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MDWFP's Stan Priest speaks to locals at the National Deer Association Gun Blast. Priest is the Lands Coordinator at MDWFP. He shared booklets of information about DMAP, hunting and habitat management guides and a guide to native deer food. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

Bob Knight went on a lucky streak and won several gift cards at the banquet. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

This young girl won a gun at the NDA banquet Thursday night. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

Kirk Douglas, center, points a custom made grunt call he won at the 2024 Southwest Mississippi National Deer Association gun blast at the Lincoln County Civic Center. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

BROOKHAVEN — An estimated 220 people filled the Lincoln County Civic Center event building to celebrate conservation Thursday night. The Southwest Mississippi Chapter of the National Deer Association brought in about $32,000 in proceeds with the gun blast according to Chapter president Bruce Gray. 

Money raised through the sale of raffle tickets, silent auction, gun blast tickets and auctioned items supports the local branch and helps take disabled or handicapped people on a Hunt of a Lifetime. 

The branch auctioned off a Tika rifle chambered in .308 for $1,500 with all proceeds going to the family of fallen Officer Troy Floyd. A young man donated another $1,000 after the banquet to go with the $1,500. 

Matt Wilkins, NDA’s Southern Regional Director and Director of Grassroots Support, said one thing he gets asked a lot is what the NDA is doing. He explained to the crowd that NDA has a lot going on and one of their most ambitious projects includes improving public land. 

“We have an initiative to impact 1 million acres of public land by 2026,” Wilkins said. “We have projects going on here in Mississippi. In the Homochitto National Forest and DeSotto. Some of the funds raised tonight will go help those projects.”

On Sept. 28, the National Deer Association will host a Working for Wildlife event at Leaf River Wildlife Management Area in Perry County. Leaf River WMA is two hours from Brookhaven. It is possible for another Working for Wildlife day to return to the Homochitto National Forest in the future. 

Visit DeerAssocation.com/join to learn more about how to become a member and make an impact for conservation.

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