10/21/2024
Hunting stories often drill deep down into our soul, our families and our upbringings. You saw the great buck that Cameron Parham shot on Saturday, but the story also carries a lot of weight!
“It’s tough to find words for this hunt, this deer, and the family and friends that are involved in every step of the way. We knew this season would be very hard with the loss of my dad this year. He’s the one that inspired all of us to love this lifestyle. It hurt my heart to not be able to call him first and celebrate it with him. However, I know he was with me on this hunt, as I was using his bow and hunting from one of his favorite stands.
God was also with me on this hunt, as always. As I was reading in Proverbs as I heard a stick crack and soon saw a decent 8 pointer eating acorns at about 55 yards. He made his way to me and caused me to battle with the decision of whether to shoot him or not. As he got into the perfect spot I heard another crunch from the direction he came. Out came my target buck named “Double Duece”. Duece was on me in a matter of seconds and stopped just in time to put his head down and give me a shot. I was able to calm myself enough to make a perfect shot. I made my calls and climbed out and snuck out the opposite way he ran. As my brother Wade Allen Parham and Sister-in-Law Kayla Layton Parham showed up, so did our buddy Jut with his Drone, Jarvis. With a deer of this magnitude, it was best to be sure of the shot before rolling in on him and jumping him. Jut Updyke quickly located Duece and confirmed that his chin was on the ground.
The trail camera pictures did him no justice. Duece turned out to be a 202-4/8”, 20 point, non-typical giant from Sussex County, Va. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to kill a buck of this stature. I had hunted 18 times this season already and put in a lot of time into shooting my bow. This buck means more to me than many could know. All glory goes to God for this beautiful deer and for the people he has put in my life to enjoy it with”