A first buck to remember: Father-daughter on Buck of the Week

John Arlow and his daughter Kaitlyn hunted together for five years without success. That changed Oct. 28 in Van Buren County, Michigan.

‘‘We got to the stand, and I hooked her up in her safety harness, as you see in the picture she is wearing, and cocked the crossbow,’’ Arlow emailed. ‘‘I had a feeling and looked to my daughter, and I asked, ‘Do you want me to stay with you?’ She gave me a definite, ‘No!’ ’’

On the 10-minute walk back to camp, Arlow received a text: ‘‘DAD I JUST SHOT A BIG ONE AND HE IS DOWN!!!!’’

She had an 8-point buck for her first deer.

BOTW, the celebration of good deer stories and big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs Wednesdays on the Sun-Times’ outdoors page as warranted. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).