Sheridan, Arkansas – Thanksgiving week is synonymous with deer hunting. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reports that during the period from the Saturday before Thanksgiving to the following Sunday in 2023, hunters in Arkansas successfully harvested a total of 43,067 deer statewide.
However, numerous deer that suffered fatal injuries might not have been recovered without the dedicated efforts of a network of volunteers working to locate them.
The Arkansas Blood Trailing Network is made up of numerous volunteers who believe they have tracked more than a thousand deer in 2023 alone, with many thousands more over the last ten years.
This is for everyone, from those who just missed their target on their last hunt to the youngest individuals ready to take up a rifle.
On Friday morning, Briley Bridges missed an 8-point buck after hitting it in the hind leg. It nearly slipped through their fingers, but she and her father, Brad Bridges, were well aware of whom to reach out to.
Donnie Deaton serves as a full-time pastor while also dedicating his time as a part-time volunteer with the Arkansas Blood Trailers Network. Equipped with his trained hounds and GPS collars, he navigates through mud, bramble, and thorns, often for miles, in search of clues.
“Our main focus is to find and reach out to those who are lost,” Deaton stated.
He began the search with a heartfelt prayer for direction. Following a 20-minute search several hundred yards away, he put an end to the suffering of the injured buck.
For Deaton, the journey is not solely about the trophy or avoiding wasted meat; it is equally about the relationships formed along the way.
Briley initially encountered Donnie while he was assisting with another hunt. A hunter met a tragic fate in the vicinity, prompting the two to contemplate matters that transcended even the shadowiest of forests.
“He discussed the path to salvation with me further,” Briley elaborated.
She has dedicated her life to Christ and is set to be baptized this Sunday.
He aims to guarantee that the motto is relevant to individuals and, undoubtedly, to deer as well.
“They’re heroes,” Brad Bridges stated. “In the absence of the Blood Trailers Network. Numerous deer would go missing and remain unaccounted for.
