A Pennsylvania nun’s photo of a 10-point buck she shot last week is drawing criticism on social media.
Sister John Paul Bauer went hunting on the first day of deer season, and waited in her tree stand for about three hours for a deer to come near her.
She told WSEE that while she waited, she prayed the Rosary.
A short time later, several deer arrived, including two bucks. She bagged the larger one.
"I've always prayed the Rosary on the tree stand. That's a tradition. You get up in the morning, you pray the Rosary in the tree stand. So, I just think the Blessed Mother did smile upon me."
The nun learned to shoot while serving in the Navy. She said there’s something spiritual about hunting.
"When you're up on a tree stand, you're still, you're quiet. You listen. You watch as the frosty ground just becomes alive. It's like creation all over."
She has read comments on the Diocese of Erie Facebook page criticizing her for killing a beautiful animal, but she says it's more about conservation than the thrill of the hunt because without the deer harvest, the animals would starve.
The Diocese of Erie appears to have removed the post.
