Youth hunter Jacob Cyr took advantage of South Carolina’s first Youth Day of the 2025 deer hunting season by downing a buck in full velvet in Beaufort County.
Cyr killed this buck on Aug. 9, when Youth Day was open in the Palmetto State’s Game Zones 3 and 4.
Fifteen-year-old Noah Cox from Callahan, Florida has been hunting in Hampton County, SC with his Dad and Pa since he was 5-years-old. His dream of harvesting a velvet buck finally came true on opening Youth Day 2025 with this 8-point buck.
Another victim had leg amputated
The driver of a boat involved in a deadly crash on North Carolina’s Shearon Harris Lake has been charged with second degree murder, among other charges. His girlfriend, the owner of the boat, has also been charged with felony death by impaired boating, serious injury via impaired boating, and aiding and abetting boating while impaired.
Quinten Kight, 40-years-old of Vass, NC, was driving the boat on Aug. 2, 2025 when he plowed into a group of swimmers. The crash killed 10-year-old Brooklyn Carroll. Another victim, 41-year-old Jennifer Stehle, was injured badly, and had to have one of her legs amputated and is facing a lengthy recovery.
Annemarie Flanigan, 56, is Kight’s girlfriend and the owner of the boat he was driving.
Driver charged with multiple violations
After the crash, Kight was charged with DWI and taken to jail on a $500,000 bond. A few days later, Flanigan was also arrested and charged.
The victims were swimming in the lake behind the Stehle family’s Starcraft deck boat, which was anchored. Kight was pulling two people on wake boards while driving Flanigan’s Tige surf boat. When one of the wake boarders fell, Kight looked behind the surf boat, then struck Carroll and Stehle who were in front of him.
According to Capt. Nathan Green with NCWRC, the two victims were injured by the wake boat’s propeller, and officials found a purple/teal youth PFD wrapped around the propeller.
Kight admitted to drinking alcohol before crash
The crash happened around 4:30 p.m. An NCWRC officer arrived around 5 p.m., where he observed Kight sitting on a nearby dock eating a sandwich, according to the warrant. The officer noted Kight’s eyes were red and glassy. The officer also detected a strong smell of alcohol.
While being questioned, Kight said he’d had “at least two hard seltzers” before the crash. Officials found a total of 39 empty hard seltzer cans on the boat, which had “at least 10” other occupants.
According to court documents, Kight was already out of jail on bond when he crashed into Carroll and Stehle. This was from charges related to a hit-and-run that injured Alex Myers of Vass in 2023.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Carroll’s family. Click here to donate or see more details.
Seven-year-old Mia Cook killed a 180-pound, 10-point buck in Jasper County, SC on Aug. 9, 2025. And she did it by being patient.
Cook was hunting with her dad on South Carolina’s first Youth Day of the 2025 season.
“She let several bucks go while she patiently waited for the perfect one,” said the young hunter’s mom.
The 10-point buck has a beautiful very symmetrical rack, and it’s in full velvet. The deer is a true trophy. Hunting is important to Cook because it’s one way to spend time outdoors with her dad.
“This is her second year hunting with her dad. She loves the sport of hunting, but most importantly she loves spending time with him,” said her mom. “She’s been successful with deer, ducks and turkeys.”
Congratulations to Mia on her trophy buck!
On Saturday, Aug. 9, Arden Black killed his first deer, a fine buck in full velvet in Hampton County, SC.
The young hunter was participating in the first Youth Day of South Carolina’s 2025 season when he shot the buck.
South Carolina’s rifle season begins on Aug. 15 in Game Zone 3, the same day Game Zone 4 begins the archery-only season. Game Zone 4 goes to rifle season on Sept. 1.
Game Zone 2 starts archery-only season on Sept. 15, primitive weapon season on Oct. 1, then all weapons on Oct. 11. Game Zone 1 starts its primitive weapon season on Oct. 1, then opens for all weapons on Oct. 11.
For more information on South Carolina’s deer hunting season, visit dnr.sc.gov.
On South Carolina’s first Youth Day of 2025, which was held Aug. 9 in Game Zones 3 and 4, Brennan Barfield killed a massive 11-point buck in full velvet.
The young hunter bagged the buck in Marlboro County, part of the Palmetto State’s Pee Dee Region.
Late last season, Barfield also killed a big 11-point buck, which had long shed its velvet before that hunt.
We’re hoping he’ll send us a photo of both of those bucks mounted on his wall!
Youth Day buck weighed 185 pounds
James Cocke, 7-years-old, was hunting on South Carolina’s first Youth Day of 2025 when he killed an 8-point buck in full velvet in Orangeburg County, SC.
The buck weighed 185 pounds.
Killing bucks in full velvet is something many hunters never get a shot at. But in South Carolina, the deer hunting season opens on Aug. 15 in more than half the state, and the state’s first Youth Day of the season takes place the Saturday before the 15th.
This early in the season, many bucks are still in full velvet, some are in the process of shedding, and some have completely shed.
Brantley Ward age 11 killed his first turkey on Saturday April 12th in Nakina NC (Columbus County)
15 year old Caden Hopkins got this turkey 4/19 in Caswell County, NC. 21 pounds, 1-1/2 inch spurs, 11 inch beard.
Corland Taylor, 12yrs old got his first turkey on Youth Opening Day, way to go!
