Divine native Mary Roberta Hundley has been hunting deer longer than most.
Hundley, who turned 100 on Oct. 12, hasn’t missed a deer season in as long as anyone can remember.
“She shoots a nice deer every year,” said Robert Hundley III, Mary’s grandson. “We all grew up hunting on our deer lease. My uncle manages a ranch between Batesville and La Pryor, so we went out there last Tuesday.”
Robert said his grandmother needs a little help getting around, but she still makes it into the blind.
“We hunt the same blind in a pasture,” he said. “We get her in it and wait for a nice deer to come out. She needs the right one. It’s hard to believe she can see well enough to look through the scope of her .243.”
The group, including Mary’s son George, spent the afternoon in the blind before the big buck came out.
“She was a little upset because she had missed a nice buck earlier in the afternoon,” Robert said. “This buck came out and we had to wait, because there were quite a few deer. We had to make sure she was on the right one.”
The big buck turned broadside, and Mary sent a well-placed shot downrange, anchoring the deer right there.
“It is really neat to still go hunting with her,” Robert said. “It is a blessing. She’s killed some bigger deer — this buck measured 138 inches, was 6-and-a-half years old and field dressed 163 pounds.”
And Mary isn’t done!
Robert said the group plans to head back out the ranch in the near future for another shot at a bigger buck.
“We’ve seen some bigger ones, so we are going to take her back,” he said.
Robert said he is amazed by his grandmother, and hopes he can enjoy the outdoors as much as she does when he gets older.
“I hope I have that much enthusiasm at 80, let alone 100.”
