The Hunter Spotlight Series | Kemon Hall
This week's Hunter Spotlight Series takes us down to Texas...where we catch up with NFL Veteran, and founder of K Black Outdoors Kemon Hall
By Cliff Cadet | Equalized Outdoors Newsroom
Name: Kemon Hall
Hometown: Calhoun City, Mississippi
Currently Residing: Texas
How long have you been hunting?
"I’ve been hunting for as long as I can remember. My granddad was—and still is—a true outdoorsman, and I was blessed to be introduced to the outdoors at a very young age.
"He started me and my brothers out hunting small game. We always had a pack of beagles growing up, and when Granddad took us rabbit hunting, it was never just about rabbit hunting. We were shaking squirrel nests, walking the hardwoods, kicking briar patches and occasionally shaking a raccoon or two out of a tree."
What’s your hunting weapon of choice?
"I grew up hunting with a rifle and shotgun. So those are what I’m most comfortable with because that’s what I was raised around. But now that I’m getting more into archery, I really want to do more bow hunting.
"There’s something about bow hunting that I really enjoy. It requires you to get closer, be more patient, and pay attention to every little detail. I’m excited to continue learning and getting better with it."
I’ve seen pics of you with axis deer, whitetail deer, and even a couple of razorbacks. What’s your favorite wild game to hunt and why?
"I would have to say whitetail.
"I’ve been obsessed with whitetail deer since I was a young kid. My granddad wasn’t a
huge whitetail hunter. But my Uncle TJ and his son Jr Stovall were really big deer hunters. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, we were always looking forward to hunting season and waiting for them to come around after a long day of hunting.
"I can still remember being a kid and seeing my Uncle TJ pull up in that old GMC Z71 with the dog box on the back and deer horns sticking out. That was the kind of thing that made me want to be a hunter.
"Once I got old enough for them to trust me with a gun, they started taking me along. My first whitetail hunt was probably when I was 11 or 12 with my Uncle TJ, my cousin Jr. Stovall and my Uncle TL Stovall. From that point on, I was hooked.
"For me, whitetail hunting is about much more than pulling the trigger and getting a deer. It’s the anticipation leading up to the hunt, being outside before daylight, meeting at our favorite gas station, watching the woods wake up, and spending time with family and friends. Those memories go all the way back to when I was a kid, so that’s what makes whitetail my favorite."
You’ve played football at the college AND professional level. With a sport whose season overlaps with hunting seasons, if at all, how were you able to still get out and enjoy hunting?
"Football definitely makes hunting difficult because the football season takes up the majority of hunting season. When you’re playing college football, and especially when you’re playing in the NFL, your schedule isn’t really your own. But we all make time for the things we love, and hunting is just as much a part of my life as football. Hunting was there before I ever dreamed of becoming an NFL player.
"I’ve always tried to find those windows whenever I could. During my NFL seasons, I would plan around bye weeks and look for opportunities during the late season. When I was in high school and college, I was doing the same thing around bye weeks and holiday breaks.
"I can remember times, during Thanksgiving break, when my friends and I would get up early, go deer hunting first, and then make it to practice later that day. It was all about finding a way to make it work.
"When I was playing JUCO football in Mississippi, it was a little easier. Our games were played on Thursday nights, so after film and lifting on Friday, I could leave campus, hunt Saturday, and sometimes even hunt Sunday morning before having to report back.
"A lot of hunting seasons overlap with football season. So sometimes you simply can’t go. That’s just part of the sacrifice that comes with playing football at a high level. But whenever I had an opportunity—whether it was a bye week, an off-day, a late-season window, or the offseason—I tried to take advantage of it.
"Even when I couldn’t be in the woods myself, my friends and family helped keep me connected. They'd send me pictures from trail cameras and let me know what they were seeing. In a way, I was living through my hunting buddies. I might have been at practice, traveling, or preparing for a game, but seeing those pictures and hearing their stories helped me feel like I was still part of the hunt.
"Football has taken me places I never imagined, but hunting has always been my peace, my safe place and my escape from home. Growing up, it also helped keep me out of trouble. No matter how busy life became, hunting was something I could always come back to."
Looking at some of your social media content…we see that you’re a family man. Is your love of the outdoors something you hope to pass on to your kids?
"Absolutely. That’s one of the biggest things I want to pass down to my kids.
"The outdoors was passed down to me by my granddad, and my kids will have that same opportunity. Some of my favorite memories growing up aren’t necessarily about the animals we killed. They’re about being with my brothers, my uncles, my cousins and my granddad. It’s the stories, the truck rides, the dogs, sitting around talking and just being outside together.
"I want my kids to understand that the outdoors is about more than hunting. It’s about family, patience, respect, responsibility and creating memories. Whether we’re hunting, fishing, camping or just spending time outside, I want them to experience the same kind of connection that I had growing up."
I just watched the YouTube video of your dove hunt during the 2025 season opener. For anyone who has never been hunting…how fun is it? And what does it entail?
"Hunting is a lot of fun, but I think one of the biggest things people don’t understand until they experience it is how much goes into it.
"With something like dove hunting, you’re getting up early, getting your gear together, getting out into the field, setting up decoys, finding your spot and waiting for the birds to start moving. Once they start flying, things can get pretty exciting pretty quickly. You’re watching the sky, communicating with the people you’re hunting with and trying to make a clean shot.
"But honestly, some of my favorite parts happen in between the action. You’re sitting outside, talking, laughing, watching the sunrise and just enjoying being away from everything. That’s what I love about hunting. The harvest is part of it, but the experience and the people you’re sharing it with are just as important.
"For somebody who’s never hunted, I would say don’t be intimidated by it. Find somebody experienced who can take you and teach you the right way. Once you experience it for yourself, you understand why so many people get hooked.
You took an NFL teammate on their first hog hunt. Tell us about that hunt and the joy of exposing him to a one-of-a-kind experience like that.
"I took my former Cowboys teammate Darius Harris hog hunting in Oklahoma. Darius and I came into the NFL in the same draft class, and I’ve known him since I first entered the league. We also have the same agent, so we’ve always had a pretty good relationship throughout our journey.
"We were teammates with the Cowboys during the 2024 season and into 2025 preseason. Darius had actually been asking me for a while about going hunting. We drove up to my friend Lance's place in Oklahoma and got after some pigs with dogs. We ended up getting on one of the biggest pigs we’ve ever caught in Oklahoma, so he definitely got the full experience.
"What made it special wasn’t just getting on a big hog. He got to experience the whole thing—the dogs, the chase, the excitement, the adrenaline and, most importantly, the brotherhood and camaraderie that comes with hunting with a group of people.
"He had a great time and definitely wants to come back.
"That’s really a big part of what KBLACKOUTDOORS is about. I’ve been blessed to play football at the highest level, and I’ve met a lot of great people through the NFL. A lot of my teammates are interested in hunting and fishing, but they don’t necessarily have the time, knowledge or connections to make it happen.
"When I can introduce them to the outdoors and give them an experience they’ll remember for the rest of their lives, that’s something I’m passionate about. I want to share that experience with people and continue building that connection through the outdoors."
And that is this week's Hunter Spotlight Series with Kemon Hall of K Black Outdoors folks!
To follow Kemon, on his outdoor/hunting/fishing adventures.. follow him...
on Instagram: K Black Outdoors
on YouTube: K Black Outdoors YouTube
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