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ment for me. I found a new these life long bonds we were
world that has changed the making.
path of my life. I had only heard How is this life changing? At 12
about kids my age going on years old I have completed a
hunting trips. I really couldn’t hunters safety course and own
have imagined going on one a youth super license to hunt
myself. Yet there I was getting ducks, turkey, and deer. I have
an experience of a lifetime. now learned about the role of
It all started with two of my the Oklahoma Department of
mom and papas students. My Wildlife. Today I own
mom is Depew’s AgEd/FFA a Stoger and Franchi shotgun
teacher and my papa has as well as a 243 rifle. I have
taught AgEd/FFA there for 40 completed a successful turkey
years. They have a lot of deep hunt with the same two friends
fork river bottom hunting stu- where I harvested a nice tom
dents in their pro- and currently have trail camer-
gram. Two seniors, as looking for deer. I am on my
Tatum Buck Cale McKinzie and FFA sporting clays, traps, and
archery teams. I believe this
Brock McDaniel de-
Junior Division Boy cided to take time to would not be a part of my world
teach me how to duck without that first duck hunt.
Grade: 7 Teacher: Mandy Buck hunt. On an early morning in the cold
Age: 12 School: Depew Public Picture this: it was me, my muddy waters of the deep for
dad, my two guides, a slough with the bonds of life
beautiful trained lab named long friendships made and my
Hunting, Sharing preacher along with fancy de- values being shaped, I can say
coys, special duck guns, a that I now understand this
the Heritage: blind, and so much camo we theme Hunting-Sharing the Her-
were almost invisible. All this in itage.
The stillness of the early morn-
ing was broken by sounds of a the cold muddy waters of the
coyote howling in the distance deep fork river bottom slough.
and the screeching of an owl as It didn’t matter that there were-
their nightly routine came to an n’t many ducks that morning. It
end. To say that the morning air didn’t matter that instead of a
was crisp with old man winters limit I only managed to harvest
chill would be an understate- a pair of ducks. What mattered
ment. But, there I sat in the was that I was there. What mat-
deep for river bottom slough tered was my dad was with me
with my dad and two friends on sharing in my new passion.
my first duck hunting trip. What mattered was the relation-
That morning not too long ago ship I established with Cale,
was truly a life changing mo- Brock and even a lab named
Preacher. What mattered was
