Many of you have read here about our Outdoor Wish kid Lane Duckworth and know the battles she's faced. She has been an inspiration to me for the last 7 years and I consider it an honor to know someone with her determination and courage.
This was the first year Lane could hunt so when her dad Tom called me to see if I could help I was thrilled to say the least. Lane is unable to shoot a gun or a bow due to being burned with 3rd degree burns over 85% of her body. Thanks to Bill and Kath we got Lane set up with a crossbow and like the trooper she is she practiced HARD to get good with it. When opening day of the youth hunt finally arrived she was READY and chomping at the bit to finally have the chance to match wits with the wily whitetail.
Lane, her dad and brother had scouted the area they were going to hunt and set up a ground blind for Lane and her dad. They set it up to cover several runways with one of them being only 6 yards away. Tom was a little worried that if a deer came down that run it would be to close and Lane would get to excited to shoot. Boy was he wrong.
About an hour after daylight Tom saw a deer heading their way on that very runway and Lane slowly got into position. She was in "predator mode" now. As the deer got closer they got a better look and dang if it wasn't a pretty good buck. The buck slowly worked it's way toward them and as he got close Tom realized if he didn't stop Lane wouldn't get a shot due to some high weeds.
The buck passed Lane's shooting lane a little to quickly for her to get off a good shot and as he moved by them Lane slowly repositioned herself for a quartering away shot as he passed through another shooting lane a bit further away. Tom planned to stop the buck with a soft grunt as he entered the shooting lane but the buck slowed down and before he had the chance to tell Lane to shoot her arrow was on the way.
In the excitement that always follows a close encounter like that, Tom thought the shot hit a little to far back but Lane was confident in her shot. They waited awhile then went to look for blood and it didn't take long before they were following a pretty good blood trail. After following the bloodtrail about 40 yards Tom spied something in the weeds ahead. He told Lane she was going to have to follow the bloodtrail for a bit and she moved into the lead. Little did she know the surprise that lay in the weeds for her just 20 yards further.
It only took a few more steps when Lane let out a yelp as she saw what Tom had noticed just a few minutes earlier. Laying there with the sun glistening off his antlers lay Lane's 10 point buck. As they admired her deer Lane noticed her dad's eyes were glistening a little too. She told Tom "now don't you start crying". I've been in Tom's shoes before, there wasn't anything he could do to stop himself.
If any kid ever deserved a nice buck for their first deer it is Lane. She has faced many battles over the last 7 years that would cause grown men to weep and give up. She's fought hard for everything she does in life and doesn't let anything stand in her way. I am proud to know her and no matter what happens in the deer woods for me over the next 90+ days as I chase the wily whitetail myself my season can't get any better than it is today.
God Bless You Lane and Congratulations
Very touching thanks for sharing!
