Parker Swan, 11, comes by big game naturally. It is in his genes.
The 11-year-old from Signal Mountain is the great nephew of former Tennessee Conservation Commissioner Chuck Swan. His father, Bill III, is a former President of the Chattanooga Area Safari Club. His grandfather, Bill, is the current President of the SCI group.
The Swan family pretty much lives life from one hunt to the next.
Parker's first trip to Canada with Deer Valley Outfitters to hunt elk and whitetail deer in Saskatchewan was very successful. While on Fall break from Signal Mountain Middle School, took a bull elk with a heavy rack, followed up by a super 11-point whitetail deer.
Parker, who has already taken five deer, topped his best buck to date, a monster 8-pointer taken at Dunaway Hunting and Fishing Club.
In Saskatchewan Parker’s dad had spotted the massive whitetail buck and after a long stalk, while constantly checking the wind, he was able to get off a quick shot at about 100 yards while the buck stopped briefly. The deer vanished across the hill and down into a brushy ravine. After a long wait glassing into the brush from the hilltop, the deer was spotted sneaking out at one corner. Another shot at 125 yards anchored the buck and allowed the hunters to give “high fives” all around.
His elk was in a group of seven bulls, and the hunters kept the wind in their faces as they sneaked over the top of the rise for a shot. It seemed that every time Parker got ready to shoot, one of the other bulls would get in the way. After about 5 minutes of agonizing wait, he was able to fire the one shot needed and the big bull was down.
While on the way up in the Toronto Airport after a long day of travel and a canceled flight, Parker said that he was tired of being in Canada.
After his spectacular success, he did not want to leave. Who can blame him!