Last weekend I went to shoot a Rifle Competition held at West Virginia University’s Rifle Range, with members of my Jerome Jr. Rifle Team. It was an awesome, exciting event.

I shot right next to Matt Sanchez, a member of the WVU Rifle Team. Afterwards, I got to see more of the WVU rifle facility. Better yet, we all got to meet and take pictures with, Ginny Thrasher, a WVU shooter and Olympic Gold Medal winner.

That’s Me, Ginny Thrasher, “ WVU & Olympic Rifle Champ” and my team mates, Haley Fetterman and Hannah Miller. Ginny won the Gold Medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

But, this Big College Rifle match made me pick between Hunting and Shooting and I was torn between the two. This mid-November weekend has been a time that I looked forward to, every year, for the past six years.

When I was 12 years old, on this same week end, my Pups took me to Ohio for my first Ohio Youth Buck Hunt. I hunted 2 days and in the last minutes of the last day a nice Buck appeared. I quickly took a long shot with my 220 Savage Slug gun. The Buck ran off, unscathed. I was so mad I missed and I told Pups, “I want to hunt Ohio again”.

The next year on the Ohio Youth Hunt I was 13 years old and I nailed a big 9-point Buck at “Full Bore Outfitters” with the same 220 Slug Rifle. Then we returned to “Full Bore” the following year and I passed up a smaller 8-point, but had another great time at the Full Bore Lodge.

When I was 15, I couldn’t go on the Ohio Youth Hunt. I wasn’t too disappointed because we were out West for my Mule deer and Antelope Hunt. We flew to the “Center of the Nation Hunts” near the town of Colony, Wyoming. My Guide, Guy Howell lead me to this big bodied Mule Buck that I shot at about 150 yards.

I had an amazing time there with my Guide and his wife, Shanna, and their four beautiful daughters. Just a few hours after I shot my Mule deer I killed a nice Antelope at nearly 200 yards with my 7mm08.Last year, on this weekend, I was back in Ohio at “Full Bore Outfitters” and I shot a young buck with my new Ruger 44 magnum rifle. This compact, light weight is perfect for tree stands and is legal for the shotgun only Ohio Deer Season. That brings me up to this season, where we made plans for another Ohio Buck Hunt, because it would be my last ever “Ohio Youth Hunt” . That’s because it’s for hunters who are 17 years old and younger. Back in August I found out about the WVU shoot so I had to decide where to go. My deposit was paid for the Ohio hunt, but I had to pick one event over the other. Well, I felt I had to go with my team to WVU. It could be my only chance to shoot in competition here.

I was in really good spirits for this shoot. I slept well at my Grand parents house, and my Pups made me waffles and bacon for breakfast. Then in West VA we ate an early lunch before the shooting started. I guess all that food helped to weigh me down and keep me calm.I shot my personal best at this college event and it may be my last shoot ever at WVU. I’m not sure where I’ll be next year on my “Favorite Hunting/Shooting Weekend”.

Decisions, Decisions. I am packed up, ready to leave WVU.  It’s my Senior Year of High School, so everything will be different next year at this time.