John Kilpatrick Wins Youth Big Buck Contest Shoot-Out

Kids qualified by taking the best buck during a week of deer season.

Brad Gill | July 30, 2024

John Kilpatrick, 16, of Thomaston, stands with Eric Wallace (left) from Adventure Outdoors and Brandt Burley with Woods-N-Water after winning the 2024 GON Youth Shoot-Out on Friday, July 26 at the Outdoor Blast. John won a $3,000 shopping spree at Adventure Outdoors and a weekend deer and hog hunting trip with Woods-N-Water.

John Kilpatrick, 16, of Thomaston, collected a $3,000 shopping spree from Adventure Outdoors after winning GON’s Youth Big-Buck Contest Shoot-Out on July 26 at GON’s Ag-Pro Outdoor Blast. In addition, John won a dream deer and hog hunting trip with Woods-N-Water outfitters in Wilkinson County.

John was the only shooter 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.

The runner-up prize in this year’s Youth Big-Buck Shoot-Out was a CVA Scout break-action .243 centerfire rifle from BPI Outdoors. Last season’s Week 2 winner Smisson Rigdon collected that prize.

All weekly winners were given personalized Shoot-Out shirts from Realtree, a cooler from Rugged Road Outdoors and a Mobile Gun Vise from LockedOn 360.

Smisson Rigdon was the runner-up in this year’s Youth Shoot-Out. His prize was a CVA Scout break-action .243 centerfire rifle from BPI Outdoors. Smisson stands with mom, dad and GON’s Daryl Gay.

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.

Chris Sagar stands with Youth Shoot-Out contestant Ganon Goodman.

2024-25 GON Youth Big-Buck Contest Starts Sept. 14

The 2024-25 GON Youth Big-Buck Contest starts on Saturday, Sept. 14. 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. The second-place shooter will receive a CVA Scout break-action .243 centerfire rifle from BPI Outdoors.