9-year-old from Kearney is already a hunting legendBy Brent Frazee, The Kansas City Star
Dec. 19, 2009
Madison Peisert, 9, of Kearney was dwarfed by the mule
deer she shot during a recent youth hunt in New MexicoMadison Peisert of Kearney is your typical 9-year-old.
She paints her nails, likes to talk to her friends on the phone and enjoys going to the movies.
But one thing sets her apart. She also is a trophy deer hunter.
Don’t believe it? Look at what she accomplished this year.
Hunting with her dad, Vince, she opened the Missouri firearms deer season Nov. 14 by shooting a 15-point whitetail buck in Chariton County. Then less than a month later, she took an enormous mule deer in New Mexico — a buck with a rack that had five points on both sides.
So what now? Maybe she should open up a guide service.
“To shoot one deer like this would be a good season,” Vince said. “But to shoot two … that’s unbelievable.
“I’ve been hunting a long time and I apply for 28 tags a year in western states. But I’ve never had a year like she had.”
Madison’s memorable fall started when she and her dad traveled to land owned by her dad and her grandpa, Steve Rogers. She and her dad climbed into a stand and waited.
Finally, just as it was starting to get dark, a big buck appeared and walked behind the stand. When it walked in front, Madison shot and got her first trophy buck. Her dad later green-scored the rack at 170 4/8 .
“I was shaking, I was so excited,” she said. “My dad said, ‘Madison, I don’t think you realize how big a deer you just shot.’ ”
Before she had time to celebrate that deer, she was off on another adventure.
She was chosen in a drawing to be only one of two non-residents allowed to hunt mule deer in one unit in New Mexico during a youth hunt.
Just getting to that point was an ordeal. To participate in the hunt, she had to pass a hunter-safety course. Because the minimum age for Missouri’s courses is 11, her dad had to drive her to Arkansas to take the class.
But it proved to be worth the time and effort.
They started off in terrain far different than Missouri — high desert with sage brush and little timber. But an island of trees did hold a huge mule deer.
After the guides spotted the trophy buck, the party stalked the deer until they could get within shooting range. Madison calmly aimed, hit her target, and she had her second huge deer of the season.
The mule deer had a huge rack with a 30 1/2 -inch spread, the mark of a true Western trophy.
“I showed kids at school some pictures of me with that deer and they said, ‘Wow, that’s huge. That’s bigger than you are,’ ” Madison said.
This wasn’t beginner’s luck. She already has taken four deer in Missouri and she has been tagging along with her dad for as long as she can remember.
“I always used to watch hunting shows on TV and I’d say, ‘When can I do that?’ And my dad would say, ‘You’re not old enough,’ ” she said. “I couldn’t wait until I could go deer hunting.” Some people might tell you that hunting is in her blood.
Her dad is part of the family that owns the Great Guns gun shop in Liberty. Her mom, Shannon, is part of the family that runs Rogers Sporting Goods, also in Liberty.
Whatever the case, she has taken to hunting at a young age.
“She loves to help with the food plots and setting up the trail cameras,” Vince said. “The guys who come into the shop will always pull her over and ask her if she’s seen any big deer. And she’ll show them some of the pictures from our trail cams.
“She really gets excited about it.
FIRST-TIMERSMadison Peisert isn’t the only young hunter who found success during this year’s deer season. Here are a few others who scored big.
•During the Missouri youth season, Lance Watson, 12, of Peculiar shot a 19-point buck in Henry County.
Hunting with his brother Kyle and his uncle Scott Thompson, he sat under a tree and was about to fall asleep when something caught his eye. He shot and took his first deer.
•Ben Black, 10, and his brother Hunter, 13, also had a deer season to remember.
Hunting in Elk County, Kan., with their dad Charlie, they both took their first deer — both big bucks.
Ben took a 9-point buck on Dec. 2, opening day of the Kansas firearms season, then Hunter took an 8-pointer four days later.
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/outdoors/story/1640657.html
