Fifteen-year-old Bentley Lane of Hartland harvested a 233-pound, 8-point buck on his family’s property Saturday morning.
Lane was hunting with his father when a deer appeared on the southeast side of the field just after sunrise. From his tree stand, Lane aimed a Browning A-Bolt .30-06 rifle that once belonged to his grandfather, who carried it nearly three decades ago.
Using two grunt calls to stop the buck, Lane fired once, then again as the deer bounded toward the edge of the woods. A short walk later, he and his father found the deer about 25 yards from the field’s edge.
“He was patient, calm and confident,” Lane’s father said. “That’s what hunting’s all about — family, tradition and spending time together outdoors.”
Bentley Lane celebrates a successful hunt with his grandfather Lewis Elliot, father Ray, and sister Emersyn as they admire his 233-pound buck.
Bentley Lane with his deer, harvested Saturday on the second day of the youth hunt.
Lane’s mother and a family friend soon arrived, and the group celebrated together. After field dressing the deer, they played their traditional “guess the weight” game, confirming the buck’s official weight at 233 pounds at Newport Trading Post. It was Lane’s eighth deer and one of his largest.
For Bentley, it was more than just a successful hunt. Using his grandfather’s rifle and sharing the moment with family made it a day they will all remember.
After a morning in the field, Lane later played on Nokomis’ starting front line in a win over Medomak Valley.
