Page 10 - 2020 May/June Outdoor Oklahoma

2019 CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

“MY HISTORY WITH HUNTING”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conserva-
tion and Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club International join to sponsor a cre-
ative writing competition for Oklahoma middle and high school students. A boy and
a girl from two age divisions are selected winners. Students were required to 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 at the Circle P Pogue Ranch (or similar) and a
scholarship to the Outdoor Texas Camp. In this issue, Outdoor Oklahoma honors
senior category female winner Maggie Moore, 17, from Depew Public Schools.

HUNTING: SHARING “hooked” so to speak.
THE HERITAGE My father and I still hunt old-school, mostly because
of me. To me, I do not want the advantage of putting up
By Maggie Moore cameras or hunting over bait, but to each their own. I hunt
On a crisp fall morning, as the sun as much as I can and whatever I can. I have successfully
rises over Oklahoma skies, people can hunted with rifles, shotguns, and muzzleloaders. This

be found sitting in a treestand with year, I am challenging myself to shoot a deer with my bow.
a rifle in their hands as they pursue the elusive whitetail Archery takes a lot more skill than shooting a rifle. The
deer. Maybe it was with a muzzleloader or bow instead, skill of getting closer, shot placement, and the one-shot-kill
but to many, this is way of life; It is ingrained into their mentality.
fiber. Whatever method it was, these people got to hunt Growing up, I heard quite a few hunting stories from
and experience what their ancestors experienced many my dad and uncles, some of those stories being absurd and
years ago. Having that opportunity to hunt could change some of them being hilarious. One thing was certain: Lis-
someone’s life forever; I know it changed mine. tening to them has made me love hunting even more. The
Most of my family on my father’s side hunt deer, turkey, relationship hunting creates and the bonds with my family

coyote, hogs, elk and so much more. Hunting, for them, and friends, that’s the heritage I have instilled into me.
started because of my grandfather and my great uncle. Marc Anthony once said, “Do what you love and you’ll
For me, it started when I was born. My father named me never work a day in your life.” Well that is exactly what I
Maggie after his .22 Mag, so the fact I have loved shoot- plan on doing by making a career out of my passion for
ing guns ever since is inherent. On my seventh birthday, hunting. I plan to become a Game Warden and share my
my uncle bought me a BB gun. Soon after that, I began love for wildlife and hunting with other outdoor enthusi-
shooting my dad’s .22 rifle and told him that I wanted to asts. Maybe some would love it just as much as I do. My

go hunting. Finally, when I was 10, he took me hunting family heritage is based on hunting. Hunting is my passion.
and I was able to harvest my first deer. That hunt got me It is in my blood. It will be my legacy.

8 Off the Beaten Path