Cody Gay Wins GON’s Youth Shoot-Out

Kids qualified by taking the best buck during the 17 weeks of last deer season.

Brad Gill | August 6, 2023

Cody Gay, 16, of Nicholls, stands with Eric Wallace (left) from Adventure Outdoors and Dale Burley with Woods-N-Water after winning the 2023 GON Youth Shoot-Out on Friday, July 28 at the Outdoor Blast. He won a $3,000 shopping spree at Adventure Outdoors and a weekend deer and hog hunting trip with Woods-N-Water.

Cody Gay, 16, of Nicholls, collected a $3,000 shopping spree from Adventure Outdoors after winning GON’s Youth Big-Buck Contest Shoot-Out on July 28 at GON’s Outdoor Blast. In addition, Cody won a dream deer and hog hunting trip with Woods-N-Water outfitters in Wilkinson County.

Cody was the only one of 17 shooters who hit the Round 6 target, a mini Nilla wafer at 25 feet. The competition, which gets progressively harder by distance and target size, hasn’t gotten to the most difficult target—a Rolaids tablet—since Holden Hines won the competition in 2021.

Youth Shoot-Out rounds got progressively harder by target and distance. The four targets were a full-sized skeet, a grade A raw egg, a mini Nilla wafer and a Rolaid tablet.

Chris Sagar hands a BB to Week 1 winner Smisson Rigdon.

4-H Project SAFE Partners With GON

Chris Sagar was the official gun handler for the Youth Big-Buck Shoot-Out. Chris is a 4-H National Certified Rifle Instructor. Chris leads training sessions for adults who are working with youth in the various rifle programs and is an adult 4-H volunteer in Forsyth County and the chief range officer for 4-H Target Challenge Weekend BB match. For the Youth Shoot-Out, a Daisy 499B Champion BB gun was used. It’s the same gun used across the nation in 4-H competitions. For more on the 4-H Project S.A.F.E. program, call your county extension office, or go to www.georgia4h.org/safe.

2023-24 GON Youth Big-Buck Contest Starts Sept. 9

The 2023-24 GON Youth Big-Buck Contest starts on Saturday, Sept. 9. One youth 15 years of age or younger will be back at Adventure Outdoors next year to spend $3,000 as they get outfitted for a dream hunt at Woods-N-Water. New this year, the second place shooter will receive a CVA Scout break-action .243 centerfire rifle from BPI Outdoors. Plus, each weekly winner this season gets a Rugged Road Outdoors 65 V2 ultra-light cooler (retails for $349.99) along with a LockedOn 360 gun vise.