An early October blizzard ripped through much of the upper Midwest during 2019, and along with bringing wind, cold and snow, it caused some whitetail bucks to spend more time on their feet during daylight hours.

This was the setting on the afternoon of October 10, when Sam Ellyson headed into a standing cornfield with his three daughters. The oldest, Ella (13), was hoping to tag her first bow buck, and along for companionship and support were Ella’s sisters, Eden (4) and Georgia (6).

As you’ll see in the video, Eden and Georgia escaped the flurries but not the cold by jumping in a pop-up blind, while Ella and Sam sat in the open air beside the blind. The hope was for a buck to move along the field edge, giving Ella a broadside shot as she hid among the cornstalks.

Keep in mind conditions were difficult for filming, and the Ellysons weren’t accompanied by a freelance cameraman to capture all the video. Sam is doing his best to be a good dad, good guide and good cameraman, any one of which is a full-time job. In this editor’s opinion, he scores high marks on all accounts.

Enjoy the family friendly video, and congrats to Ella on making a great shot with her Mission bow in challenging conditions.