First Bow Huntress Buck

In The Vicksburg Post last evening was a picture of the former Miss Vicksburg 1990, Adrian Atwater Sanders, who harvested her trophy buck with a bow. Her husband, Dana Sanders, believes a higher power was looking on and rewarding his wife when she bagged a trophy buck in Claiborne County just hours into their hunt on the October 1 season opener.

Married for 17 years and with three children, including a 3-year old with cerebral palsy, Sanders said he and his wife rarely get a chance to spend time alone due to the dedication his wife has for their children.

So when the couple got the opportunity to take a hunting trip together to their 300-acre farm near Rocky Springs and his wife brought down a 9-point buck during her first ever bow hunt, Sanders felt it was a true blessing.

"She's an awesome mom, and she has always sacrificed her time and energy to put our boys first," he said, "She killed this deer with a borrowed bow in the first 90 minutes of her first bow hunt, and for us to be able to get away and share that together - that's a blessing. That's God at work."

Adrian Atwater Sanders was Miss Vicksburg in 1990, and she and Dana have three boys - Nathan, 14; David, 10; and Jason, 3. Natives of Vicksburg, the Sanderses have lived in the Moss Point area for 10 years.

It's not the first trophy buck Adrian has brought down.

"She's also got the biggest white tail deer on our wall, an 11-point buck she got with a rifle on our farm," he said.

Sanders said his wife had remarked more than once how she would like to take a buck in velvet - a rare treat for any hunter - and was simply astonished when her hopes came to fruition.

"All the way up the the farm she was saying how neat it would be to kill a buck in velvet, and I just kind of thought, 'yeah, right', " he said.

"I've been hunting since I was 18 and I've only taken two or three in velvet. It was unbelievable that she got one - and one so big - and she couldn't have gotten a better shot on him.

Sanders said he has returned the bow he borrowed for his wife to use, and will be looking to purchase her one soon so she can follow up on her luck next year.

Meanwhile, they're planning a full shoulder mount for the one from their farm.

My congrats to Adrian for her successful bow hunt in our great wild outdoors! You Go Adrian!