Sam Kalberer has been hunting since he was 10 years old. Sam took an 8-week Hunting Safety class where he was taught gun safety, how to hunt properly, went on mock hunts, and took a written test all to ensure that he be a safe hunter. The mock hunts consisted of him going out with a PVC pipe.  He was taught never to point the barrel at another human being, so the group practiced with fake guns. Cardboard animal cutouts were placed around the woods.  Sam had to make sure he only shot the correct animal.  He recalled, “They would put a buck in front of a doe.  In that case, you can’t shoot because it might hit the doe as well.”

Every year, in mid-October, his father,  and his dad’s best friend and his sons, pack up their gear and head to Patagonia. He hunts with a Remington 700 and last month, Sam accomplished the coveted goal – he killed a dear with one shot.

Hunting has been passed down from his grandfather, he then passed it down to his father, and that’s why Sam likes to hunt, to keep the tradition going. He said, “Hunting gives you a good feeling.” A clean kill, shooting a dear with one shot, was a big deal to him and his family.  “I felt pretty pumped up. Pretty exciting.” After the deer was shot, they cut out the heart and liver, grill the meat, and eat it that night. He said, “It’s just a tradition.” After gutting the deer, they bring it to Dickman’s to butcher it up in to steaks and beef.

He encourages others to try hunting, but realizes, “It’s not for everyone obviously.”  He then added, “But it is something I like to do a lot.