Nick Latham

Harvest Story: The Hunt for Jericho We had pictures of Jericho in velvet two years in a row, but never once had him on camera in hard horn—until this season. All we did was put in a small wheat plot, just hoping to see if any shooters would show up. Sure enough, Jericho finally appeared in hard horn at night on the mineral site. He had only daylighted twice before the night I harvested him. He stayed almost completely nocturnal… until that big snow rolled in on Monday, 12/1. On 12/1, I was sitting in a blind with my wife on another farm, helping her harvest her target buck. While we were celebrating her success, Jericho daylighted for the very first time at the blind on my grandpa’s farm. Seeing that, I decided to head out the next evening, hoping he might break pattern two days in a row. At 31 yards, the opportunity came, and I made the shot. My wife Jessica, my buddy Justin, and his son Dax joined me on the blood trail. Little Dax led the way through the white snow and into the thick woods. We passed six blood-filled beds. After the second one, we paused, gave him time, and said a prayer to the Lord above. As we walked near the stream, my wife suddenly said, “There he is!” Jericho was lying in the creek, still breathing but shallow. My wife prayed over him, asking the Lord to bring him home to heaven. And right as she said “Amen,” he let out a final grunt and passed. This hunt isn’t just about deer hunting. It’s about the journey we experienced with the Lord, our family, and our friends. The power of prayer is truly amazing. We thank our Lord and Savior for the chance, the moments, and the success in the sport we love.