After my stepdad took me and my brother to our first “deer camp,” I killed a spike buck at about 150 yards with a .300 savage mag. It didn’t matter how unimpressive the antlers were; I was very proud. This experience ignited a passion for the mountains and the challenge of the hunt. I got positive attention for killing that very small buck. For a fifteen-year-old with braces and acne, that was empowering. That experience in the clean mountain air inspired me to write a story for English class in school. My teacher, Mr. Haller, said I was a great writer. He may have been lying, but I believed
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