The older generation of East Texas hunters took their young charges in hand and gave them the education and experience of hunting, fathers passing down their knowledge to their children as has been done for centuries.
As an additional treat, the father-and-son pairings attended evening devotions, learning worship alongside outdoorsmen skills.
The East Texas Chapter of Blast & Cast Men’s Ministries hosted a youth hunt on private properties located in Trinity and Houston counties on Jan. 9-11, the second youth hunt in the 2025-2026 deer season.
Nine boys and their fathers attended the hunt, and many of the boys were able to experience their first deer hunt under the supervision of experienced chaperones who volunteered to sit in the hunting blinds with the boys and their fathers.
Trinity County Game Warden Anthony King and Houston County Game Warden Connor Sumbera both volunteered for the event. The boys were able to take pictures with the wardens, and Warden Sumbera helped ensure that the boys understood the rules and regulations for hunting white-tailed deer in East Texas. Warden King volunteered as a chaperone at the event and enjoyed time in the blind with a lucky father and son.
The evening meals and presentations were well-attended, with area landowners and numerous volunteers on site to support the boys and their fathers. Brodie Cooper, the Executive Director of Blast & Cast Men’s Ministries, led evening devotions that challenged attendees of all ages to accept the hardship and sacrifice that accompany genuine faith. As a special treat, participants were able to witness three public baptisms.
Despite a frigid morning that began with a heavy frost, three young men made public professions of faith in Jesus Christ and were baptized in a stock tank at the ranch on Sunday morning. It was a very bold and extremely cold statement that event participants will not soon forget.
While the late season deer proved elusive, all participants saw game in the field while learning about sustainable and ethical wildlife management practices. The boys harvested two deer and a feral hog, with a few missed opportunities along the way.
Special thanks go out to Dwight Pyle, Scott Williams and Ben Jones for allowing the boys to hunt on their land, to Dustin Machado for bringing out his fine tracking dogs to aid the boys, and to the many volunteers who helped put the event together.
Blast & Cast Men’s Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to pointing outdoorsmen to the cross. Follow them on Facebook to catch new weekend events, videos, outdoor devotions, and more. Applications for next year’s youth hunts will be available on their website, www.blastandcast.org, sometime next summer. If you would like to get involved as a volunteer or a landowner, please e-mail info@blastandcast.org for more information.
