Sallie Doty's First Deer Hunt in South Dakota

I moved to Pierre, SD in 2012. I grew up in the Twin Cities and lived mostly a city life. I knew a few people that hunted -- some friends of friends and friend's family. I always found it be to interesting, but I was focused on other things like swim team and school. My family was not against the concept of it, but we simply lived a different lifestyle and did other things.

When I met my husband Ben the first thing I noticed through social media photos was his passion for the outdoors. He always loved the outdoors growing up in Wisconsin and living there his entire life. Once we met in the spring of 2012 for the second time and I wanted to learn how to shoot a gun so we started with a .22. I ended up shooting a cottontail, and said, "Now what?" To which he replied, "We eat it." I helped clean the rabbit and we ended up making it almost like chicken wings with the legs. It was rather good!

Ben bought me a small pink Bear Apprentice bow for my 23rd birthday later that year. I practiced almost every day that summer. By early October, he said that I could shoot a mule deer doe if I wanted to. I practiced every weekend I went out to the ranch trying to stack arrow after arrow in the same spot. I struggled in the beginning and it took hours of practice. There was one point that I wanted to give up because it was difficult developing the strength to pull a bow back.

I kept practicing all fall and would go along with him on hunts. I sat for some cold sits. I learned so much. He would educate me on why deer do what they do and not to shoot young deer by themselves. Things that seem so easy to understand now, but when I started, I did not understand anything about deer or their behaviors.

After a few hunts with no luck, it finally all came together on December 30th, one day before season ended. It was -17 degrees Fahrenheit and I sat in a ground blind. A mule deer doe came in to nibble on what was left of any grass. She was going to eat then was headed to take a nap but the blind cut her off. She was eating and slowly movement by movement turning broadside. She did not get completely broadside but was turned when I let an arrow fly. She went down in the snow after running down the draw.

My first successful deer hunt was a cold one, but I was so proud of my accomplishment. Since my first deer hunt I have harvested 6 does and 4 bucks with my bow. Bow hunting is a challenge, but it also very rewarding.