Braeleigh Miller is a new hero among hunters everywhere — and she hasn’t even turned 10 yet.
According to WXMI, the 8-year-old girl managed to bag a nearly 400-pound elk on Dec. 14, making her the youngest in the state of Michigan to successfully hunt one of the animals.
Miller’s father, Gunnar, told the television station that they had located a gang of elk the night before. When they came out the next morning, they were still there.
“They were all still in the field when it got daylight, and we waited for legal shooting hours, and we snuck across the field and they were in a perfect position in the field, I mean it couldn’t have unfolded any better,” Gunnar told the station.
And who says that hunting isn’t empowering? While Braeleigh is usually the only female hunter out there among her male relatives, she’s bested them in a critical way.
“It’s cool for me because I’ve never set a record before, my dad hasn’t set a record before, my grandpa hasn’t set a record before, so I’m like to them, ‘Ha-ha,'” she said.
There were some disbelievers on social media, particularly given the size of the gun involved.
“There were a few people on Facebook that were pretty skeptical being the size of the gun and the caliber of the gun and the amount of the kick that it has being that it was a full size,” Gunnar Miller said.
“It wasn’t a youth gun or anything, it was a full-size rifle, and a .308-caliber has a little bit of a kick to it, but she handled it like a champ.”
There were a lot of congratulations to go around on Facebook.
“Congratulations on the AWESOME hunt. May your belly be happy,” one user said.
“Congratulations!! Great job. You should be very proud of yourself,” another said.
And then there were the idiots: “I don’t know who disgusts me the most, this guy or the morons who congratulate his daughter.”
Well, whatever. In an age in which even high school baseball is deemed too dangerous by some, the idea of youth hunting must seem as crazy as being a jockey in Siberian tiger demolition derby. The mere act of hunting itself is just as morally dubious to this crowd.
So, imagine the kind of foaming rage that begins when this kind of person sees an 8-year-old girl who felled a 400-pound elk with a .308-caliber rifle. Imagine the kind of invective that travels from their brains to their keyboards as the sympathetic nervous system takes over. Why, those aren’t any words to use in a post about an 8-year-old!
Don’t buy into it. Take your kid hunting — for all of the reasons that Gunnar Miller laid out.
“Youth hunting in Michigan’s a dying sport, and that’s why Michigan actually opened the mentor youth program after studies that have proven in Michigan that the younger a kid is when they actually get into hunting, the more likely they are to continue it throughout their life,” Gunnar Miller said.
“So doing that study and everything obviously I would have gotten my kids into hunting at a young age no matter what, but to have the opportunity to have them be the one that’s pulling the trigger and actually harvesting the animal at a young age is a huge opportunity for them that we didn’t have when we were younger.”
Hunting teaches your kids responsibility. It teaches them respect for nature. It teaches them why we hunt. And, as an added bonus, you might tear up — just like Gunnar Miller did.
“Yeah I got pretty worked up, I was pretty excited,” Miller said.
Assuming everything was done legally, and I do assume that, then good for her. I think, however, that calling her a "hero among hunters everywhere" is perhaps a bit of a stretch. She was apparently with one or more people who put her in a position to make a shot, and she made it. Doesn't appear that she was the "hunter", but merely the shooter. Hopefully this is a step along the way to her becoming a hunter.
As to her shooting a .308 at age 8, I don't doubt it at all. .308 is pretty easy to shoot, and the ability to handle recoil seems to be a pretty individual thing. Full size stock would likely have been more of an issue than caliber. Those are my thoughts, anyway.
If Michigans youth hunter numbers are dropping the concerned groups need to get behind the state high school trap shooting leagues and encourage the sport. Minnesota has over 12 thousand kids shooting in our league, second only to the state high school football sport in participants. Many school teams go together outstate for goose and pheasant hunts as well.
Osky
A woman's heart is the hardest rock the Almighty has put on this earth and I can find no sign on it.
Assuming everything was done legally, and I do assume that, then good for her. I think, however, that calling her a "hero among hunters everywhere" is perhaps a bit of a stretch. She was apparently with one or more people who put her in a position to make a shot, and she made it. Doesn't appear that she was the "hunter", but merely the shooter. Hopefully this is a step along the way to her becoming a hunter. As to her shooting a .308 at age 8, I don't doubt it at all. .308 is pretty easy to shoot, and the ability to handle recoil seems to be a pretty individual thing. Full size stock would likely have been more of an issue than caliber. Those are my thoughts, anyway.
Aren't you a bundle of joy today.
You think any eight year old child should be able to handle the recoil of a .308?
So,she's not a hunter just a shooter.
Your inability to give credit to this eight year old huntress is quite remarkable,given the nature of this forum.
Communist Goals
26. Present homosexuality and degeneracy as normal. 27. Discredit the Bible. 28. Eliminate prayer in the schools.
Assuming everything was done legally, and I do assume that, then good for her. I think, however, that calling her a "hero among hunters everywhere" is perhaps a bit of a stretch. She was apparently with one or more people who put her in a position to make a shot, and she made it. Doesn't appear that she was the "hunter", but merely the shooter. Hopefully this is a step along the way to her becoming a hunter. As to her shooting a .308 at age 8, I don't doubt it at all. .308 is pretty easy to shoot, and the ability to handle recoil seems to be a pretty individual thing. Full size stock would likely have been more of an issue than caliber. Those are my thoughts, anyway.
Aren't you a bundle of joy today.
You think any eight year old child should be able to handle the recoil of a .308?
So,she's not a hunter just a shooter.
Your inability to give credit to this eight year old huntress is quite remarkable,given the nature of this forum.
Her dad posted a video on facebook when the story broke. The Michigan elk hunt isn't really a "hunt", harvest is a better term. Her hunt is pretty much how the elk are taken. That field looks pretty familiar to me...
Assuming everything was done legally, and I do assume that, then good for her. I think, however, that calling her a "hero among hunters everywhere" is perhaps a bit of a stretch. She was apparently with one or more people who put her in a position to make a shot, and she made it. Doesn't appear that she was the "hunter", but merely the shooter. Hopefully this is a step along the way to her becoming a hunter. As to her shooting a .308 at age 8, I don't doubt it at all. .308 is pretty easy to shoot, and the ability to handle recoil seems to be a pretty individual thing. Full size stock would likely have been more of an issue than caliber. Those are my thoughts, anyway.
Aren't you a bundle of joy today.
You think any eight year old child should be able to handle the recoil of a .308?
So,she's not a hunter just a shooter.
Your inability to give credit to this eight year old huntress is quite remarkable,given the nature of this forum.
You apparently didn't read closely. I did give her credit for the shot and I congratulate her for that. I was pretty clear in indicating that I don't doubt her ability to handle a .308. No, I don't think every 8 year old can handle a .308, but it appears that she can (an individual thing). That speaks well of her, in my opinion. Maybe my language regarding her being just the shooter was a little strong. I respect her interest in hunting. I hope she continues to learn and becomes a long time hunter. No way though, would I refer to her as a "hero". Perhaps my definition of hero is different than yours. "Hero" is a word that is way overused. There are real heroes out there. No offense to the young lady, but I don't think she is one of them.
[/quote] Her dad posted a video on facebook when the story broke. The Michigan elk hunt isn't really a "hunt", harvest is a better term. Her hunt is pretty much how the elk are taken. That field looks pretty familiar to me...[/quote]
Agree, not to distract from the cool factor, you could probably fill a stadium with Mi. kids that would be more than happy to be the shooter. Elk hunting here isn't exactly Co.....
Assuming everything was done legally, and I do assume that, then good for her. I think, however, that calling her a "hero among hunters everywhere" is perhaps a bit of a stretch. She was apparently with one or more people who put her in a position to make a shot, and she made it. Doesn't appear that she was the "hunter", but merely the shooter. Hopefully this is a step along the way to her becoming a hunter. As to her shooting a .308 at age 8, I don't doubt it at all. .308 is pretty easy to shoot, and the ability to handle recoil seems to be a pretty individual thing. Full size stock would likely have been more of an issue than caliber. Those are my thoughts, anyway.
Aren't you a bundle of joy today.
You think any eight year old child should be able to handle the recoil of a .308?
So,she's not a hunter just a shooter.
Your inability to give credit to this eight year old huntress is quite remarkable,given the nature of this forum.
I agree. Some on here might be pizzing in their pants when aiming at an elk like that.
Did not watch the weather video etc, but good for the young lady if all was on the up and up.
As to doubters about handling the arms, it's indeed kid specific. Years back there was hunting show with some rich Texan after bison and he had packed his young skinny little daughter along. She witnessed dad's doings, which weren't all that stellar, but then expressed interest in giving it a try. Off they went with dad's 300 Win slung over her shoulder with the butt plate nearly touching the ground. Found the bison, got the rifle propped up on sticks, and she touched one off that totally hammered the bull. Recoil put her glasses on the end of her nose, but she had a second round chambered and cheek to the stock before the buff hit the ground.
Despite my original misgivings, that young lady knew exactly what she was getting into and was fully capable of handling it.
As a 120lb kid, I well remember being seriously thumped by a 308.
I drew and went on Michigan's Elk hunt last year. I retained a well recommended guide...and what a joke the hunt turned out to be.
Every one of those "guides" puts their kids in for the donated licenses where original applicants cannot make the hunt or would prefer to donate to a minor. One of the guides I used had his kid drawn. The young girl had ZERO interest in hunting, and by what I saw of her, didn't know which end of the rifle the bullet came out of. She had a plethora of other guides seeking an antlerless animal, all the while "Dad" getting blasted every other five minutes by the mother who did not want the kid out of school to participate in something she didn't want to do in the first place. But amazingly, she got her elk, and a family got free meat for a year. I'd really like to know if they could lift fingerprints from a trigger, whose they would be.
If bouncing around in a pickup, chasing harried animals, or locating your quarry using a drone appeal to you, then by all means considera Michigan elk hunt. I can't draw again for 10 years, but to be honest if I knew I'd be drawn again next year I'd never apply again. I did get my elk, but it was not with a proud feeling.
Sorry to be so sour on what many consider an accomplishment, but from everything I saw this hunt is run like a three ring circus, and most outfits I saw were far from fair chase.
This little girl has been hunting for several years and has killed a few good whitetail bucks as well.This is her 10TH game animal that she's harvested.
You went on a rant about the guide but never stated whether you killed an Elk or not.
Your experience doesn't appear to be the same as hers.
This is a wonderful accomplishment for the father and daughter.
Some people will always see the glass as half empty,which is a poor outlook on life.
Couching criticism behind faint praise is a liberal tactic.
Honestly it is just more about perspective from the locals standpoint.
The tags are very limited, and as I said the hunting here is not exactly Co, Wy, Mt, etc. A good portion of the elk killed are on some of the larger ranches. The members want them gone and the hunters want to fill a tag. Often times they know exactly where they are going to be at any given time. Don't get me wrong, I will gladly exercise my rights as a tag holder if I am so lucky to draw but short of marksmanship there is not a lot of prep involved. I don't for a second think anyone is making light of her shooting abilities and steadfastness when the time came which at her age it is wonderful. In all reality though I could go shoot an elk tomorrow if it were season and I had a tag.
Colorado, well, I have only seen about a dozen and none of those were bulls but I will keep going back because the physical demand and preparation are where the success lies from my perspective.
