By Venus Baxter

-- My name is Venus Baxter and my hunting story happened during a big company Christmas party that my husband's boss held in Camden, Ala. It was supposed to be a hunt for the guys only. However, I rode up to the camp with my husband to help the boss' wife cook dinner for them.

After the guys loaded up to leave, we started to cook. Then one of the guys showed up at the cabin late to go hunting. So the boss' wife and I decided to walk out cross a field and sit for a little while. About 15 minutes passed and I noticed a buck feeding just six feet to my right.

I could only see the tip of its antlers. I waited for the buck to raise its head and then I took my shot. I was so nervous that I did not know if I hit the deer. The buck ran 30 yards and fell.

We made it back to the cabin with the buck and began celebrating. Little did I know that the celebration would come to an abrupt end when the guys arrived at the cabin. They were comparing what they had shot. Then one of them wanted to know who took a shot around the cabin. I told them that it was me.

Talk about some mad people when they saw my buck. Like I mentioned earlier I was not supposed to be hunting. I had shot the biggest buck that day. It had six points and weighed around 130 to 140 pounds. My husband was upset because this was my first deer and he was not there to share in my glory. He told me that I should have waited so we could hunt together, but it is not my fault that I took the biggest buck that day.

I was told that I was not allowed to hunt anymore because the men did not like being shown up by a girl. Well that night the boss' wife decided to let everyone at the dinner know what happened and the guys didn't get to live it down for a long time.

I am telling you that once I shot that deer it was a feeling all its own. I will never forget that year and I plan to hunt this season with my husband. Hopefully I can out shoot him again.

Venus Baxter
Century, Florida