2018 - South Ridge students share whitetail stories
Several South Ridge students enjoyed success during Minnesota’s whitetail deer opener, including seventh-grader Lauren Olson, who harvested a six-point buck while hunting with her father, Pete, near Culver
November 13, 2018 • Voyageur Press
“I was actually watching a movie on my computer,” Lauren admitted. Her dad spotted a large buck about 20 yards from their stand and tried to get her attention.
“I was super scared and shaking because I’ve never shot a deer before,” Lauren recalled. Her first shot struck the deer in the spine, so her father took a follow-up shot to the neck.
Lauren said hunting with her sister, Leanna, during the final weekend of last season inspired her to give it a try this year.
“I watched Leanna get her deer last year, and I never imagined I would get one this year. I doubted myself,” she said.
When she’s not hunting whitetails, Lauren competes with the South Ridge Panthers trap shooting team.
The family’s hunting success extended to her cousin, 10-year-old Austin Olson, who harvested his first deer while hunting with his father, John, near South Ridge School.
Austin also hit his deer in the spine, but the animal ran from one shooting lane to another, prompting his father to take another shot.
“It didn’t die right away,” Austin said. “I wanted to go check it, but my dad told me to wait in the stand.”
The pair eventually began tracking the deer and heard it moving in the woods about halfway down the lane. The deer got up and ran again before stopping to rest.
“That’s when my dad shot it in the neck,” Austin said. When they reached the deer, he discovered it was a five-pointer.
Although Austin’s buck had one fewer point than his cousin Lauren’s, he was quick to point out one important detail: “Mine was bigger.”
Austin is also looking forward to having a pair of gloves made from the deer hide.
Cousins Reed and Ryan, who traveled from the Twin Cities to join the family hunt, also had opportunities. Reed harvested a deer, while Ryan shot a 10-point buck that the hunters were unable to recover.