Remembering Mom in the Whitetail Woods

The whitetail woods strengthen family bonds through timeless traditions. Discover how one hunter’s memory of her late mother led to a meaningful harvest of a beautiful, early season 8-pointer with her Ravin R10. 

For many outdoor enthusiasts, hunting whitetail deer with family and friends creates memories and traditions that last a lifetime. In this installment of Ravin’s Success Stories, we share the incredible story of Brenda Mellinger, a dedicated hunter in Pennsylvania, who found early-season success created by the memory of her late mother; the year-round commitment she and her husband put into managing their property; and the trust she placed in her Ravin R10 to help harvest her target buck.

Has hunting always been a part of your life? 

Hunting has always been a family tradition for us. I grew up heading into the woods with my dad, learning from him at a young age. We both shared an equal amount of excitement in bringing back a deer to hoist it up in our tree to show to our family and friends. Alongside my mother, who always took care of my brother and I, we would butcher our deer to make jerky, snack sticks, and hearty meals. We even practiced making our own European mounts to have them on display throughout our house.

My husband and I have carried on my family’s hunting traditions, spending countless hours in the woods together. Since becoming hunting partners in 2009, we’ve worked year-round on our property to grow the deer population and produce quality bucks. Thanks to our focus on land management, we’ve been fortunate to harvest a buck almost every year. Our success comes from the hard work we put in during the off-season—planting crops, managing trail cameras, and repairing stands. We’ve even kept the tradition of mounting bucks, practicing our skills with European mounts to showcase them throughout the house. A big part of that success comes from the Ravin R10 crossbows we both use. That bow has been a great option for us that gives us consistent accuracy every single year. Harvesting our target bucks together is incredibly rewarding, made even more special by the connection to the traditions passed down through my family.

Why did you choose the Ravin R10?

My husband had used the R10 for a couple years prior to me purchasing one. It has been an amazing option for him, putting down a number of bucks on our property. I tried to hunt with a compound in the past and with my daughter wanting to shoot and get into the hobby with us, a crossbow was just a great option. Instead of trying a new brand, I let him know that a Ravin R10 would do the trick. Sure enough, the bow has been extremely accurate and powerful, helping me harvest a deer almost every single year since purchasing it. I recommend it to every hunter I know.

Tell us about your experience during this hunt?

Harvesting a buck is always a special feeling, but doing it on my mother’s birthday made this story even more memorable for me. After her passing in 2015, I have found the best place for peace is in the tree stand. Most of the time, I’m not even worried about seeing a deer—I’m just there to clear my head and connect with her. Though I wasn’t exactly needing or expecting a shooter buck to pass by my stand, I knew there were quite a few on our property that we had on camera throughout the year. My husband and I put in the work all year long to have a successful fall and given that it was only early October, I was confident that I had a chance to have an encounter with my shooter buck even for my short sit that night. 

As I sat in my blind watching a number of does in my field and reflecting on the memory of my mother, I decided to reach out and speak to her just asking for some luck in the woods that night. I said, “Okay, Mom, send me a nice buck for your birthday and don't be a smart butt either,” which she often was. Close to ten minutes went by and I got a glimpse of a rack running into a thicket. At first, I wasn’t sure what I’d seen, but when I looked again, closer this time and there he was—my target buck, standing on the field edge and checking a fresh scrape. Right at that moment I started to shake uncontrollably. I texted my husband to let him know that the big eight pointer was close by. To my surprise, this buck started to walk right in my direction, getting closer and closer. Finally, he stopped broadside at just 25 yards from my blind. I tried grunting at him to get him to stop, but he didn’t respond. Thankfully, he presented a clear shot just before moving out of my shooting lane—and my body started shaking all over again. I called my husband and got to share one of the best feelings in the world with him. 

I watched as the deer ran off, cutting through the field and into the woods at full speed. I couldn’t hear him crash, but I knew I placed a great shot on him. I waited in the stand as long as I could, which is often only a couple minutes. I finally climbed down to track, and it didn’t take long before I found him collapsed on the ground. I was overwhelmed with excitement and got to celebrate an incredible experience—one that always seems to pass too quickly—with my family, all while keeping the thought of my mother close in my heart.