15th Annual Pine Hills & Oak Hollars Child’s Classic is blessed; provides bountiful blessings

HAMILTON — The weather forecast for the 15th Annual Pine Hills & Oak Hollars Child’s Classic on Jan. 8-11 wasn’t very hopeful, but hunt originator Jeff Carter noted the Good Lord had other plans.
“Before the hunt, they were giving a 95 percent chance of thunderstorms for Friday and a 70 percent chance of rain for Saturday and very windy,” Carter said.
“We had several people call wondering if we needed to call the hunt off, as it looked like it was going to be a bust with the weather coming in.
“But I just told them all—God had allowed us to get the kids and get it all put together, and I’d seen Him in past years do away with some of what the weatherman thought was going to take place. And this year was no different.
“Let me tell you about my Jesus. He makes a way when there seems to be no way. The weekend before the hunt, we took our requests about the weather to the altar. And we left them at Jesus’ feet.”
Prayers were answered. Carter said Friday morning was a little wet, but only held up the hunt for a couple of hours, with the youth still able to get in two deer hunts.
“It rained Saturday morning early, but knocked off pretty quickly,” he said. “We were able to get in a morning deer hunt and squirrel hunt, plus an afternoon deer hunt and squirrel hunt.”
The five youth participating in the “Wish Hunt” in 2026 included: Karston Cook,  18, Winfield; Aiden Timms, 12, Hackleburg; Huckleberry Cooper-Booth, 14, Hamilton; Ayden Ortiz, 13, Hamilton; and Zane Kerr, 14, Hamilton.
“During the weekend, the young hunters were able to take three bucks and three does, two of which were good 8-points,” he said. “We also managed to bring in 19 squirrels.”