The all-consuming nature of leading a Texas high school athletics program leaves little leisure time throughout the year for Brandon Faircloth to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes — spending time outdoors with his son Cooper Faircloth.
But at the end of the last three football seasons, the Port Neches-Groves head football coach has taken a few days around Christmas time to unwind from a hectic season with his son by taking him on deer-hunting excursions.
PN-G’s football season ended in the bidistrict round on Dec. 10 — much later than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic. But despite the drawn out season, both Brandon and Cooper still found time for a two-day hunting trip a few days before Christmas in Goldthwaite, Texas, 30 miles outside of Brownwood (Brandon’s hometown), hunting with his brother, Forrest Faircloth and his nephew Ethan Faircloth.
“It was very exciting,” Cooper said. “It’s an awesome experience every year and it's definitely a way to get your adrenaline up.”
The hunting party had just begun their first day of hunting in the early evening when Cooper spotted the buck from 125 yards away. Cooper took the shot with a .243 caliber Winchester rifle from a deer blind on top of a hill and the buck only traveled about 40 yards before the group confirmed the kill.
For the Faircloths, hunting is more than just a sport. It is a pastime Brandon shared with his father, Bill Faircloth, and is something the 12-year PN-G coach has passed down to Cooper, a PN-G sophomore. Brandon taught Cooper all the inner workings of hunting and took him to the shooting range before taking him out for the first time.
“I grew up hunting with my dad and he passed it to me,” Brandon said. “The main reason we do it is to have our family time and spend time with (Cooper) at the end of football season.”
Cooper added he will pass this tradition down to his kids just like his father did for him. But in the meantime, the two are still trying to convince the rest of the family to join in on the next hunting excursion.
While they both enjoy the long and arduous process of deer hunting, the two were happy to reap the rewards of bringing home a young eight-point buck. Brandon said they will use the deer meat to make a wide array of food that includes: burgers, jalapeno sausages, chili or sometimes they will cook the deer back strap on the grill.
The jalapeno sausages and the back strap are two of the Faircloth’s favorites, but Brandon said after some time of eating deer the family does begin to “get sick of it.”
For now, both Brandon and Cooper will continue their tradition of hunting deer for years to come. But both hope one day they can travel the country to hunt other wild game.
“Arizona is definitely on the bucket list to hunt elk,” Brandon said. “I don’t have the experience of hunting elk, but I look forward to learning with Cooper.”
jorge.ramos@beaumontenterprise.com