Kayla Kramer, of Denver, Colorado, overheard former Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation benefactor Jarrod Smith recounting the story of his first buck at a pharmaceutical sales conference. Kramer jumped into the conversation and asked how she too could learn to hunt.
Kramer grew up fishing with her dad and listening to hunting stories from her best friend. She always had the desire to tag along on a hunt, but the friend wasn’t confident enough to “teach her how to hunt.”
Knowing where her food comes from, as well as the health benefits of wild game, piqued Kramer’s interest. A few months af- after the conference, Kramer found herself in Texas for her first hunt.
“It was so cool to see the gorgeous deer walking around the ranch,” she said.
LSONF board member David Sweet, who also works for the sales company and took Smith on his hunt, was there during Kramer’s hunt. After sighting in at the range and instruction of shot placement with a life-sized deer target, she was ready for the blind.
When the buck presented an opportunity, she followed her instructions and made the shot.
“I thought I missed it, at first,” Kramer said. “It didn’t buck up with the shot and he ran off.”
There was no blood trail, so it took several minutes for the pair to find the downed buck. The shot was true — straight through the heart. It was clear the buck’s adrenaline kicked in.
“I had lots of anxiety in the moments after the shot and up until we found him,” Kramer said. “I was so relieved when we saw him.”
Her guide, Steve Hudson, said she was speechless when they found the buck 50 yards from the shot. They found one drop of blood on a blade of grass only a few feet from the animal.
Hudson said Kramer was one of the calmest first hunters he has guided.
“She hit the deer right where I told her to,” he said.
Hunting is more than the harvest, it’s the full experience of being in the outdoors. “It was a really great experience; trying the freshly harvested, grilled venison to sitting around the campfire sharing stories,” Kramer said. “It was beyond anything that I had expected. And I definitely want to go hunting again in the future.”
Kramer plans to get a European mount of the buck and looks forward to the freezer full of meat. She also plans to invest in a hunting rifle and plan another trip to Texas. “I would like to bring my best friend or dad down to hunt with me here,” she said.
