The Red Sox’s Jon Lester Recounts His Most Memorable Hunting Moment
John E. Phillips 10.08.13
Author’s note: Twenty-nine-year-old Jon Lester from Washington State was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2002 at only age 18, spent four years in the minor leagues and then went to the big leagues in 2006. Lester is currently one of the best left-handed pitchers in the sport of baseball, is starting for the Boston Red Sox and has the best record in baseball for 2013. Lester also is a hunter, a cancer survivor, and a family man.
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Missouri and hunt with Mark and Terry Drury during the rut on the backside of a large-cut soybean field, facing a cedar thicket. Mark and Terry expected bucks to be running in the cedar thicket early in the morning. Our blind was set up with our backs to the soybean field. Just after first light, about 70 yards to our right, a small spike buck came out of the cedars. He started moving along the fence row behind us. Next, I saw a four-pointer, a six-pointer, and then a 3-1/2-year-old eight-pointer all walking the same scrape line on the fence row.
Just following the bucks, I spotted a monster sized eight-pointer coming down the fence row and working scrapes. Behind us, on the same trail we had used to get to our blind, was an opening about 15 yards away. When I spotted the buck walking toward the opening, I drew my PSE Dream Season bow. The cameraman hunting with me grunted, stopping the buck in the opening. At that point, I already had my pin sight on the buck’s shoulder, so I released the arrow. When the buck took the arrow, he began running across the bean field. Just as he reached the top of the hill, he fell over. Since we had watched him go down, we didn’t have to blood trail him at all. The eight-point buck scored 168 on Pope and Young.
This hunt finally sealed the deal that had began several years earlier of the Drurys and I hunting together. A friend of mine, Jim Thome, had played baseball for the Indians, the Phillies, Baltimore, and Chicago, and I expect him to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, since he’s hit 500 home runs in his career. Jim knew I liked to hunt, so he had his agent ask Mark Drury to call me. Mark and I went back and forth for more than a year before he invited me to come hunt with him and Terry.
A pitcher doesn’t always throw strikes and win ball games. Just like a pitcher, a hunter is often unsuccessful, regardless of who he is and where he hunts. On my first hunt with Mark and Terry, I failed to take a deer. Then in November of 2011, Mark invited me back to hunt with him in Missouri. This is when I took the big eight-point, while wearing Mossy Oak Obsession. I really liked that pattern.
I first started shooting a bow in 2004, but I began bowhunting when I moved to Atlanta. I bought a 500-acre woodlot there in 2009, and found I enjoyed bowhunting more than gun hunting. So, in 2009, I bought my first PSE bow. Because I prefer hunting from a tree stand, I my favorite camo pattern is Mossy Oak Treestand.
For more information on Jon Lester, click here.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
