My North Dakota Buck–A Hunt I’ll Never Forget!
Amanda Johnson took this great whitetail deer in North Dakota with Drop Tine Lodge and entered it in the 2027 WGH Hunting Awards Photo Challenge for the chance to win a $100 gift card from Prois Hunting. Below, she shares her experience to encourage other women in their hunting pursuits. She writes:
“After years away from hunting, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to head to North Dakota. It had been a long time since I’d sat in a stand, listened to the woods come alive, and felt that quiet anticipation build, but the moment I arrived, it all came rushing back.
“Patience became my greatest companion on that hunt. For three days, I sat and watched, letting the sounds of nature settle around me. Each morning and evening brought its own sense of hope, but it wasn’t until the third night that everything finally came together. That evening is one I’ll never forget!
“As the sun began to dip and the woods softened into that golden, quiet stillness, I spotted him, a beautiful buck moving through the trees. My heart beat immediately picked up, but I stayed calm, reminding myself of all the waiting that had led to this moment. At one point, he passed behind a cluster of trees, and for a second, I thought my opportunity might be gone. It was hard to just sit there and watch him disappear, but patience had gotten me this far, and I trusted it would pay off.
“Then, just as quickly as he vanished, he reappeared, this time stepping out into the open, giving me a clear and perfect shot. In that instant, everything lined up, my breath, my focus, and my confidence. When I took the shot, it felt right, and it was. It was one of those moments every hunter hopes for but never takes for granted. Clean, precise, and something I was truly proud of.
“What made that night even more special was knowing I wasn’t the only one who had success. Another woman, set up quite a distance away, also harvested a beautiful buck that same night. There was something powerful about that, to share that experience, even from afar. It felt like a quiet celebration of what we can accomplish, and honestly, ‘girl power’ was absolutely where it was at that day. The guys were more than impressed.
“But beyond the harvest itself, what stays with me most is how the hunt felt. It was peaceful in a way that’s hard to describe unless you’ve lived it–the stillness, the connection to the land, the mix of adrenaline and calm that only hunting can bring. At the same time, it was exhilarating, reminding me exactly why I fell in love with hunting in the first place. To this day, I often find myself wishing I could step back into that exact evening, just to feel it all over again. It will always be my favorite hunt.”
Amanda’s buck qualifies her in the North American category of the 2027 WGH Hunting Awards Photo Challenge. It could also count towards several of SCI’s World Hunting Awards, including the North American 12 and 29, North American Deer, Whitetail Deer of the World, and numerous others.
All women are welcome to enter the Women Go Hunting Challenge free. They can also document their trophies through SCI’s World Hunting Awards Program.
Prois has sponsored the WGH Challenge since 2024, encouraging women to celebrate their hunting accomplishments through Women Go Hunting, a ladies-only program dedicated to supporting women on their hunting journey.
Enter your hunting photo in the challenge today! Click here.
We also challenge you to document your hunting accomplishments by submitting your trophies to SCI’s World Hunting Awards Program. Do that here!
