By Westin Lutey
The pickup rolls to a stop in the Montana mountain parking lot. I get out and stretch my legs. It’s early and the sun is still peaking over the rim of the mountains. As I walk down the trail, a grouse takes off and makes a ppplllfffllllfff sound right in front of me. My dad laughs because I jumped so high in fright. I start down the rocky slope and see the creek up ahead. I hear the crystal-clear water rushing and the beauty of the moment takes my breath away. My dad and I cross the cold, clear creek. Our day of hunting has officially begun.
I grin as I watch the squirrels flitter in the trees. Time flies by as we search for fresh tracks and deer. As we walk down the trail an ermine darts by a tree a handful of yards away. I stop to watch the ermine as a Golden Eagle gracefully soars overhead. We see fresh tracks that are a matter of minutes old. Immediately my senses are on edge. I tense up as I see a branch move – turns out it was just a squirrel jumping off to another tree.
The hours pass and we don’t see anything. I start to get tired. Soon my dad asks, “Should we pack up and head home?”
“Ye-,” I started to say.
“Wait, there’s a deer right there!” my dad said.
That was when I knew that the work wasn’t over yet. He looks up, finds his scope, and says, “Cover your ears.”
Before I knew it there was a loud ca-crack. It was a good clean shot. “Can we keep the heart?” I asked.
My dad said sure, so we took it home. The next night we had deer tenderloin and heart. The heart had an indescribable but delightful texture. After we ate it my dad said, “I am keeping the heart of every big game animal I ever shoot!”
That night I got the best sleep of my life. In the morning I was pretty sore but well rested and happy. Ever since that day I have been going hunting for deer with my dad every chance I get. My dad even got me my first hunting rifle for my 10th birthday.
This year of COVID-19 has been brutal. I even got anxiety at one point. I am 11 years old and I’m supposed to be at school, playing with my friends. Instead, I am sitting at my desk at home working on my computer. This year Montana’s public lands were my playground. Hunting, fishing, picking berries, mushroom hunting and cross-country skiing with my family was my recess. All of these activities have taught me patience, focus and to appreciate access to public lands. I also hope that you go enjoy public lands. There is so much out there to experience.
