By Brooke Kennedy

Brooke Kennedy, 15, of Thurmont, Mary., is a member of the Generation Wild Jr. Pro Staff.

If you asked your average teenager what they are going to be doing at 4 a.m. on a Saturday morning, most would say sleeping, but not me! The last day of Maryland’s rifle season had finally come and I had not yet harvested a deer for the season.

It was 4 a.m. and my alarm was blaring, but I jumped up right away and started to get ready to head out into the woods. I ate breakfast while my dad packed the truck with all of our gear. I was so eager to get into my treestand. Finally, we left my house and headed for our normal hunting spot on our family dairy farm. My dad and I are two of about 15 family members and friends who hunt on the property, so you can say we have a full house.

I was sitting in my treestand in the dark waiting for the sun to come up. I was about 10 degrees outside with 15 mph winds blowing right in my face. We had about 6 inches of snow on the ground from the night before. As I sat there, I heard crashing and rustling down below my tree stand in brush, but I couldn’t see anything because it was still too dark. I looked down at my phone to see what time it was and it was 6:35 a.m. Then, right as I looked up, I saw three silhouettes of deer running against the horizon. Of course, seeing a deer gets my adrenaline running and I was so excited. I had a feeling today was going to be a good day!

I will admit that I am like every teenager: I am addicted to my phone. I sat in my tree stand all morning and talked to my friends Zach and Ryan who were also out in the woods on their own property. They were not having any luck this season either. It was about 10:30 a.m. and I was starting to think this season was going to end up being a total blow out for everyone. Just as I was about to climb down from my stand a group of about nine deer came bolting down the hill. I sat back down and got my gun ready. My dad sat with the binoculars and looked to see what deer he thought was the biggest out of the group. The last one seemed to be my best bet. I put the gun up, looked through my scope and BANG!  The deer kicked his hind legs and ran down the hill about 20 yards—dead on its feet. Only after I walked up on my deer did I realize that it wasn't a doe like I had thought. It was a one-horned spike! I was so excited to be able to put meat in my freezer this year. I must say that even though it wasn’t a buck of a lifetime, any deer you harvest is a nice deer. And any deer you shoot on the last day of the season is a really nice deer!

Comments (18)

from ckRich wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congrats and good job!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

good job

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Hunter Savage wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

congratulations to you .

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congratulations Brooke!
That appears to be a great placement shot!

There aren't many teenagers that are willing to face the day in the weather conditions you mentioned and endured on the very last day of rifle season.

Your father must be very proud of you!

Have you considered using a bow for early deer season?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Ben C. wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Thats an awesome story...Congratulations Brooke.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MLH wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congrats, Brooke! Way to come through on the last day.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from thuroy wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Outstanding job! Now that she filled her freezer, she can start the countdown until this year's opening day.

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from Brittle wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

nice deer
that's the way it should be

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from KyleKortright wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congradulations brooke, nice to see there's some girls out in the woods.

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from Nate Dean wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great story and great deer brooke!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Marian Kennedy wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great job Brooke.

Nan and Bob

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from country road wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Well done, well told and a good lesson in perseverance.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fisherman wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Good story, and way to keep at it!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from -TK- wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congrats, late season hunts are some of my favorites. You can see nothing all day, then have 20 deer surrounding me. It's very exciting.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from phale wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

i am 14 and i too hunt whitetails, the end of the season was aproachng fast, and finally harvested a nice doe, which turned out to be a buck who had recently shed, whatever theres allways next year.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from extreme bowhunter wrote 2 years 10 weeks ago

congratulations brooke, I am 16 and last year was my third year hunting and my first year hunting alone. I shot my first buck last year and the feeling was amazing. I am guessing you felt the same. Congatulations!

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from beanap wrote 2 years 2 weeks ago

wow huge deer
good job letting the small ones get to be big

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shanker wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

i really wish to go dear hunting so i can also add photos to my album...
for a teenager that is great job
...................................
the need of sharing my adventures with my frindes pushed me to make my own web site, it is not that good but im trying to do the best.....
hunting in jordan... quail hunting in jordan...chukar hunting in jordan...duck hunting in jordan

http://12caliber.com/hunting-in-jordan.htm

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

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from ckRich wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congrats and good job!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congratulations Brooke!
That appears to be a great placement shot!

There aren't many teenagers that are willing to face the day in the weather conditions you mentioned and endured on the very last day of rifle season.

Your father must be very proud of you!

Have you considered using a bow for early deer season?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Brittle wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

nice deer
that's the way it should be

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from KyleKortright wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congradulations brooke, nice to see there's some girls out in the woods.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fisherman wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Good story, and way to keep at it!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

good job

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Hunter Savage wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

congratulations to you .

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Ben C. wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Thats an awesome story...Congratulations Brooke.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MLH wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congrats, Brooke! Way to come through on the last day.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from thuroy wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Outstanding job! Now that she filled her freezer, she can start the countdown until this year's opening day.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Nate Dean wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great story and great deer brooke!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Marian Kennedy wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great job Brooke.

Nan and Bob

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from country road wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Well done, well told and a good lesson in perseverance.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from -TK- wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Congrats, late season hunts are some of my favorites. You can see nothing all day, then have 20 deer surrounding me. It's very exciting.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shanker wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

i really wish to go dear hunting so i can also add photos to my album...
for a teenager that is great job
...................................
the need of sharing my adventures with my frindes pushed me to make my own web site, it is not that good but im trying to do the best.....
hunting in jordan... quail hunting in jordan...chukar hunting in jordan...duck hunting in jordan

http://12caliber.com/hunting-in-jordan.htm

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from phale wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

i am 14 and i too hunt whitetails, the end of the season was aproachng fast, and finally harvested a nice doe, which turned out to be a buck who had recently shed, whatever theres allways next year.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from extreme bowhunter wrote 2 years 10 weeks ago

congratulations brooke, I am 16 and last year was my third year hunting and my first year hunting alone. I shot my first buck last year and the feeling was amazing. I am guessing you felt the same. Congatulations!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from beanap wrote 2 years 2 weeks ago

wow huge deer
good job letting the small ones get to be big

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.