With her father’s vintage rifle in her hands, Janci Baxter’s heart was racing as she looked through the scope on a large bison cow. It was the first and possibly the last time she has or will hunt, but it will remain an adventure she’ll always remember as a tribute to her adventure-loving father.

The gun was purchased in 1970 by her mother, Marilyn VanWagoner; a first Father’s Day gift for her husband, Harry. Janci was the first of five children for the couple. While Baxter never hunted with her father, she shared in many great wild game meals through the years. When he passed away in 2012, one of Baxter’s brothers inherited the gun. He gave her permission to take dad’s prized gift out of storage for the special hunt.

It’s a rare gun, a Husqvarna .30-06 with the original scope. For 334 years, Husqvarna has produced a variety of products — from motorcycles to chainsaws. But the company started in 1689 as a weapons foundry.

Most of the rifles the Swedish manufacturing giant made were chambered for common European cartridges (like 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser and 9.3x62), but Husqvarna made a few models in popular U.S. cartridges like .30-06. They stopped manufacturing guns in 1972 — shortly after Harry’s gun was produced and sold.

Growing up, VanWagoner had filled the freezer many times with wild game using his Husqvarna.

“I remember from the time I was little, it was always around,” Baxter said.

She never had anything against hunting. She loves the food and supports her husband’s hunting, but she doesn’t like cold weather.

“I’ve been around hunting my whole life, but never actually hunted,” she said, adding “I like hot weather.”

Baxter put in for the tag to tease her husband Tim, who has already harvested his once-in-a-lifetime bison. Not really expecting to get the tag, her husband asked what she planned to do once the news of success arrived.

“I guess, go hunting,” she replied, knowing she was starting from square one.

They immediately started to practice with her father’s gun and prepare for the trip. Since she had no hunting experience and a bison cow, which can stand 5-feet tall and weigh in at 1,000 pounds, isn’t the easiest place to begin, she decided to hire a guide operating in the National Elk Refuge, near Jackson.

Tag ’N Drag was selected to be permitted as the only company to offer guiding services in the refuge. The company offers game retrieval services and several levels of hunting packages for elk and bison.

The morning of the hunt the temperature was 16 below zero F. While Baxter had spent a lot of time on horses riding with her father, it had been years since she had been in the saddle.

They left camp early, just after 6:15 a.m., and headed out into the frozen refuge. Soon they found some bison, but the herd was already being pursued by hunters so they moved on for a more intimate hunt. About three hours later they found the right place and managed to move within 150 yards of a big female. Baxter’s fingers were frozen and she was nervous. But her aim was true.

One of her biggest worries was not hitting her target well and seeing the animal suffer. After taking the shot her outfitter told her to put another round in the chamber, but by the time she had done so, the bison was done.

The outfitter sent for the truck to come get the cow. When it arrived there was a surprise in the passenger seat: Tim!

“Tim put a lot of time into helping me learn how to shoot and getting dad’s gun ready,” she said, crediting him with much of her success.

By the time the bison was ready for transport, the sun had made the temperature more tolerable. But, instead of riding back, Janci took a seat next to her husband and escorted the bison back to camp.

The next problem was a matter of space. After the bison was processed they had 450 pounds of meat to fit in the freezer. With a half steer already in the freezer and a plan to buy a fair pig, just finding room for more meat was difficult. The other problem will be finding a place with enough room to accommodate the shoulder mount.

Baxter decided the trophy will be hung in her office building on Bent Street, where it can keep Tim’s office tortoise and Janci’s three dogs company.

“It was a once in a lifetime experience,” she said, undecided if she’ll ever hunt again.

“It depends. I haven’t decided if I ever want to be that cold again.”

Even if she never pulls another trigger, she has the memory of her hunt with her memories of her father by her side.

“I wanted dad out in the field with me. This was the way to take him with me,” she said.