Of all the articles I have written over the past several years, this one may possibly be one of the most heartwarming. I’ll be the first to admit, those stories about squirrels, raccoons and otters are very entertaining and lighthearted, but when it comes to kids and stories about their hunting and fishing experiences, those are the best.

Drew Fox, the son of Henry and Betty Ruth Fox, is a nine-year-old boy who lives in our neighborhood. He attends St. Anthony Elementary School in Madison. Not uncommon in young boys in this day and age is the desire to hunt and fish.

Drew has shown a keen interest in getting outdoors to experience all our woods and waters have to offer. What is a little uncommon is that Drew doesn’t come from a hunting family. Many of our youth today get ‘it’ honest by having dads, uncles or grandfathers expose them to the outdoors. Drew got this desire on his own.

To add a twist to Drew’s getting involved in hunting, Henry was in a very bad automobile accident this past March leaving him without sight. Think about this, if I didn’t hunt, I could have still made a stab at introducing my son to the woods, but if I had complications like Henry has, it would have been almost impossible without some outside help.

Alan Wilkinson lives just a few houses down from the Fox den. He sees Drew on almost a daily basis. Time and time again he listened to Drew talk about wanting to hunt and maybe take a deer back home. Well, this past week, Drew got his chance to experience everything the woods have to offer.

Have you ever wondered why you can see deer every time you go to the woods when you are trying to find one for someone else, and then when the time comes to take them, they vanish into thin air.

So is the case with this hunt. The first three times Alan and Drew sat in a stand overlooking an oat patch, all that was to be seen was two rabbits. It is extremely frustrating trying to put a first-timer on game and nothing shows. I know you have all been there.

Add to the scenario, trying to explain to an active nine-year-old that you must be quiet and still, and a guide’s work is really cut out for him. Alan related to me that it is possible to do somersaults in a shooting house. He watched it unfold firsthand. I think the first few times Alan was calm, cool and collected, and just tried to explain to him why you need to be at the very least just a little bit still.

After a couple of hunts though, it got to the point where Alan would say, “ok Drew, sit down and be still.” I feel his pain. I have been there countless times, but that’s ok, that’s how they learn.

That fourth afternoon proved to be the charm. Around 4:30, it was looking like a repeat of afternoons before until three does made an appearance on stage. The tender oats kept the deer preoccupied long enough for some slick manuevering to get both Drew and the single shot 44 magnum into proper shooting position. At the crack of the rifle, all the deer exited the field.

Not sure of the shooting results, they just stayed in the stand for a little while to collect their wits. Hundreds of thoughts go through a hunter’s mind after the shot. Did the shot connect? Was it a good hit? We have all done this. As those two hunters were waiting, two of the original three does reappeared into the plot. That was a good sign. As they eased their way to where the deer were standing, Drew kept repeating, “I missed, I missed.” Alan reassured him that the shot looked good.

After a few minutes of tracking, Alan called out to Drew, “Here she is.” Have you ever driven across rowed up farm land? That’s how it looked as Drew ran across the plot into the briars. The light he had attached to the bill of his cap must have resembled that of the northern lights streaming across the sky as he bounced through the woods to his prize. There was no need to rush though, a perfect shot behind the shoulder did the job.

He will never forget that day. I can still recall every detail about my first whitetail and I’m sure he will too. Alan called Lonnie Harris, the club president, to tell him of their success. He was elated as well and waived the guest fee. A very nice gesture to help make a very memorable day a little more special.

Congratulations Drew, on taking your first whitetail. Maybe someday you can take your young son or daughter to the woods and share the experience of their first deer too. Who knows, there may even be a neighbor down the street that you can take too someday. I sure hope so.

Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.