Each year I take a youth on a western hunt. A hunt they otherwise wouldn’t realize life being what it is financially and otherwise. This year it was Maggy.



Maggy is a young lady who tagged along with her brother to the trap range when she was barely bigger than a whisp of grass. She has become an awfully good trap shooter and huntress. More than this a darn good young lady. I asked her to come west.
We spent some range time last summer and I got her comfortable with a Tikka .243 and 95gr ballistic tips. I got her license for Montana trophy deer, and a doe tag for her accompanying guardian. Out to the ranch the hunt was on, mid November.
Mule deer country:




One of the first days we worked down some tops and found a lion kill. First trophy of the trip.



I was focusing on trying to get her one of these two caught on camera before season.




After 5 days of looking over maybe 200 mule deer and double that in whitetails we set up a spot to intercept a buck we spotted the evening before in the alfalfa fields. That morning they came up but not where we figured after a too smart doe in the harem busted us. The chase was on. The deer moved west along the south side of a butte line, 1/2 mile north we hurried west along that side of the buttes.
We got to the end of the butte in time to watch the buck and 9 doe harem go up and thru a saddle 600 yards out. Away we went after them after the last deer went thru. The other side of that cut had a still rising sage flat I’d hoped they would stop in.
We got up to the base under the cut and climbed the 50 yards up to it on an elk trail the deer used. We peeked thru and the deer were milling around about 175 yards out in the sage. We slipped up and got down on a knee. I could see Maggy was shaking like a leaf. Luckily does we’re in the way and tho they were looking back at us they were calm. This delay gave me time to whisper calming words to Maggy, note this, can you see that and so on. After 15 minutes the does cleared and the buck broadsided standing. I quietly asked if she had the mark on the deer just back edge of the bucks shoulder. The gun answered my question. The buck bolted 30 yards across the sage, cartwheeled and down.
If you look over Maggy’s left ear in the picture of her holding the lion kill you can see the flat where she killed the buck.
Maggy was looking at the deer down when she heeled the gun and I saw it waiver so I grabbed it and she started to cry hard. She turned in to my shoulder still kneeling there and let it all out. After she composed herself she apologized, said she’d never been so happy. My payday right there fellas.





It was a terrific trip, we had a spike bull tag so we spent two days trying to fill it but the bulls were too big and Maggy didn’t want a cow. We spent an hour watching a group of bedded bulls where 1 was a 325 class, 4 that were 340-360 and one that’s been seen on the ranch and below is the picture if you can pick him on the left side. He was in front of the truck one morning and the guys figured him in the 410-420 range. He was an absolute tank laying among the others and what a great treat for me and Maggy to watch so long. We slipped back away.
We passed a lot of coyotes for fear of pushing deer, but Maggy played hel on a prairie dog town one day, she can really blow them up.
Maggy was loved on the ranch and encouraged to start applying for the trophy bull drawing. I look forward to that hunt with her. In the meanwhile I’ve chosen another young gunner for this upcoming deer season to hopefully give them their hunt of a lifetime. 50 plus years of guiding, I never knew it could feel so good.
Thanks for reading.

Osky

Two thumbs Up!!

The big bull.

Great job. Thanks for the great story and pictures and God Bless Y'all.

You're a heck of a guy, Osky.

Osky, good on ya. What a wonderful story. An awesome hunt with great pic's. Memories for a lifetime right there.

That’s awesome that you take the time and spend the money to do that for a kid each year.

👍👍

Well done partner, great write up and pics! And good on you for taking the time to get that girl hunting.



I'm no elk hunter but that bull is a fricken' monster!

WOW! This is a good news story. Congrats to the young lady and a pat on your back.

Just outstanding.

great story in more ways than one....

Congratulations to the young lady and tp you too! Buck of a lifetime.

Congrats👍👍👍

Excellent!

Good for you both!

Great story and so cool you do that! Wish you were around when I was a kid lol.

That's awesome, great post

That's fantastic,
Many life lessons for the young lady,and a dandy of a buck.
Very rewarding for yourself,I'm sure,,,,Kudos

Absolutely outstanding! Congrats to Maggy.

Nice work both of you.

Wow, great story and pics Osky, thanks for sharing it with us.

Osky, is that you in the picure? I didnt know you were a young buck!

That's awesome!!!!

Thanks for the story about Maggy, the hunt, the prize and all of it. Well done, and good on you in doing that stuff for young folks. This photo with the bulls looks pretty much like where we lived and hunted for 22 years - a wonderful run - miss it a bunch.

Awesome that you do this for young hunters. Good on ya man.

Dandy buck. Way to go Maggy!

Thanks for getting a kid involved and hooked!

Nice job.

Good job young lady,and Mr.Osky a heck of a gesture sir and I hope ur new year is filled with good moments such as these.Happy New Year sir!Keep up the good work.

Congrats to both of you. I love it when a plan comes together.

Good on you sir. Congrats to Maggie. Nothing like taking a good kid hunting.

Impressive on all counts!

Clyde

That is one of the best stories I've read in a long time. Congrats to the young lady and thumbs up to you!!

Great job, I'am sure she will do the same some day.

That's living right...

Well done sport...that is a worthwhile endeavour.

Well done!

Heck of a deal

Great job and a wonderful write up with the pictures. Nicely done and 2 thumbs up to you.

Thank you for doing that and including us too!!!!

Enjoyed the story, thanks for posting and thanks for taking an interest in the young ones.
Too few of our youth are getting involved in hunting.

Awesome 👌

Good for you! Great thread and pics. Wish all of us could take at least one such young person hunting or fishing.

Young people need to be shown the way and given a choice and you have. You have my respect Sir. 🫡

well done

Good on you sir!

Amazeballs!

good on you for taking the time to start that gal off on what hopefully is a lifetime of adventure. Maybe she takes you up on getting the trophy bull tag and goes after that big fella, or his cousins.

And what could be better than a story with pictures.......................to think, some of these folks on an outdoor forum won't post pic of their supposed adventures. Glad you did, thanks.

And major props to Maggy!!!

Thank you for sharing. It had to be a great experience.

Great story! It's great that you do this for the kids. Congrats to Maggy!

Wonderful story. God bless you for what you do.

Thank you for posting this. It's the feel good story of the year and you deserve a ton of credit.

Congrats to you both.

Great pics and story.

good on ya for taking time out of a busy life to guide a young lady. Congratulations to you both on her success!

Man, I love stuff like that. Thank you for doing what you do and sharing the heartwarming story.

Wow, memories that will last a lifetime right there. Congratulations to Maggy on the beautiful buck and to you for making that happen. And that big bull elk... that memory will make for some sleepless nights! Thank you for sharing the pictures and story.

i'll reiterate the great story telling...very nice.

I loved this story, good on you sir. You are a good person for taking a young hunter and showing her the time of her life.
Hopefully she will be an advocate for the sport as she grows up.

Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!

What a selfless and generous thing to do for the next generation. Great story and pictures as well.

Thanks for taking us along on Maggies hunt. You’re a good man. 👍👍 congratulations to all involved.

Best thread of 2024 so far.

God Bless You Sir

Outstanding Mate !!!!

An epilogue of sorts.
Thank you folks for the words. Maggy is forever welcome at the side of this aging guide, and on that ranch. I do plan to help her make that bull tag happen. Maggy is and will only blossom more as a respectful person and huntress.
I’d like to say putting this together for Maggy was made a lot easier with patient help from the folks at the Miles City FWP offices. Thanks again Vanessa. Many states like Montana have special “deals” for youth hunting options, resident or non resident.
I’m pointing this out to all of you other ranchers, farmers, and landowners. If you can help a youngster in any way enjoy an opportunity you can offer, you will be happy you did, trust me.

A word of warning. I walked a lot of miles with Maggy following, searching, hunting. I learned fast how good young eyes could be. More than once after a grueling stretch of buttes and cuts I’d stop, heaving for wind. Checking back to see where my young partner was she would be right there at my shoulder, smiling, waiting on me to go on with no more exertion showing than if she’d just come in for dinner. Humbling that is but it sure made me smile.

This upcoming seasons young hunter will be a pleasure as well I’m sure, I look forward to reporting in on that.

Osky

No words more than what was said already except that I see God working through you. To God be the glory.

Congratulations. I love taking kids hunting. Way to pass the torch

I can understand the reward taking and mentoring youth, exellent!