Submitted PhotoMilly Prince and her mother, Suzan, are pictured in a deer stand. 

There’s lots of room for young, promising, talented females to become standouts in the hunting and shooting category. 

I know because I’ve written about quite a few in my ten years as an outdoor writer. You may know or have seen some starring in outdoor TV shows, magazines and digital media. You may also recognize some of the names:  Tiffany Lakosky, Eva Shockey, Melissa Bachman, Nancy Adams, Brenda Valentine, Kim Rhode (six-time Olympic skeet and trap shooter), Joella Bates (Olympic archer from TN), Leigh Roberts (former school teacher from Broxton), Ashlee Lundvall from Cody, WY (paralyzed from the waist down) who hunts big game from a special wheelchair, and Loretta Lee (homemaker from Nichols, GA), who has taken many dangerous western game animals).

Women are the fastest growing segment of hunters according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and they constitute 15 per cent of all hunters nationwide. Conversely, adult male hunters have declined 30% in the last 15 years. 

This story is about a pretty, 14-year old ninth grader from Valdosta who is, in my judgement, quite capable of joining the ranks of women who have made their mark in the hunting and shooting sports. Here is how it goes. 

Milly Prince, is the daughter of Suzan and Jay Prince of Valdosta and granddaughter of John Prince, owner of Prince Automotive Group with dealerships in Tifton, Albany, and Valdosta.

Milly is a multi-talented, athletic and scholarly young ninth grader who made an indelible mark at Haihira Middle School in sports, dance, music and all things academic. In particular, she was a member of the Haihira State Championship archery team for two years.

Her mother, Suzan, grew up in a dedicated deer hunting family and became Milly’s hunting and shooting coach. Suzan fondly remembers shooting a 10-point buck from a stand the morning after her 18-week ultrasound and learning she should expect a baby girl (Milly).

Over time and together, Milly and Suzan practiced shooting before deer season, photographing wildlife, and increasingly spending more time in deer stands. The duo also instructed Sonny Griner (Milly’s other granddad) on the placement of food plots and erecting stands. Milly’s chores included checking game cameras and filling supplemental deer feeders. Suzan also took time to instruct Milly on the importance of quality deer management and conservation.

At age six, Milly took a button buck, with her Remington 7mm-08 using Federal Premium 140 grain Nosler Partition bullets, an excellent, low-recall choice of firearm for young hunters. At age 13, Milly downed a big 12-pointer (see photo).

In late spring of Georgia’s 2020 turkey gobbler season, Milly decided to try her hand at wild turkeys, a game bird she had never hunted before. Family friend, Paul McSwain and Dr. Harvey Miller volunteered to guide and call. Suzan, Milly and her stepdad Brice Garnett traveled to a farm in Brooks County, GA and went hitless for two straight mornings. 

The third morning, Milly connected with a borrowed single-shot Stevens 410-gauge with a JEBS choke (made in Georgia) and Federal TSS shot. The gobbler weighed 21 # and 10.08 oz, sported a 12 5/8“ beard and spurs 1 3/8” and 1 7/16”. The bird’s official score was 75, a Georgia record for a female hunter. 

Parents should never dictate what their children become in life but Milly Prince has been taught extremely well and provided with the support and assets needed to excel in the hunting and shooting sports field, should she choose that path. You go girl! The world is your oyster (Shakespeare).

Ken Cook contributed this column to The Valdosta Daily Times.