Pennsylvania Game News - October 2023 - 50

else. Still, there would be time for Leah
and I to hunt.
" Don't forget your homework and
cough drops, " I reminded her.
She brought both, along with a math
assignment.
" Can I bring my baritone, too? " Leah
kidded. " I need more practice. "
" If you carry it, " I replied. " Who
knows, deer might come running in to
some of your notes. "
" Very funny! " Leah huffed.
Settled into our stand well before dark,
Leah worked diligently on her homework.
Mr. Mathias was teaching how to multiply
decimals. It stuck, as Leah was like a calculator.
I checked her work, needlessly as
it turned out, with the front page flawless.
" Take a little break and try the grunt
call, " I said before she flipped it over.
I didn't have to tell her twice.
Then, as she placed the call on her book
to pick up her pencil again, a buck stepped
out of the creek bottom thicket.
" Leah, " I interrupted, " it worked! Try
another soft one. "
She did, and the buck skirted the edge
of the cut bean field perpendicular to our
stand. Leah put down her math as the buck
quickly covered 75 yards, stopping in its
tracks only once when reaching the corner
of the field. It scanned the area, seeking
the scent of the challenger it believed it
just heard.
" Do not move, " I said.
Leah didn't. In fact, I'm not sure she
blinked during what became a 10-minute
standoff, one where the buck grunted in
short, frequent and urgent bursts.
A smart girl with a good ear, Leah
picked up her own call and mimicked
them perfectly. The melody abruptly
started the buck walking directly toward
us. At his pace, it would walk into Leah's
50
crosshairs in mere seconds.
But as Leah settled, the buck halted
once more, then changed direction. In
dismay, we hurriedly shuffled gear and
completely pivoted to the other side of the
stand. I feared the deer would detect such
commotion. It did not.
The instant the buck hit an opening 20
yards out, Leah let loose her bolt. The deer
retraced its steps, retreating to the creek
bottom with tail tucked.
I was sure the shot was a perfect passthrough
just behind the shoulders. Still,
we waited, Leah ultimately wrapping
up her homework just before it got dark
enough for flashlights.
Then we took up the deer's trail. It
wasn't a long one. We found the downed
deer not 60 yards from our stand. It likely
didn't even know it was hit.
Leah reached for the antlers.
" A 5-pointer for a fifth-grader, " she
said. " Plus, I'm 5 feet tall, too! "
I was honored to have a front-row seat
to her success. Being a major character in
her formative years is a blessing. I know,
in time, she'll need me less and less,
which is why I so cherish these moments,
whether it's holding her hand during a
hike, taking a fish off the hook, chauffeuring
her to one of her many activities
or sharing the tradition of deer hunting.
This hunt now at an end, I asked her
to rate this day.
Her hazel eyes twinkling, and with a
beautiful smile more young woman than
old girl, she rated it a 9.5.
" Why not a 10? " I asked.
" Come on Dad, " she replied. " You
saw the homework. I'm learning about
decimals here! "
I could only nod, looking at my little
wildflower who was blossoming.
" A perfect 9.5, " I agreed.
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2023

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