12/05/2025
So much life has happened in the last four months, and as things finally slow down, I’ve been reflecting on the moments that kept my tank full. No better place to start than with an immense sense of gratitude for this buck—my largest yet—killed on opening day here in New York.
I dedicated this deer to one of my earliest hunting mentors, my uncle Craig, who I lost earlier this year to cancer. He was more than family; he was a compass. Driving cargo trucks in northern Atlanta to support his ultimate dream of becoming a professional bass anglers, he lived with a spirit so full it overflowed. I have so many stories from him I remember that ended with him coming back to his Atlanta apartment complex from the Blue Ridge Mountains with deer in his truck bed and inviting neighbors over for a feast and prcoessing. He brought me to some of my earliest deer camps. He taught me patience, how not to waste, how to clean every part of an animal with respect, and how the woods can shape you if you let them. His optimism was unwavering. His passion for bass fishing, for hunting, for community, for dogs, for his loved ones and for the improvement of and access to outdoors was simply contagious. Looking back now, I see how much of my own life mirrors the way he lived his.
This buck is for him. The lessons, too. And the life he poured into me continues to guide every step I take in the outdoors. Just thankful. For him, this buck and to be able to do my small part of mentoring the next wave of new hunter-conservationist and paying it forward to the next generation who never had my Uncle Craig, especially here in the heart of NYC!
