Hunter: Jason Stoughton
Points: 8 (4L, 4R)
County: Cobb
Season: 2024-2025
Hunt Story
2024 was a year that shook my foundation and taught me profound lessons. After four months in and out of hospitals, enduring life-saving and life-altering surgery in September, every aspect of my life was tested. Plans changed. Moments slipped by. And I found myself facing challenges that felt insurmountable. By September, I was not just physically depleted, but emotionally and spiritually dry. But resilience isn’t about avoiding the storm—it’s about learning to two-step in the rain. In December, after months of struggle and uncertainty, I was finally able to make my way back to what makes my soul come alive: bowhunting. Though I couldn’t physically get into my tree stands for most of the season, I stayed connected through trail cameras and binoculars, patiently tracking a beautiful 8-point buck all year I named ‘Ocho Cinco.’ On January 5th, early in the morning, I climbed into a stand that had been impossible to ascend all year, and God smiled on me. I was blessed with the opportunity to harvest my first whitetail of the year—Ocho Cinco. If you’ve ever faced adversity and then seen everything align, you’ll understand the incredible elation of seeing a plan come together and executing it with precision and integrity. This harvest isn’t just about a beautiful buck & successful hunt; it’s about the deeper lesson I’ve learned: God never wastes an experience—whether it’s good or bad. He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly, and in His perfect timing, He provides blessings in the most unexpected ways. Here’s to resilience, to faith, and to the grace to keep moving forward—even when the road ahead is unclear. It’s in the journey, not just the destination, where we ultimately find the true fulfillment of our lives.
