Page 58 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2019

SPORTS & OUTDOORS bonding over bucks
AT Girl & HER FIRST DEER
story by Frank Wilem photos courtesy of Marcus McDavid
Kallie McDavid is all geared up and ready for her first hunt.
guide, Kallie soon graduated from playing in the live-well to catching her first fish, a 19-inch redfish. Since then, she has frequently accompanied him on many fishing trips. But while Kallie is quite familiar with being outdoors on the water, this was to be her first hunting adventure.
The day before, they had loaded up their gear and headed for the hunting camp in high spirits. Excited at the prospect of her first hunt, Kallie struggled getting to sleep that night. It was dark when Marcus woke her early the next morning. It was time.
The sun had still not begun to rise when they climbed into the deer stand. Both were filled with high hopes as they settled in to wait
After spending time around the camp, they grabbed lunch and by mid-afternoon were back in the shooting house. The father-daughter team had been patiently waiting
for a half hour when their boredom was broken. Two deer had emerged from the woods into the field before them, but before Marcus could get Kallie into position to take her shot, the deer quickly vanished back into the woods. The wind had shifted and the deer had caught their scent. Though somewhat disheartened, Kallie went back to waiting. It wasn’t long before they again spotted motion but it was immediately obvious that it wasn’t deer but a “rafter” of turkeys which had entered the field. Still, Kallie was thrilled and sat watching
he sun had yet to rise. Perched inside the deer stand, Kallie sat as quietly as any six-year-old could while she and her father studied the field before them. They strained hoping to catch movement in the tricky shadows before dawn.
Our fishing charter team member, for the first deer to appear...and Marcus McDavid, had taken Kallie waited... and waited. Three hours out on the water for her first venture later, they had still not spotted a
at the tender age of six months. single deer when Marcus threw in While that’s no surprise given her the towel planning to try again later father’s occupation as a charter that day.
58 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2019
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