When you walk into my room your eyes will be immediately drawn to a corner of my room. In this corner is an object that signifies many years of hard work and determination from both myself and my father. He is mounted above a safe in my room and in a corner for everyone who enters to gaze at. This big boy has a four by two rack and a pasty white skull. He is missing his lower jaw but all the upper teeth remain intact. He is a new addition to our home and will always be hung up for everyone to see.

I was only twelve and this was the first year I could legally hunt big game. My father has been taking me hunting since I was a wee lad and I have been hooked ever since. As we prepared for this hunt we had drawn bull elk tags so we had to balance between the two. When elk proved unsuccessful we moved to Red Feather lakes for a chance at their deer.

Well the very first night after moving our camp we decided to go road hunting in the last hour and a half of time. As we rolled through the forest roads there was only about 15 minutes before sunset. We rolled down to a stretch of private where we made the turn to head back home. As we peaked

above the hill there they were. Three doe’s and my monster. The hill was nearly vertical and with only 10 minutes of light left, I ran
up the hill. My Dad lacking behind, was not able to get eyes on with the binoculars so I made the decision to take him.

I have been trained to always be surprised when I pulled the trigger to that 270 WSM but when I did I was not expecting anything like it. I was filled with adrenaline and excitement that dropped with every breath afterwards. That night we were unable to find him but both my Dad and I knew he had been hit by the way he limped up and over the hill. I was restless that night because I feared harming an animal and causing it to suffer, but the next morning we found him lying peacefully, sunbathing in a clearing just on top of the hill.That afternoon was filled with work, conversations and many laughs. This was one of the best moments of my life and I will always remember these moments shared with my Dad.

I believe in my deer head  because to me it is a testament to many years of hard work, dedication and time well spent with my Dad. We continue to go hunting every year searching for our next prize. It is a tradition and I will one day pass this tradition onto my children who will eventually pass it onto theirs. This is why I believe in my deer head.