Most new moms are still in the recliner with a stack of pillows four days after a C-section. Shayla Beckler of Beulah, North Dakota, was out on opening day of rifle season, filling the once-in-a-lifetime moose tag she’d spent weeks scouting for with her husband and brothers. She gave birth to Stella on Monday, left the hospital Wednesday, and was hunting by Friday. Her husband Jacob stayed in the truck with the newborn while Shayla went after the bull she’d missed during archery season.
The backstory explains the choice. Once-in-a-lifetime tags are exactly what the name suggests: a draw many hunters wait decades for and plenty never get. Add in the weeks of tracking and the near miss in archery season, and Shayla wasn’t letting recovery take this from her. The prize she talked about most, though, wasn’t the rack. It was the photo of Stella resting on the moose’s antlers with her little stuffed moose beside her. She says the baby fit perfectly. The family will process the meat themselves, Stella included.
Back here on the Suncoast, where plenty of our neighbors plan their falls around hunting season and plenty more are grandparents who just want the stories, this one hits a nerve either way. Some will call it grit. Some will call it a little much. Everyone will want to see the picture. What’s the most determined you’ve ever been after a rough week?
