MONTGOMERY, Ala. -(Ammoland.com)- Troy’s Gracie Williams, 15, took a 140-yard shot to bag a big buck on a hunt in Pike County last December. A photo of her trophy is the winner of the fifth annual Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association Big Buck Photo Contest.
Gracie’s photo earned more than 400 “likes” on the ALBBAA’s Facebook page in the contest that ran throughout Alabama’s 2016-17 deer season.
The winning photo was one of 33 entries that drew a total of more than 2,000 votes.
“We are happy to again help spotlight the great hunting opportunities that exist in Alabama’s Black Belt with our Big Buck Photo Contest,” said ALBBAA Project Director Pam Swanner. “Deer hunters had another great season this year and Graci’s trophy buck is a fine example of that.”
The Pike County teen wins a $100 gift card from Bass Pro Shops.
The winning deer was the second buck and fourth deer that Graci has harvested, according to her father, D.J. Williams. He was accompanying his daughter on the hunt.
“When she pulled the trigger, it fell like a sack of bricks,” he said. “I don’t think in over 25 years of hunting I’ve ever shot one myself that fell so fast.”
Graci, who spends a lot of time playing travel, recreation and high school softball at Charles Henderson High in Troy, called taking the 9-point buck an unforgettable experience.
“Hunting is something me and my dad always do,” she said. “It’s our special time together. (When they saw the deer) I put my cross arrows on him and said, ‘I got him’ twice to make sure my dad didn’t take the shot. I was not worried about his antlers or even looking at them. I took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The buck fell in his steps. I don’t know who was more excited. After we had made it to the deer and realized how big he was, I was even more excited and surprised.
“It will definitely always be a time with my dad I will never forget.”
About The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association:
The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association is committed to promoting and enhancing outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities in the Black Belt in a manner that provides economic and ecological benefits to the region and its citizens.
For information, go to their website.