86 PETERSENÕS BOWHUNTING 09 • 2019
M
y dad was blessed with two daughters and no
sons. As a result, my little sister and I grew up do-
ing everything little boys do. Some of my fondest
childhood memories are of hunting, fishing and hiking
with my dad, and I was on the mountain before I could
even walk. Wild berries, small rocks and dirt piles kept
me entertained for hours. I scared away a few animals
before I was old enough to understand that being quiet
is a requirement for successful bowhunting, but Dad
never got mad.
In an effort to improve his confidence and accuracy
with a bow, my dad joined the local archery club and
began shooting leagues during the winter months. He
would take me and my sister with him each night to
give my mom a break from us kids. It wasn’t long before
we were begging him for bows and arrows of our own.
Santa Claus came through the Christmas just after my
fourth birthday.
I started shooting archery leagues alongside my dad
and soon found myself competing in archery tourna-
ments throughout our region. Region grew to state.
State quickly became national. I was only 8 when I com-
peted in my first international event, the World Archery
Festival in Las Vegas, Nev.
Although I enjoyed tournament archery, I was really
looking forward to my 12th birthday — 12 was the legal
hunting age in Idaho back then. I had been present for
many of my dad’s hunts, but I couldn’t wait to be the one
with a bow in my hand. Time wasn’t easy to find that fall
— I was in junior high and played volleyball — but we
somehow managed to squeeze in a few evening hunts,
and I was able to harvest my first deer. That was the day
my passion for bowhunting was awakened.
Nearly 20 years later, I still feel fortunate to have hunt-
ed in several states, multiple provinces and many coun-
tries around the world. My dad and I still compete as
much as we can, both of us firm believers that shooting
in tournaments makes you a better bowhunter. Noth-
ing can simulate having a monster buck or trophy bull
within bow range, but shooting for thousands of dollars
definitely comes close.
A Muley Too Far
This past hunting season was a bit different than most,
though. My friend Cherri Teutsch of Texas was coming
to Idaho for her first backcountry mule deer hunt, and
we wanted to make sure we did everything in our power
to ensure she had 100 percent opportunity. On dry years
such as 2018, we normally spend a lot of time hunting
over waterholes. However, big bucks don’t typically fre-
quent water in the daylight, and Cherri really wanted a
trophy. So, we replaced our weekend hikes to check trail
cameras with overnight scouting trips in an attempt to
locate big deer that were “huntable.” After many hours
LADY
BY LINDSAY CHRISTENSEN
GOODCOMPANYANDGREATRESULTSONA FRIEND’SFIRSTMULEYHUNT
