A Buck for a Ring

 

       The Canadian Press covers the heartwarming proposal between a Nebraskan couple in their article, "Nebraska woman bags marriage proposal shortly after killing big buck on hunting trip" by an unknown author, published Sunday November 26th, 2023.

    The Omaha couple, Samantha Camenzind and Cole Bures, secured an engagement and a big buck, during a hunting trip earlier this month in Lincoln. The pair, who had bonded over their shared love for hunting, spotted a "prize" sized buck on a trail camera during their most recent deer hunting trip. After locating the buck, Bures let his girlfriend, Camenzind, take the shot, recalling "[I] didn't have any problem letting [her] take the first shot...I was just as excited as she was when she got it." Bures had gotten the idea of proposing from his friend who had recently gotten engaged on their own hunting trip in Alaska. Bures arranged for a professional photographer to capture Camenzind's "big moment," in her mind indicating the buck. Part way through the photo session, bures dropped to one knee and proposed, allowing the photographer to capture their special moment.

    This wholesome story captures two individuals brought together by their love of hunting. While a debatably "unconventional" approach to a proposal, Bures planned a special moment, designed to their own interests, creating a strategic, unexpected proposal, photographed for the two to remember forever, including a memorable trophy in the shape of a buck. Looking at the pictures published alongside the article, presumably taken by the professional photographer hired by Bures, I can't help but think that the couple got engaged over the corpse of a massive buck. In the first photo above, Camenzind is photographed alongside the buck, with her hand around the buck's antler. The buck appears to be alive and well in the photo, but obviously that is not the case, and that is confirmed with the placement of Camenzind's hand, as she is physically holding up the buck's head, positioning it for the camera. While I respect the couple's interests and preferences, and congratulate them on their engagement, I feel somewhat disturbed by the presence of a dead buck in the center of the photos.