Eleven-year-old Gavin James took a buck he and his family had followed for three years on their Lewis County property, according to an October 3 report by WV MetroNews.
Gavin and his father, Todd James of Buckhannon, described the opening-day hunt in a conversation on West Virginia Outdoors. An older brother had passed up the deer when it was a 10-point buck. During the 2025 season, Gavin waited for a chance at the same deer, passing up more than 30 other bucks, his father said. Gavin eventually took a different 10-pointer during muzzleloader season.
Ahead of the 2026 archery season, father and son were watching the deer again. Todd said it had stayed out of daylight for six days before appearing on Friday evening. That sighting gave him a feeling it would return Saturday, opening day.
They settled into their blind by 3 p.m. As evening approached, deer began entering the field, including the buck they had been waiting for. Todd helped Gavin steady himself as the deer moved closer.
At 24 yards, Gavin took the shot. After waiting about half an hour, they followed the blood trail, with Todd letting his son lead the search. They found the deer about 100 yards from where it had been shot, MetroNews reported.
Todd described finding the buck alongside his son as a moment he would never forget.
“It was one of the most rewarding things as a father that you could get,” he said.