Bryleigh Rummer

My 7 year old daughter has been tagging along with me on my outdoor adventures since she was old enough to walk. She has assisted me with setting trail cameras, working up food plots, many trips scouting, and hours and hours at the range. As I serve on the Tip of the Mitt QDMA Branch Board, she has attended numerous QDMA events with me. She has been so excited to hunt this year. We live in Emmet County and after scouting some nice bachelor groups of bucks near our home, Bryleigh and I decided to ask permission to hunt a gentleman’s farm. He graciously invited us to hunt and was excited to give her the opportunity. On this farm we routinely watched 6 1.5 year old bucks and 7 bucks 2.5-4.5 years of age. One of the bucks we routinely saw on this farm we named “blondie” as his coat was very light in color versus the other deer. We guessed him to be in the 130’s. Although he wasn’t the largest of the bucks he was one that my daughter and nephew were enamored with.
Saturday evening, on the first day of the youth season we set out. After about 2 hours of sitting, watching several young bucks and numerous does, a nice looking 3.5 year old 10 point walked within 100 yards of us. My daughter decided this would be a great first deer. As she was taking a good rest and settled the crosshairs on the shoulder my nephew whispered, “there is Blondie”. “Blondie” stepped out about 250 yards away. We decided to take the gamble passing on the first 10 point in hopes that “Blondie” would close the distance. Low and behold, a few minutes of waiting Blondie started walking towards us. When he presented a nice, open 150 yard shot my daughter Bryleigh settled the crosshairs, whispered to me she was on target, and I gave her the green light to shoot. She pulled the trigger and dropped “Blondie” in his tracks making for a very quick, and ethical shot/kill. We immediately unloaded the gun and waited for a few minutes before our retrieval of her first buck. She was so excited along with her 11 year old cousin Henry. After admiring her trophy we quickly loaded it up and broke it down for the cooler to chill the meat. In our home, as much as we like antlers like everyone else, the meat is the first priority! We plan to have a euro mount of the rack and will have the lower jawed aged at our 4th annual Tip of the Mitt QDMA Deer Aging night. Not only will this provide valuable data for our DNR, Bryleigh will get her hunter success patch.
Bryleigh harvested her deer with a Rossi, QDMA 25th Anniversary Edition .30-.30 shooting Hornady Lever Revolution 160 grain bullets. Her cousin Henry, also pictured harvested his first buck with this same rifle last year.