Kyle Thornton of West Limestone is shown after bagging his first buck on Nov. 14, 2005, at age 10. Thornton, now 20, is an Army corporal serving in Italy.

For nearly four decades, Bryan Thornton has patiently traipsed the woods throughout Alabama and beyond, tracking countless deer and maintaining a steady supply of venison and summer sausage.

“I’ve been hunting since age 10, when I was growing up in Waterloo. I couldn’t say how many deer, but I’ve only killed five bucks in my lifetime,” Thornton said. “Some people hunt for only antlers, some to fill the freezer. There are a lot of rules and regulations in place for deer hunting.”

The longtime West Limestone resident said one of his most memorable hunting experiences occurred in 1999, while crossbow hunting.

“The first deer I ever shot with a crossbow was something out of the ‘Wild Kingdom’ TV show. I had bought a bow in Nashville, and I was practicing with it to get ready for a bow hunt in Illinois,” Thornton said. “I hadn’t been in the stand for an hour when a doe down the trail began moving toward me, then it stopped. I was about ready to draw my bow (string) back, it takes off and hides behind a tree stump. So I’m sitting there with my arm pulled back, I eased the bow down and 10 minutes pass.

“Then I see leaves move over the hill and down the trail, and I think it’s maybe another deer. As I reloaded, I saw it was a coyote. The coyote stopped and flagged, which means its tail went out like a hunting dog. The coyote takes off, the deer takes off and farther to my left, the coyote takes out the deer. They roll ‘round and ‘round in circles like a cartoon. I drew my bow back and shot the deer. The coyote’s face had a weird look, and it started walking back toward my stand. So I bagged the coyote, too, and it’s an awesome memory.”

Sharing the love

Thornton often hunts on his own or with friends, but especially enjoys sharing his lifelong passion with his son and daughter, both of whom graduated from West Limestone High School. Kyle, 20, is a U.S. Army corporal serving in Italy. Kasey, 19, completed her first semester at the University of North Alabama earlier this month.

Kyle followed in his father’s footsteps by taking up hunting at an early age, bagging his first buck on Nov. 14, 2005. Thornton said it took a little more time to convince his daughter, who killed her first doe on her first outing three weeks ago.

“It’s almost a rite of passage. She had declined my offer to go hunting several times. When she decided to try it out and got her first deer, it was 10 years and one week to the day that Kyle got his first one. With Kyle in the Army, it’s nice to know she’ll go hunting with me,” he said. “With your first kill, you’re supposed douse your face in blood and cut your shirttail. Kasey wouldn’t let me do that, but I got Kyle pretty good.”

Tips for success

Hunting can provide plenty of mentoring and fellowship opportunities, although it can be difficult to take a child hunting due to the amount of time it may take to even attempt a shot. Patience and staying mindful of sight, smell and sound are keys to success for all hunters, whether beginners or veteran hunters, Thornton said.

“The goal is to know things you can do before you go out hunting,” he said. “Make sure to shower with non-scented soap. You want to make sure your smell is nonexistent so the deer can’t smell your body odor or clothes. You want your clothes to be carbon clothes or a scent-free brand.

“You also want to stay downwind of the deer. If you’re not taking precautions or you approach the wrong way, the deer will pick up your scent from a long distance away.”

Leaving minimal tracks, wearing camouflage and being careful on the way to a deer stand or hunting spot are paramount to not scaring away prospective targets, Thornton added.

“It’s important how you walk through the woods to reach the stand. Don’t break every branch and keep a certain pace. You want to walk one or two steps, pause, then walk one or more steps,” he said. “Whether you use a stand or a hunting house, you have to be still. You want to minimize any movements and turning of your head. Deer can detect the smallest of movements through the woods. Their ears can rotate around 360 degrees — it’s something that looks alien.”

Despite the amount of preparation and waiting time during a hunt, Thornton described deer hunting as “challenging but also addictive.”

“It’s the fact that your preparation pays off. And if you’re successful, it creates a craving for more hunting,” he said.