Natchez — It took 50 years of marriage and countless trips into the woods for Jack Cupit to convince his hunting partner, Glenda Cupit, to finally take a shot at a deer.

On Dec. 27 that day came, and Glenda made the most of her opportunity by placing a perfect shot into a 10-point buck for her first-ever deer kill on her first-ever shot.

“It was the first time I ever shot at a deer period,” Glenda said. “We’ve been married 50 years as of Nov. 23, and it was the first time I ever aimed and shot at one.”

Glenda had always enjoyed the more peaceful aspects of the hunt while accompanying Jack on his trips.

“I love to go and just watch (the deer) out in the field,” she said. “It’s something to watch them play. They are really interesting to watch.

“But that day Jack said, ‘You are going to shoot one today,’ and I told him if it wasn’t an eight-point or bigger I wasn’t going to shoot.”

Once Jack had persuaded Glenda to think about taking a shot, he began a crash course on how to shoot his .308 Remington rifle and how to aim at a deer.

“I put my coat in the window and laid the gun in it for her to get familiar with looking through the scope,” Jack said. “When the deer started filtering in the field — does and smaller bucks — I told her to pick out one and put the crosshairs on it three or four inches above the front-leg shoulder. She said, ‘I can do that.’

“I said, ‘OK, I believe you can do it so if one comes out shoot it.’”

A deer eventually came out that fit Glenda’s prerequisites for a shooter — it was an eight-point buck.

But that eight-point was able to avoid being Glenda’s first kill through no fault of her own, she said.

“Jack knocked over a drink can and rattled the ice chest,” Glenda said.

The noise scared the buck away, and Glenda had to wait a little longer for her first chance to shoot.

Glenda said the 10-point buck came out shortly after the eight-point left, and she was able to patiently wait for the perfect shot and drop the buck.

Jack said she harvested the buck like a seasoned veteran.

“When the deer came out I looked him over really good, and he was about 125-150 yards away,” Jack said. “I told her, ‘That’s a shooter if you want to shoot it.’

“I put the rifle out and laid something under it where it wouldn’t bounce. He was facing us, and I told her, ‘Don’t shoot while he’s looking at us, wait until he turns sideways.’”

The buck turned broad side, and Glenda placed the shot right where Jack had instructed her. Jack said he knew it was a good shot because as soon as he heard the shot, he saw the buck hit the ground.

“She was screaming, hollering and jumping up and down,” he said. “My chest kind of swelled out. I was proud of her, the way she did it. It was a clean shot, and she harvested a good animal.”

Glenda said she felt the adrenaline as well.

“It gives you a rush,” she said. “Everybody told me it would do that, and it does.”

Glenda said she surprised herself with the accuracy of her shot.

“I had not shot a gun in 25 years, so it’s a miracle (I hit it),” she said. “I used to target shoot with (Jack), and I hadn’t had the opportunity to do that (lately) or a reason to.”

Glenda said although she doesn’t hunt, she keeps her sportsman’s license up to date because her and Jack also go fishing together.

“I’ve had (the license) for years, because I fish with him a lot at Gilliard Lake. I love fishing too, but I don’t usually catch a whole lot. I read and snack and go for the fun.”

The Cupits said spending time with their grandchildren, Cole Cupit, 15, and Carson Cupit, 10, is their biggest pastime now and taking them out in the woods leaves fewer opportunities for the couple to go hunting together. But Jack said he enjoys the time they do get to spend together.

“We don’t get to go near as much as I’d like to,” Jack said. “That’s quality time we get to spend with one another. She takes binoculars and watches the deer and reads her book and just sits and enjoys nature. Years ago I thought every time I went I had to harvest something, but now I just enjoy watching God’s creation. I enjoy her being with me. She and I are very close. I love her more than I can tell you.”

The Cupits also raised two hunting children. Their son Mark Cupit has hunted for years, and their daughter Charman Cupit picked up the pastime in 2001.

Charman said that her and her mother used to leave the hunting to the guys, and Glenda’s kill in December makes her the final member of the family to get a kill.

Glenda said her plans for future harvests would depend on the size of the bucks she has the opportunity to see.

“I don’t know that I’ll shoot again,” she said. “It’s going to have to be a big one, because I’m not going down (in size).”

Jack said he killed a deer the very next day, and it was the first he had harvested in four or five years.