Madison Nimmo, a 14-year-old Innisfail teen, has been hunting since she was a toddler.
And now she has hit the big time. The young woman was recently recognized in the United States for a black bear she hunted and shot from her trusty 7 mm-08 rifle last fall in Hawk Hills, Alta.
Madison was honoured July 18th at a special dinner for youth hunters in Reno, Nev.
The Boone and Crockett Club, a conservation and big game hunting organization hosted the special dinner, which recognized more than 100 other hunters from across North America.
The dinner was in conjunction with the club's annual Big Game Awards, which has been running for 28 years.
Although many serious hunters have accomplished the task of taking down a full sized bear, few have done it at the age of 13.
Nimmo, who is currently in Grade 10, at Red Deer's Hunting Hills High School, was recognized for the eight-foot tall black bear, weighing approximately 650 pounds, which she shot back last September while on a hunting trip with her dad.
The hunting trip was primarily focused around hunting moose. However, after seeing numerous bears that were in the area at the time, Nimmo decided to go after a different target.
“It was the biggest and fattest bear any of us had ever seen,” said Nimmo, adding it took several shots before the bruin was taken down.
“There must have been about six inches of fat on him,” she added.
Nimmo's regular game in hunting is buck deer, mostly white tailed-deer, although she is starting to shift her focus onto mule deer, which are a larger and more difficult target.
Nimmo's trophy scored 20 Boone and Crockett points, a result considered rare for a hunter as young as she is.
She also received a certificate for her achievement, which was presented to her at the dinner.
“I felt privileged to be at the ceremony with all the other people who were recognized for their hunting abilities,” said Nimmo.
“It was an honour.”
Nimmo has been hunting all her life, mostly with her father, Glenn, right from when she was in a stroller.
“Hunting was what I've grown up on.”
Nimmo's trophy, along with nearly 5,000 other trophies will be listed in the Boone and Crockett Club's 18th Big Game Awards book, which will be available this coming fall.
