At four days old, I was in my dad’s arms, wrapped in a hospital blanket and posing for a picture next to a buck hanging in a cedar tree. At three years old, my mom and dad moved us down to Sanpete County. Little did I know, I would grow up watching cow elk out our front room windows and mule deer running around freely, like we weren’t even around. Our cabin had no furnace or central air, but we stayed comfortable with a couple of fans and our beautiful wood-burning stove.
My love and respect for these beautiful animals and our harvest of them started as a little girl. I always looked up to my dad and wanted to be just like him. Hunting and fishing were his passions, and both became a treasured and important part of my life. With my dad being a guide for 20+ years and me being a big game hunter, one of my biggest dreams was to be able to harvest a trophy bull elk. “One day,” I kept telling myself. I knew if given an opportunity, I would be successful in accomplishing this goal.
My continued quest to make my dream come true started early last spring when we received the exciting news that I had beaten the extremely low odds and was successful in drawing a $5 Expo Tag at the Hunting Expo in Salt Lake. My tag was for the Manti late season bull elk hunt. Yes, read that again. I had 12 limited- entry bull elk points and knew I still had a few years to go before I would draw a tag. Never in a million years did I think I would draw this tag, but it was the perfect hunt to draw. This late season bull elk hunt can be fickle and tough, especially if the weather isn’t right. We went into this hunt with hope and prayers that if it be God’s will, we would be successful. We needed everything to play out perfectly, and if it did, we knew the reward would be unmatched.
Following a solid snowstorm a week earlier, the bulls started moving to lower elevations. Each day during my hunt, we were fortunate enough to put our eyes on some good bulls. We passed on a few small 5-point and 6-point bulls. I knew I had to be patient as I really wanted to take a nice mature bull. I’d never been a trophy hunter before, but this was an opportunity-of-a-lifetime and I set a goal. It was to locate and harvest a bull that would score 350"+ or at least have a great frame and not be broken up.
Some people laughed at this goal, and others prayed for me. I knew in my heart I could succeed.
On the third morning of the hunt, it was a cold one. We headed out in the dark and sat down in the spot where we wanted to be. Right at first light, I hadn’t even chambered a bullet in my 6.5 PRC when we instantly saw the silhouette of six bulls traveling along the sage line. The cold winter morning suddenly turned warm with excitement and an adrenaline rush. We identified one of the six bulls. There he was, the “Cheater” bull. He was the second bull in line. My husband ranged him and got the MOA dialed in on my scope. A calm came over me, and something whispered, “This is your moment. Breathe and squeeze that trigger.”
I told my husband I was ready. I was really surprised at how calm I felt. I gently touched off the trigger, and the Cheater bull went down. I finally got my bull and made an excellent 400-yard shot that penetrated the heart and both lungs. No more calm. I was shaking like never before! A single shot from my 6.5 PRC and the dream and goal became a reality. Cheater taped out at 382" gross, 7x7. I wish that I could describe the feeling I had in that moment and the joy that my husband, my family, and I were able to share together. One thing I know for sure is that a woman’s dream can be as big as a man’s. If you have a dream like mine, keep putting in, be involved, and continue believing.
I am so incredibly blessed and grateful for this experience and opportunity I was given. We will proudly display this amazing trophy bull on the wall, and we are so thankful for the 250+ pounds of meat it provided for our family.
After my hunt, I told my dad that even though we have a lot of years left together, this hunt was so special and felt like it completed our relationship. We needed to experience this in our lives together. My dad raised me to be an outdoors woman.
He has influenced me and taught me to hold gratitude deep in my heart for what we get to experience as hunters in God’s beautiful creation. I know God was with us and it was His will.
Dad, thank you for everything that you put into this hunt. I want to give a huge shoutout to my father-in-law for being one of my biggest supporters. I have learned so much from him and admire his knowledge and respect for the amazing outdoors we enjoy. I’m grateful for the relationship I have with him. He has also been a guide for over 30 years. He truly is one of the best. Finally, I want to thank my amazing husband for being by my side and being my biggest cheerleader. I wish everyone could experience this with their significant other and the magic that comes with a partner like him. The hunt was incredible, and I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else by my side.
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