5 Photos
Just days before Emily Vaughan, age 18 sat out on her very first deer hunt, her small town of Fries Virginia and her family lost a very inspirational human being. Bill Linkous had served as the only pastor that Emily and her family had known at their church and he was like a grandpa to her. Bill had recently succumbed to a two year battle with brain cancer and he took his spot in heaven!
Emily took this loss hard, but she also took peace in knowing that Pastor Bill was no longer suffering, and as the colors and temperatures were changing quickly in the mountains of Grayson County, there was no doubt that Deer Season was in full swing!
Over the past few months, Emily had repeatedly ask that her boyfriend Weston Pease take her along deer hunting. So on November 8th the two hunters went to a spot that Weston had scouted during bow season where he had witnessed a lot of quality buck sign. They arrived a bit late around 3pm and chose to take a ground stand closely tucked to a field edge.
By the way folks, not only was this Emily's first deer hunt, but she had also never shot a muzzleloader. As they settled in and began to enjoy their surroundings several does entered into the field. Emily immediately asked if she could shoot one with Weston's gun, but fortunately her guide told her to have patience and hang in there, just maybe the buck that called this area his home would show up.
Now darkness was honing in and the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, the hunters were getting antsy when all of the sudden two more does bolted into the field, stopped and looked back. Seconds later a massive Virginia buck stepped out. Weston told me, "I had buck fever, my heart was beating out of my chest, and I could only imagine what Emily must feel like".
The time was now, could this impromptu hunt and encounter become a cherished memory for all-time? Weston turned slightly to Emily and told her to steady the gun and squeeze slowly once she had a good bead on the buck. Before Weston knew it the gun fired and the smoke rolled.
Through the haze they could see the big buck retreating back into the woods on the direct path he entered, seemingly unaffected by the gunfire.
Many of us have experienced this feeling, and for those of us who have had that experience, we know that the hunt is just beginning. It's much like life, you have to accept the now and make better of it. So after a few anxious moments the hunters hurried to the spot where the buck was last standing, only to find absolutely no sign of Emily's bullet hitting its mark!
Weston began following the bucks path of retreat to the wood line without any sign of blood, but only a few strides later he spotted hopefulness. The fall leaves began to show spots of crimson and optimism heightened. Emily joined alongside Weston and as a deep creek bed approached their resolution was ever so close.
As they both peered over the creek bank and saw the buck expired, Weston looked at Emily and said "You just a killed a buck of a lifetime"!
Emily's big Grayson County buck accompanied with an equally great photo ended up winning the women's division of Star City Whitetails 7th Annual 2018 Big Buck Best Photo Contest, and one of her premier prizes was a 3 day (all expenses paid) Spring Gobbler Hunt and Trout Fishing trip to Potts Creek Outfitters in Paint Bank Virginia.
This hunters paradise is only an hour away from the Star City so I drove out early to join up with Emily, her parents, Weston and our great guide Travis Belcher for they're first day of hunting this past April.
Emily considers her great buck harvest a blessing passed on from Bill, and after spending time with this family and getting to know them I felt that same blessing.
The family truly enjoyed their stay at Potts Creek Outfitters and the hospitality that guide Travis displayed, and although Emily didn't harvest a gobbler she did get a shot at one and missed. In a way I believe her miss even symbolizes a blessing, because it helps to serve as a reminder that there is much more to hunting than the harvest!
7/24/19
Jeff Phillips
Just days before Emily Vaughan, age 18 sat out on her very first deer hunt, her small town of Fries Virginia and her family lost a very inspirational human being. Bill Linkous had served as the only pastor that Emily and her family had known at their church and he was like a grandpa to her. Bill had recently succumbed to a two year battle with brain cancer and he took his spot in heaven!
Emily took this loss hard, but she also took peace in knowing that Pastor Bill was no longer suffering, and as the colors and temperatures were changing quickly in the mountains of Grayson County, there was no doubt that Deer Season was in full swing!
Over the past few months, Emily had repeatedly ask that her boyfriend Weston Pease take her along deer hunting. So on November 8th the two hunters went to a spot that Weston had scouted during bow season where he had witnessed a lot of quality buck sign. They arrived a bit late around 3pm and chose to take a ground stand closely tucked to a field edge.
By the way folks, not only was this Emily's first deer hunt, but she had also never shot a muzzleloader. As they settled in and began to enjoy their surroundings several does entered into the field. Emily immediately asked if she could shoot one with Weston's gun, but fortunately her guide told her to have patience and hang in there, just maybe the buck that called this area his home would show up.
Now darkness was honing in and the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, the hunters were getting antsy when all of the sudden two more does bolted into the field, stopped and looked back. Seconds later a massive Virginia buck stepped out. Weston told me, "I had buck fever, my heart was beating out of my chest, and I could only imagine what Emily must feel like".
The time was now, could this impromptu hunt and encounter become a cherished memory for all-time? Weston turned slightly to Emily and told her to steady the gun and squeeze slowly once she had a good bead on the buck. Before Weston knew it the gun fired and the smoke rolled.
Through the haze they could see the big buck retreating back into the woods on the direct path he entered, seemingly unaffected by the gunfire.
Many of us have experienced this feeling, and for those of us who have had that experience, we know that the hunt is just beginning. It's much like life, you have to accept the now and make better of it. So after a few anxious moments the hunters hurried to the spot where the buck was last standing, only to find absolutely no sign of Emily's bullet hitting its mark!
Weston began following the bucks path of retreat to the wood line without any sign of blood, but only a few strides later he spotted hopefulness. The fall leaves began to show spots of crimson and optimism heightened. Emily joined alongside Weston and as a deep creek bed approached their resolution was ever so close.
As they both peered over the creek bank and saw the buck expired, Weston looked at Emily and said "You just a killed a buck of a lifetime"!
Emily's big Grayson County buck accompanied with an equally great photo ended up winning the women's division of Star City Whitetails 7th Annual 2018 Big Buck Best Photo Contest, and one of her premier prizes was a 3 day (all expenses paid) Spring Gobbler Hunt and Trout Fishing trip to Potts Creek Outfitters in Paint Bank Virginia.
This hunters paradise is only an hour away from the Star City so I drove out early to join up with Emily, her parents, Weston and our great guide Travis Belcher for they're first day of hunting this past April.
Emily considers her great buck harvest a blessing passed on from Bill, and after spending time with this family and getting to know them I felt that same blessing.
The family truly enjoyed their stay at Potts Creek Outfitters and the hospitality that guide Travis displayed, and although Emily didn't harvest a gobbler she did get a shot at one and missed. In a way I believe her miss even symbolizes a blessing, because it helps to serve as a reminder that there is much more to hunting than the harvest!
7/24/19
Jeff Phillips
Just days before Emily Vaughan, age 18 sat out on her very first deer hunt, her small town of Fries Virginia and her family lost a very inspirational human being. Bill Linkous had served as the only pastor that Emily and her family had known at their church and he was like a grandpa to her. Bill had recently succumbed to a two year battle with brain cancer and he took his spot in heaven!
Emily took this loss hard, but she also took peace in knowing that Pastor Bill was no longer suffering, and as the colors and temperatures were changing quickly in the mountains of Grayson County, there was no doubt that Deer Season was in full swing!
Over the past few months, Emily had repeatedly ask that her boyfriend Weston Pease take her along deer hunting. So on November 8th the two hunters went to a spot that Weston had scouted during bow season where he had witnessed a lot of quality buck sign. They arrived a bit late around 3pm and chose to take a ground stand closely tucked to a field edge.
By the way folks, not only was this Emily's first deer hunt, but she had also never shot a muzzleloader. As they settled in and began to enjoy their surroundings several does entered into the field. Emily immediately asked if she could shoot one with Weston's gun, but fortunately her guide told her to have patience and hang in there, just maybe the buck that called this area his home would show up.
Now darkness was honing in and the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, the hunters were getting antsy when all of the sudden two more does bolted into the field, stopped and looked back. Seconds later a massive Virginia buck stepped out. Weston told me, "I had buck fever, my heart was beating out of my chest, and I could only imagine what Emily must feel like".
The time was now, could this impromptu hunt and encounter become a cherished memory for all-time? Weston turned slightly to Emily and told her to steady the gun and squeeze slowly once she had a good bead on the buck. Before Weston knew it the gun fired and the smoke rolled.
Through the haze they could see the big buck retreating back into the woods on the direct path he entered, seemingly unaffected by the gunfire.
Many of us have experienced this feeling, and for those of us who have had that experience, we know that the hunt is just beginning. It's much like life, you have to accept the now and make better of it. So after a few anxious moments the hunters hurried to the spot where the buck was last standing, only to find absolutely no sign of Emily's bullet hitting its mark!
Weston began following the bucks path of retreat to the wood line without any sign of blood, but only a few strides later he spotted hopefulness. The fall leaves began to show spots of crimson and optimism heightened. Emily joined alongside Weston and as a deep creek bed approached their resolution was ever so close.
As they both peered over the creek bank and saw the buck expired, Weston looked at Emily and said "You just a killed a buck of a lifetime"!
Emily's big Grayson County buck accompanied with an equally great photo ended up winning the women's division of Star City Whitetails 7th Annual 2018 Big Buck Best Photo Contest, and one of her premier prizes was a 3 day (all expenses paid) Spring Gobbler Hunt and Trout Fishing trip to Potts Creek Outfitters in Paint Bank Virginia.
This hunters paradise is only an hour away from the Star City so I drove out early to join up with Emily, her parents, Weston and our great guide Travis Belcher for they're first day of hunting this past April.
Emily considers her great buck harvest a blessing passed on from Bill, and after spending time with this family and getting to know them I felt that same blessing.
The family truly enjoyed their stay at Potts Creek Outfitters and the hospitality that guide Travis displayed, and although Emily didn't harvest a gobbler she did get a shot at one and missed. In a way I believe her miss even symbolizes a blessing, because it helps to serve as a reminder that there is much more to hunting than the harvest!
7/24/19
Jeff Phillips
Just days before Emily Vaughan, age 18 sat out on her very first deer hunt, her small town of Fries Virginia and her family lost a very inspirational human being. Bill Linkous had served as the only pastor that Emily and her family had known at their church and he was like a grandpa to her. Bill had recently succumbed to a two year battle with brain cancer and he took his spot in heaven!
Emily took this loss hard, but she also took peace in knowing that Pastor Bill was no longer suffering, and as the colors and temperatures were changing quickly in the mountains of Grayson County, there was no doubt that Deer Season was in full swing!
Over the past few months, Emily had repeatedly ask that her boyfriend Weston Pease take her along deer hunting. So on November 8th the two hunters went to a spot that Weston had scouted during bow season where he had witnessed a lot of quality buck sign. They arrived a bit late around 3pm and chose to take a ground stand closely tucked to a field edge.
By the way folks, not only was this Emily's first deer hunt, but she had also never shot a muzzleloader. As they settled in and began to enjoy their surroundings several does entered into the field. Emily immediately asked if she could shoot one with Weston's gun, but fortunately her guide told her to have patience and hang in there, just maybe the buck that called this area his home would show up.
Now darkness was honing in and the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, the hunters were getting antsy when all of the sudden two more does bolted into the field, stopped and looked back. Seconds later a massive Virginia buck stepped out. Weston told me, "I had buck fever, my heart was beating out of my chest, and I could only imagine what Emily must feel like".
The time was now, could this impromptu hunt and encounter become a cherished memory for all-time? Weston turned slightly to Emily and told her to steady the gun and squeeze slowly once she had a good bead on the buck. Before Weston knew it the gun fired and the smoke rolled.
Through the haze they could see the big buck retreating back into the woods on the direct path he entered, seemingly unaffected by the gunfire.
Many of us have experienced this feeling, and for those of us who have had that experience, we know that the hunt is just beginning. It's much like life, you have to accept the now and make better of it. So after a few anxious moments the hunters hurried to the spot where the buck was last standing, only to find absolutely no sign of Emily's bullet hitting its mark!
Weston began following the bucks path of retreat to the wood line without any sign of blood, but only a few strides later he spotted hopefulness. The fall leaves began to show spots of crimson and optimism heightened. Emily joined alongside Weston and as a deep creek bed approached their resolution was ever so close.
As they both peered over the creek bank and saw the buck expired, Weston looked at Emily and said "You just a killed a buck of a lifetime"!
Emily's big Grayson County buck accompanied with an equally great photo ended up winning the women's division of Star City Whitetails 7th Annual 2018 Big Buck Best Photo Contest, and one of her premier prizes was a 3 day (all expenses paid) Spring Gobbler Hunt and Trout Fishing trip to Potts Creek Outfitters in Paint Bank Virginia.
This hunters paradise is only an hour away from the Star City so I drove out early to join up with Emily, her parents, Weston and our great guide Travis Belcher for they're first day of hunting this past April.
Emily considers her great buck harvest a blessing passed on from Bill, and after spending time with this family and getting to know them I felt that same blessing.
The family truly enjoyed their stay at Potts Creek Outfitters and the hospitality that guide Travis displayed, and although Emily didn't harvest a gobbler she did get a shot at one and missed. In a way I believe her miss even symbolizes a blessing, because it helps to serve as a reminder that there is much more to hunting than the harvest!
7/24/19
Jeff Phillips
Just days before Emily Vaughan, age 18 sat out on her very first deer hunt, her small town of Fries Virginia and her family lost a very inspirational human being. Bill Linkous had served as the only pastor that Emily and her family had known at their church and he was like a grandpa to her. Bill had recently succumbed to a two year battle with brain cancer and he took his spot in heaven!
Emily took this loss hard, but she also took peace in knowing that Pastor Bill was no longer suffering, and as the colors and temperatures were changing quickly in the mountains of Grayson County, there was no doubt that Deer Season was in full swing!
Over the past few months, Emily had repeatedly ask that her boyfriend Weston Pease take her along deer hunting. So on November 8th the two hunters went to a spot that Weston had scouted during bow season where he had witnessed a lot of quality buck sign. They arrived a bit late around 3pm and chose to take a ground stand closely tucked to a field edge.
By the way folks, not only was this Emily's first deer hunt, but she had also never shot a muzzleloader. As they settled in and began to enjoy their surroundings several does entered into the field. Emily immediately asked if she could shoot one with Weston's gun, but fortunately her guide told her to have patience and hang in there, just maybe the buck that called this area his home would show up.
Now darkness was honing in and the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, the hunters were getting antsy when all of the sudden two more does bolted into the field, stopped and looked back. Seconds later a massive Virginia buck stepped out. Weston told me, "I had buck fever, my heart was beating out of my chest, and I could only imagine what Emily must feel like".
The time was now, could this impromptu hunt and encounter become a cherished memory for all-time? Weston turned slightly to Emily and told her to steady the gun and squeeze slowly once she had a good bead on the buck. Before Weston knew it the gun fired and the smoke rolled.
Through the haze they could see the big buck retreating back into the woods on the direct path he entered, seemingly unaffected by the gunfire.
Many of us have experienced this feeling, and for those of us who have had that experience, we know that the hunt is just beginning. It's much like life, you have to accept the now and make better of it. So after a few anxious moments the hunters hurried to the spot where the buck was last standing, only to find absolutely no sign of Emily's bullet hitting its mark!
Weston began following the bucks path of retreat to the wood line without any sign of blood, but only a few strides later he spotted hopefulness. The fall leaves began to show spots of crimson and optimism heightened. Emily joined alongside Weston and as a deep creek bed approached their resolution was ever so close.
As they both peered over the creek bank and saw the buck expired, Weston looked at Emily and said "You just a killed a buck of a lifetime"!
Emily's big Grayson County buck accompanied with an equally great photo ended up winning the women's division of Star City Whitetails 7th Annual 2018 Big Buck Best Photo Contest, and one of her premier prizes was a 3 day (all expenses paid) Spring Gobbler Hunt and Trout Fishing trip to Potts Creek Outfitters in Paint Bank Virginia.
This hunters paradise is only an hour away from the Star City so I drove out early to join up with Emily, her parents, Weston and our great guide Travis Belcher for they're first day of hunting this past April.
Emily considers her great buck harvest a blessing passed on from Bill, and after spending time with this family and getting to know them I felt that same blessing.
The family truly enjoyed their stay at Potts Creek Outfitters and the hospitality that guide Travis displayed, and although Emily didn't harvest a gobbler she did get a shot at one and missed. In a way I believe her miss even symbolizes a blessing, because it helps to serve as a reminder that there is much more to hunting than the harvest!
7/24/19
Jeff Phillips
Just days before Emily Vaughan, age 18 sat out on her very first deer hunt, her small town of Fries Virginia and her family lost a very inspirational human being. Bill Linkous had served as the only pastor that Emily and her family had known at their church and he was like a grandpa to her. Bill had recently succumbed to a two year battle with brain cancer and he took his spot in heaven!
Emily took this loss hard, but she also took peace in knowing that Pastor Bill was no longer suffering, and as the colors and temperatures were changing quickly in the mountains of Grayson County, there was no doubt that Deer Season was in full swing!
Over the past few months, Emily had repeatedly ask that her boyfriend Weston Pease take her along deer hunting. So on November 8th the two hunters went to a spot that Weston had scouted during bow season where he had witnessed a lot of quality buck sign. They arrived a bit late around 3pm and chose to take a ground stand closely tucked to a field edge.
By the way folks, not only was this Emily's first deer hunt, but she had also never shot a muzzleloader. As they settled in and began to enjoy their surroundings several does entered into the field. Emily immediately asked if she could shoot one with Weston's gun, but fortunately her guide told her to have patience and hang in there, just maybe the buck that called this area his home would show up.
Now darkness was honing in and the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, the hunters were getting antsy when all of the sudden two more does bolted into the field, stopped and looked back. Seconds later a massive Virginia buck stepped out. Weston told me, "I had buck fever, my heart was beating out of my chest, and I could only imagine what Emily must feel like".
The time was now, could this impromptu hunt and encounter become a cherished memory for all-time? Weston turned slightly to Emily and told her to steady the gun and squeeze slowly once she had a good bead on the buck. Before Weston knew it the gun fired and the smoke rolled.
Through the haze they could see the big buck retreating back into the woods on the direct path he entered, seemingly unaffected by the gunfire.
Many of us have experienced this feeling, and for those of us who have had that experience, we know that the hunt is just beginning. It's much like life, you have to accept the now and make better of it. So after a few anxious moments the hunters hurried to the spot where the buck was last standing, only to find absolutely no sign of Emily's bullet hitting its mark!
Weston began following the bucks path of retreat to the wood line without any sign of blood, but only a few strides later he spotted hopefulness. The fall leaves began to show spots of crimson and optimism heightened. Emily joined alongside Weston and as a deep creek bed approached their resolution was ever so close.
As they both peered over the creek bank and saw the buck expired, Weston looked at Emily and said "You just a killed a buck of a lifetime"!
Emily's big Grayson County buck accompanied with an equally great photo ended up winning the women's division of Star City Whitetails 7th Annual 2018 Big Buck Best Photo Contest, and one of her premier prizes was a 3 day (all expenses paid) Spring Gobbler Hunt and Trout Fishing trip to Potts Creek Outfitters in Paint Bank Virginia.
This hunters paradise is only an hour away from the Star City so I drove out early to join up with Emily, her parents, Weston and our great guide Travis Belcher for they're first day of hunting this past April.
Emily considers her great buck harvest a blessing passed on from Bill, and after spending time with this family and getting to know them I felt that same blessing.
The family truly enjoyed their stay at Potts Creek Outfitters and the hospitality that guide Travis displayed, and although Emily didn't harvest a gobbler she did get a shot at one and missed. In a way I believe her miss even symbolizes a blessing, because it helps to serve as a reminder that there is much more to hunting than the harvest!
7/24/19
Jeff Phillips
