Hunter’s Hollow Brings a Manager’s Long-Time Journey to Fruition

Daron Edwards, store manager at Hunter’s Hollow, with his first deer kill.

After a tour in Hunter’s Hollow a job-seeking person would think that one of hiring qualifications is to have killed at least one buck. However this wasn’t the case for Daron Edwards, store manager at Hunter’s Hollow.

Edwards is a seasoned hunter of squirrels, rabbits and turkeys but he felt “snake bitten” that he hadn’t killed a deer just yet, not before he began working at Hunter’s Hollow in 2000. He was married at 25 and quit hunting until then.

Donny Guest is the owner of Hunter’s Hollow, and was generous with helping Edwards meet the rite of passage.

“He’s taken me on hunts but finally this January he took me on a hunt to his place,” said Edwards. “It was a beautiful morning – sun was coming across the sky. It felt like a perfect brisk morning.”

It was about 9:15 a.m. They waited to see deer, but they had a time frame since they had to work that day. Suddenly, a friend who was in a treestand on the other side of the property notified them: “He said, ‘There’s a few deer coming your way.’”

They saw a few does come out to graze, but then Edwards and Donnie saw a young buck approaching the woods’ edge. They watched the buck scrape the cedar tree and walk out 20 yards or so in the field. The buck turned sideways, and Edwards shot him down with Donny’s 270 rifle.

“I’m 48 years old and I’m proud,” Edwards said, “I’ve been successful hunting rabbits, turkeys and squirrels but I never had success with a deer. And at that time I was able to kill my first deer.”

The deer was an eight-pointer, a rather quality first kill for Edwards. He said, “I was very lucky, and Donny has a good heart helping people hunt. He loves to see people kill their first game whether it be a deer or turkey. He was determined to help me harvest my first deer. You know, I’d given it up but I finally got my first one at 48 years old. It was a special occasion to be old and laugh at that situation since it took me so long.”

Edwards now has the eight-point buck hanging in his office, a reminder that anything can be possible especially with a little help.

Callie Daniels is a staff reporter/writer at HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.