My Outdoor Adventure

For weeks, twins Ashton and Nina Smith had gone to the shooting range to practice firing their dad’s deer rifle. When deer season came around, they could hit the center of the target every time.

The girls flipped a coin to see who would hunt first. Ashton won. She brought coloring books to keep her busy in the blind while waiting for a deer. But, she fell asleep before she could lift a crayon.

Luckily, her dad kept watch. He nudged her awake when an 8-point buck walked in. Ashton took aim and squeezed the trigger. BLAM! The buck dropped. It was a perfect shot.

Nina wasn’t so lucky. She missed several deer that season. But the following year—after more practice at the shooting range— she shot a nice 10-pointer.

Nina called from the woods to brag to Ashton how much bigger her deer was than her sister’s.

Nina and Ashton still like to deer hunt, though these days they shoot more does than bucks. Last fall, they each harvested an elk from a game farm in the Ozarks. Ashton also likes to turkey hunt with her dad. She got a 24-pound tom last spring.

When they’re not hunting or going to school, the twins like to fish for crappie at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Get deer-hunting info.