Curious buck met Junior at WMA

By Rupert Howell

Don’t try to put Junior Avery in a mold. You can’t stereotype him. Not now, not ever.

Avery hails from the southwest corner of Panola County where his forebearers spent time making a living by farming and raising a family in the hills near the Tallahatchie River bluff.

Avery’s uncle was the late Waverly Wray whose heroism and marksmanship during World War II were the subject of the Stephen Ambrose’s prologue for his book, “Citizen Soldier.” Wray distinguished himself as a soldier, but mostly as a competent farm boy with enough common sense to overcome obstacles ahead. He did so crediting his faith which earned him the nickname “Deacon” among soldiers with whom he served.

If there is anyone in Panola County who doesn’t know who Waverly Wray was, they need to take it upon themselves to find out.

Avery attended school at Pope, furthered his education at South Panola High School, later studying journalism at the University of Mississippi.

He is currently employed with South Panola School District’s Food Services.

With that background, one should know that Junior Avery is comfortable in his own skin. He cares about his family, faith and deer hunting, and other simple pleasures that life brings but others often overlook.

He’d rather be deer hunting like he has been doing since 1963. Avery has an affection for still hunting whitetail deer that goes back to when a successful hunt was considered just seeing a deer.

He has a very calm manner and there’s not much that he gets excited about. After all his years of consistent deer hunting, a big rack on a downed buck is a pleasure but not big news.

But one recent deer hunting encounter did get Avery excited.

Being chosen by lottery to be one of the few to hunt the new Charles Ray Nix Wildlife Hunting Area in northern Panola County was an honor Avery was looking forward to with great anticipation.

On December 12 he was hunting at the WMA during a sprinkling rain when a nice buck came up and circled him. According to Avery he was holding his rifle, a staff and an umbrella over his head.

“He came up, circled me and next thing I know — after he was out of sight (behind me) he gave me a jab with both antlers and his hooves dragged over my walking stick that was being held in my hand at an angle,” Avery said of the curious buck. He likened it to deer hunting videos that he had seen where a buck would jab at a decoy deer.

“Then I checked his spread on his head from my standing tall and still position and had to wait until he moved away for a possible shot,” he wrote in his report for the WMA officer.

“He got about 20 yards at a slight angle … the  boom was lowered — he staggered but did not fall, then favored his right leg … then laid down,” Avery reported.

While relating the story, Avery said his hero uncle, whom he never met, would not have been proud of the shot he made. His uncle’s gallantry and marksmanship resulted in his killing eight of the enemy including a battalion commander and his staff. In just that particular battle he also provided critical reconnaissance to the Allied armed forces resulting in the Allies’ securing of St. Mere Eglise, France, just hours after the invasion of Normandy had begun.

Avery went back to the truck to wait. He knew the deer was hit, but like most experienced and patient hunters know, he shouldn’t spook that deer away from the countryside while the adrenaline was still running high.

He wouldn’t find the deer later that Saturday afternoon and his belief was pulling against him, discouraging a hunt the following day, a Sunday.

Although he shares his uncle’s faith, it’s not likely that legendary Waverly Wray did an “antler dance” like his nephew did pulling out all stops to make sure he would eventually bag the wounded buck.

Antler dancing may be somewhat universal but locals usually believe it is a Native American tradition used before a hunt to provide success or a particular antler dancer has had too much beer. In Avery’s case it is paying respect to a Native American tradition and is not to be confused with his Christian faith.

Monday morning, Avery was back at Charles Ray Nix Wildlife Management Area looking for the buck that he had wounded two days earlier. He followed his senses and sure enough, he found the buck standing near a lake located on property not far from where he and the buck had their original spar.

This time he made the shot.

“Praise the Lord. I’ve been in my first buck fight,” Avery would write.

“With God all things are possible. Help my unbelief…” he continued.

His uncle, “Deacon” Wray, would most likely be proud.