by putting the walking straight toward us. That buck came within
sight and accessories on it, then ran outside to 14 yards, and I shot him and watched him run away.
shoot it. It took me several practices to get good We later found him dead, and I was so happy that
at shooting my bow, but I knew by the next deer my skills and my bow helped me reach another goal.
season, I would be ready to put it to use. That first I had my very first buck to brag about.
season, I had a few encounters, but unfortunately I have yet to truly master the skill of bowhunting,
I didn’t have any shot opportunities. but I feel I am well on my way to understanding
However, this past summer, I was determined what it means to be a bowhunter. I have started
to shoot a deer in the upcoming hunting season. my journey, and I truly love shooting a bow and
I bought some new arrows and broadheads and watching the arrows fly. Bowhunting has become
set out on a goal to harvest a deer. I didn’t want my passion and something I believe will bring me
another season to leave me empty-handed. I’ve joy for years to come.

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