Colton Gauge Honeycutt loved the outdoors. Sadly, the teen reportedly went deer hunting on October 18, 2025, but didn’t return home. That day, a storm rolled into Bernice, Louisiana, and Colton’s absence worried his family. Tragically, first responders found the 17-year-old dead in an elevated deer stand. Investigators believe lightning struck the teenage hunter, killing him.
The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office shared in a news release that deputies, firefighters, and EMS responded to Robert Welch Road around 8:30 p.m. They found Colton’s body, and the Union Parish Coroner’s Office declared him dead at the scene.
Colton Honeycutt’s uncle, Craig S. Honeycutt, confirmed his nephew’s passing in a Facebook post. He wrote that he typically doesn’t share personal details on social media but wanted to address the outpouring of love.
“Colton did not have it easy and had his issues, but he was loved and family did what they could for him while he was on this earth. We humanly know not why things happen as they do. We can only lean on and trust in the Lord,” Honeycutt wrote in his post.
“Please remember and pray for our family, Colton’s sister Morgan Fisher, Dylan and Kastin Woolsey, Bentley and Trey Sampognaro and Casey Honeycutt. There are so many more. We are shocked, heart broken, and saddened by this sudden loss,” he added.
“I just heard about it a little while ago,” a loved one commented. “Will definitely be praying for all the family and friends. Such a tragic loss.”
“Yes indeed, I loved that boy and prayed often,” another person shared. “Sending hugs and Love to your family.”
One friend left a pretty profound comment that expresses what many of us feel during difficult times.
“I don’t even know what to say, and I think that’s ok. Sometimes when we have never gone through what others are going through, it’s ok to not have the right words,” the person wrote.
Although Colton’s death remains under investigation, officials do believe lightning killed him just before sunset, amid the stormy weather.
