Eight-year-old Lincoln had been waiting all year for his first Youth Day hunt. His dad took the day off from building custom rifles so they could be together in the woods.
They sat quietly in the stand as deer began to appear. Lincoln passed on a few does and a young buck, remembering his dad’s words: “The right one will come.”
Then, out of the brush, a big 8-point stepped into the lane. Lincoln steadied his 6.5 Creedmoor just like they practiced. At 100 yards, he squeezed the trigger. Crack! The buck stumbled into the woods.
Lincoln’s eyes went wide, buck fever set in and he started to shake with excitement!
That evening Lincoln got more than his first big deer—he gained a memory with his dad he’d carry forever.
Hunter’s name: Lincoln Davis
Elizabethtown North Carolina
Bladen County NC
9/27/2025
8-point buck