I have been deer hunting since I was six years old. My first deer was a three-point buck, which made me even happier because at first we thought it was a doe. It was an afternoon hunt, and being too short to see out of the box, I had to sit on my dad’s lap as I attempted to place the crosshairs of my scope where he had taught me. Dad was shaking more than me as we counted “One, two, three, shoot.” We probably repeated the countdown four times before I actually shot.
I dropped him.
Dad and I on one of our first hunts.
That was in 2013, and I have harvested at least one deer every year since then. Last year, I shot a mature four-year-old buck within 30 minutes of opening day of gun season. After that, I decided I needed more of a challenge.
So this year, for my birthday, I asked for a compound bow.
My birthday is on October 22nd, and I’ve tried to practice shooting with the new bow every day after work. Since the time change, it’s been too dark to shoot after work and I can only shoot on weekends. We have gone through our deer meat this past year, so I decided to shoot with my rifle on opening weekend of gun season and then, if I got lucky enough to get one, hunt with my bow. As many other hunters experienced this year, it was too hot on opening weekend and I never got a chance to shoot with either. I have been waiting for Thanksgiving weekend ever since.
The Friday after Thanksgiving, Dad and I hunted with my bow from a lock-on where we saw four does and one four-point. I don’t like to shoot bucks that aren’t mature, but with it being my first bow hunt I was going to attempt a shot at anything that came within 20 yards. The four-point walked down the lane right into my shooting range. Dad told me to draw back and I did, thinking it was about to turn broadside. He didn’t turn, so I slowly brought my arm back down and lobbed the arrow in the process. It landed two feet away from the deer, but he didn’t notice! I asked Dad to hand me another arrow and he dropped one in the process. At this point we only had one arrow left. I sat waiting, but the buck never turned broadside before walking up the hill. How he didn’t notice us, I have no clue - we weren't exactly subtle. The does came in after the buck left and were all around us. The wind was changing, and they were getting pretty spooked. We climbed down from the stand and reevaluated our afternoon hunting plans at Waffle House.
Dad and I reevaluating our hunt over hashbrown bowls at Waffle House.
We decided to go to a different property 30 minutes away from the one we had hunted that morning. I will be the first to admit I do not handle heights very well. Anyone who knows me knows I am not a fan of lock-ons. As Dad and I walked to the lock-on we planned to hunt from, I looked up and broke out into a sweat. The stand was so high up it looked like a tiny dot in the sky. We attached our safety harnesses to the D-loops and made our way up. I am 5’2” and my legs are not the longest, so when I attempted to step onto the platform of the lock-on from the ladder, I could not make it. I didn’t want to push my luck, my legs simply weren't long enough to make the stretch. Dad, who was already on one lock-on looked at me and realized our debacle – it wasn’t happening.
Back on the ground we had to figure out our game plan. Do we revisit where we were this morning and hunt from a blind or just throw in the towel? I am not a quitter. We run back to the car and book it to where the blind is. It was later than we wanted it to be by the time we sat down. Dad showed me how I should draw back my bow while sitting (even though I’d been shooting my bow since mid-October it wasn’t something I had worked on yet). Then we waited.
Nothing.
With barely any daylight left, we spotted does walking down the path. One, two, three of them, and they just kept coming. More than we could count. I drew back, waiting for one to turn broadside.
THUD! I hit her! We watched the bright green nock as she ran, then slowed and then stopped 25 yards from where I shot her. We sat there for 30 minutes waiting to see if she moved, she didn’t. We didn’t want to risk bumping her, so we decided to wait a little longer to make sure it was a clean shot. We unzipped the blind. She still didn’t move.
When we got out and started walking that way she stayed in the same spot. Dad took the lead, and then he stopped. There she was. She’s down! It was truly an amazing experience. My first day bowhunting and my first bow kill!
Me with my first bow kill!
I wasn’t the only one who experienced a hunting first this weekend. This is Tillman Battiste. I received the following email from his mom, Morgan Battiste:
Tillman with his first buck - an 8-point!
“Tillman harvested his very first buck in Lowndes County on the morning of November 30th at just 8 years old. The ‘BBD’ text hit mom’s phone at 7:39 AM — a moment we will never forget. As the woods came alive with crows circling and calling, a mature 8-point buck stepped out. Tillman took his time, fixed his feet, steadied his breath, and told his dad he was ready to make the 100+ yard shot. With the crosshairs settled, he squeezed the trigger. The buck ran about 30 yards before dropping.
Tillman has been hunting nearly every weekend this season, sometimes even before and after school. This is the same buck he’s had on camera, and it finally stepped out into daylight. Through this season, he has learned that hunting requires patience, discipline and a lot of determination — lessons that have led to success during the start of the 2025–2026 deer season. This is the first of many for him.”
Tillman and his dad with his buck.
From ages eight to 88, everyone has a first they remember. These are experiences that will last lifetimes and create memories you and those you hunt with will never forget. Tillman has learned at an early age the skills needed to be a successful hunter and appreciate nature. Thank you, Morgan, for sharing Tillman’s story and reminding me and other hunters of their firsts.
We urge everyone to go hunt, enjoy the outdoors and make some more firsts this deer season. Let us help you get started, purchase a license today.
Do you have a hunting memory you would like to share? Send it to us for a chance to be featured!
