2015 - “Bring your knife grandpa!”
At just 11 years old and weighing approximately 80 pounds, Cameron “Blaze” Richards has already accomplished something many adult hunters only dream about.
November 17, 2015 • Voyageur Press
On Sunday, November 8, Cameron harvested an impressive 190-pound, 13-point buck while hunting near Wright, Minnesota.
It's not every day an 11-year-old can boast about a hunting experience like that — or even many adults, for that matter.
Cameron was hunting with his father, Jeff Bulson, on private land near Wright. According to Jeff, the landowner regularly invites a few young hunters to enjoy the opportunity. Cameron is especially grateful to the property owners for allowing him to hunt there.
Deer hunting is a family tradition for the Richards family, and Cameron now has a new bragging right: He has harvested the biggest buck in the family.
“I told my grandpa Les (Richards) he needs to get a bigger one,” Cameron said. “He hasn’t even come close. He got a big eight-pointer.”
“A 10-pointer,” Grandpa Les quickly corrected.
“Cameron is sure making it tough to beat. I might have to take his gun away, especially if he keeps rubbing it in,” Les joked.
Cameron's memorable hunt nearly started with disappointment. On opening morning, he missed a six-point buck, but the following day brought an opportunity he won't soon forget.
“I was sleeping in the stand,” Cameron recalled, “when my dad woke me up. He said, ‘Don't move and take off your gloves slowly.’”
The deer initially took off but stopped in an opening, giving Cameron an opportunity. He made his shot, hitting the buck in the heart.
His next phone call was to Grandpa Les, with a familiar message: “Bring your knife, Grandpa. Bring your knife.”
“That is what I used to tell him all the time when he was younger,” Les said. “It is fun to hear from my grandson.”
“All kidding aside,” Les added, “that deer was amazing! I am very happy for him.”
Cameron's interests extend beyond deer hunting. He also enjoys hunting grouse and wild turkeys, but it's his impressive buck that has everyone talking right now.
“I have over 600 likes on Facebook,” Cameron proudly announced.
“Yup, he thinks he's famous,” his dad added.
Who could blame him? At 11 years old, Cameron has already taken the kind of buck many hunters spend a lifetime hoping to harvest. And judging by the friendly family competition, Grandpa Les may have some work to do if he hopes to reclaim bragging rights!