A rabbit was the first game animal she shot when she was 6 years old. Her most recent was her dream hunt of an elk in Montana.
But in between, Laurelai Winslow, 13, of Damariscotta has hunted and killed more than 100 animals, including at least 35 considered big game.
Big game breaks down to nine deer, three bears, a moose, a caribou, an elk and 20 turkeys, plus lots of smaller game such as rabbits, woodcock and grouse.
She killed her first white tail doe deer at 6 years old, and her first buck at 8 years old. She has missed getting a deer only one year since she was 6.
Laurelai got her hunting grand slam — a moose, a bear, a deer and a turkey — in 2021 when she was 11. She wants to do that again.
She also is an accomplished fly fisherwoman, according to her dad Tim Winslow, who is a registered Maine guide. Her favorite fish to catch on the fly rod are trout and bass.
But none of this was sheer luck or circumstances. It was hard work on Laurelai’s part with lots of target practice and learning how to scout for game animals, Winslow said.
“People don’t see what it takes to be successful at getting game. If she doesn’t practice and put the time in, she won’t get anything,” he said.
Laurelai’s recent elk hunt is a great example of that. It was the realization of a dream she has worked toward for eight years, she said. She has been talking about it since she was 4, when she would watch elk hunting shows in her father’s man cave.
Everything she did up to the elk hunt helped her gain the skills she needed to be successful, she said.
Her dad started talking with guides who handle elk hunts two years ago, but was told he should wait until she was in high school. She is in eighth grade this year. He found Montana White Tails, an outfitter that agreed to take her on.
Laurelai worked and saved her own money to pay for the hunt, and in October she, her father Tim and mother Alison went to Montana.
“It was better than I imagined it would be,” she said. “I was nervous because I hadn’t seen an elk in person before. I wasn’t sure what my reaction would be and if I would botch the whole thing.”
They arrived on Saturday, Oct. 28, to meet people including their guide Keith who owned the lodge. On Sunday, they left at 5:30 a.m. and drove to the bottom of a mountain, where a snowmachine with tracks and a plow took them up the incline.
The guide left Laurelai and her father in an insulated structure to wait for any elk. At about 9 a.m., she wanted water, so slowly began to reach for it. Her dad stopped her with “Big elk. Don’t. Move.” She dropped the water bottle and whipped her head around, she said.
“There was a humongous animal 50 yards away staring into my soul,” she said. “I started shaking.”
Her shooting sticks were set up for her to be sitting down. The elk shifted, making it necessary for her to stand and shoot.
When she stood, her phone fell, making a noise. She thought she had blown it, but the elk stood only a few yards from where he was before. He started to walk broadside but Laurelai waited.
He walked straight away from them and her dad started blatting at the animal. The elk was walking majestically, Laurelai said, then he turned to look, took one more step with his right foot and turned.
Laurelai knew this was her shot. She had just made this exact shot at a deer the week before in Maine and knew what she had to do. She aimed for his shoulder and squeezed the trigger for the 80-yard shot. The elk flailed and ran.
Laurelai essentially fell down the hill after him through the snow. When she reached the spot where she had shot him, it was clear she had hit him.
“There was blood everywhere. It looked like a confetti cannon went off,” she said. They followed the blood trail and could see where he had hit a tree. Then her dad saw the dead animal.
Laurelai was excited and still dealing with the adrenalin from shooting, but she was crying and falling over as she walked up to the animal of her dreams. He had one antler and was estimated to weigh 550-600 pounds dressed, which the guide said was average there but big compared to other places.
Her guide Keith said that he knew a bunch of accomplished grown men who couldn’t have made the shot that she just did.
“She works hard to get where she is and Tim works hard to help her be successful. Both are each other’s biggest fans,” said Alison Winslow, Laurelai’s mother.
Laurelai has already picked out a spot in her room for her elk’s head and shoulder mount.
Laurelai’s room is a trip through her hunting history. It is dotted with mounts and taxidermied animals from some of her more special hunts. Her bear is displayed in the stairwell leading to the upstairs of their home. Her first turkey’s fan, spurs and beard are displayed in the hall.
The mounts all have the same care taken with them as with the hunts themselves.
But don’t think Laurelai isn’t a normal 13-year-old. Her fly rod is pink and her 20-gauge shotgun is purple camo. On the day of her interview, she had plans to get her hair done and to attend a birthday party.
Laurelai wants to get her Maine guide’s license — just like her dad — when she becomes an adult, and hopes to pursue photography and interior design for a career.
What’s her next hunting quest?
“A Dall sheep is my ultimate, but it might be out of reach. More likely an antelope or mule deer in Montana or to get a deer in Maine with my (compound) bow. Or maybe a big deer in Montana. Or a wildebeest in Africa,” Laurelai said.
Whatever she does next, her dad said watching and helping Laurelai grow as a sportswoman has been awesome.
