First racked buck and first deer with a bow LONG READ

I’ve been deer hunting for 10 years, I’m 36 and have killed a few does and a couple of spikes when I first started hunting but a nice or even decent buck has always eluded me. I’ve shot at 3 racked bucks in my life, all with a rifle. First one was a clean miss and on the 2nd and 3rd, buck fever got me and I bloodied both up and never recovered them. During these last ten years I’ve let a lot of bucks walk, some because I wanted to and others because I was a guest hunting on a friends farm or hunting club and just wasn’t sure the buck would make the cut. That is the back ground on my hunting career and what makes this buck so special and meaningful to me.
Anyway, to the story! I have been grinding it out on public land this year. I believe I’ve hunted 15 times and 11 of those sits were on cahaba WMA. Sunday morning after my hunt I was close by a spot I had found late in the season last year and decided to check it for sign before I headed home. There’s a firelane the bisects a young pine thicket and some mature thinned pines that the bucks had rubbed and scraped. I had a camera and was going to put it out if they had started scraping. Sure enough there were several fresh rubs and a big freshly worked scrape. I set my cam out and knew I would hunt that spot the next opportunity I got. This morning I slipped in as quietly as I could, picked out a tree facing NE around 20 yards from the scrape line and climbed about 30’ up. I was settled in at 5:40 waiting on daylight. At round 6:05 I heard something on the little ridge to NW and kept scanning that direction. I picked up movement and saw it was a buck. He was walking a direct line parallel with me and he was about 70 yards out. He stopped and worked a scrape and a licking branch for a few minutes and then continued walking slowly to the south and away from me. When he got to my 9 o’clock he started angling towards me just picking his steps and taking his time. If he stayed on this line he was going to either walk right behind my tree or right in front of it as he was headed straight towards me. He got behind a bush and I stood up because he was over my left shoulder. He was now within 30 yards but was walking straight to me with a pine tree between me and him. He finally decided to walk to the left of the pine and got behind a little cedar. He was at no more than 10 yards when he stepped out almost perfectly broadside. I had my crossbow burning a hole through him and fired off a bolt. I immediately heard the THWACK snd saw the fletching sticking out of him. He wheeled around and took out of there like a bat out of hell following the same path he took to me. I intently listened after he went out of sight. Limbs were popping and breaking and then it just got quiet. I looked at my phone and it was 6:17. That’s when the emotion hit me. I was thrilled that I had just gotten a shot at this buck but worried about the penetration. I knew I needed to sit tight so I posted on Aldeer and then texted 3FFARMS. He told me to stay my butt in the tree and he would be there around 7:30. I stayed in the stand until 7:15 and then I couldn’t take it anymore. It had been an hour and I climbed down. Right at the hit sight there was good blood and I felt really confident that the arrow must have punched through the underside of the deer. I followed the blood trail without any problem and he had only ran about 60 yards. When I saw that white belly I was so relieved and excited! I’m not gonna lie, I had tears in my eyes when I walked up to him. 3F showed up and I told him we needed to go to last blood, to which he replied that I didn’t listen for crap
As were walking Brandon said, you’ve already found him haven’t you? I just turned around and grinned and we had a little celebration. Brandon was a good photographer for me and even better deer dragger. The buck isn’t a monster but he made a memory for me that I’ll never forget. All the sweat, shoe leather and time invested in scouting and hunting cahaba finally paid off with a buck that I am dang proud of. I am no expert but I figure he’s 3. Obviously he doesn’t have a huge rack but he was fat joker. Here are some more pics. Thank y’all for reading. I couldn’t wait to post this story for my Aldeer family

Fantastic! Congrats.

Good job.

heck yeah! great read! Congrats!

Dr. B

Thanks for sharing the story, congrats on a fine buck as well as a memory you'll never forget

I'm proud of you buddy! It was a true pleasure to be there and celebrate with you. Definitely the highlight to my season thus far!

Guys, I've hunted with a lot of different people in my 30 years of hunting. No one puts in more time, preparation, boot leather, map studying, topo reading, etc. than Matt does. When I say he's been snake bit for the past 4-5 years, it's like he jumped into a pit of vipers somewhere along the way. Literally, he has the worst luck of any hunter I've ever seen. It's actually pretty humorous some of the time.

No one deserves this deer more than him and I'm as proud of his accomplishment with this buck as any deer I've ever killed. Hoping you threw that monkey all the way to Georgia when you got him off your back this morning. Here's to many more!

Congrats on connecting and creating a memory you'll never forget!!

Excellent!

Congrats

That's awesome man!....You smoked him with the shot. I envisioned you hitting him a little farther back from the sounds of your story.

Straight up in the back of the suv. Awesome story.

That's that good stainmaster carpet in those things....It doesn't even soak up the blood.

Ain’t nothing wrong with that buck. Congrats. Like CNC, from the way I read your post, I envisioned you hitting just behind the shoulder angling back because you said he was quartered to you.

Now if we can just SuperSpike a deer with a bow.....

Great story! Congrats on a hunt you'll never forget!

In the heat of the moment I was thinking he was quartering to me a little bit but after I settled down and replayed everything in my mind I realized he was just barely quartering, basically broadside. I was still hyperventilating a little bit even typing on aldeer this morning

Bet you looked like a 170# squirrel up in that tree.

Here is a pic of the exit. The arrow didn’t exit but it just barely poked through in his armpit.

I was Shaw. There truly is nothing like shooting a deer that close. Y’all might make a real bow hunter out of me yet

Heck yea man! Congrats

Congrats on a fine buck Southwood7. Happy for ya.

Looks like you got the heart.

Wow!……..bowhunting is such a game of inches…..1/2 inch less penetration and it would have completely changed the blood trail. He was smoked either way though.

Great story! Great deer! You’re right: he’s a fatty! Congratulations, Matt!

Congrats again!!

Congratulations!

Congrats and thanks for sharing your story.

Heck yeah! Great story and great buck. Congrats.

Congrats!!! Great Buck!!

Congratulations! Heck of a accomplishment there. Especially on public land. Hope there is many more for you.

Congrats buddy. That's an awesome story. I actually scouted a new spot at Cahaba today. I wish I would have checked aldeer this morning so I could have congratulated you in person.

Nice buck southwood. I know youve got to be stoked about that kill. Thats a goodn'.

Congrats on the kill

Congrats!

Shot one straight down years ago, exited in exact same spot. He never made it out of sight.

Way to go Matt! Man I've learned how challenging Cahaba is. My hat's off to you. Great job!

Congrats! That’s one heck of an accomplishment! It’s all about persistence on the public ground. I’ll bet that buck will be the first of many for you. Well done!

Congrats Matt!
I better check my phone and make sure it still works!

Congratulations!! Great story and buck

That's a true trophy. Well done.

Thanks for sharing! Nice bow kill

Awesome stuff!!!

Congrats and very happy for you. Good shooting also.

Congratulations

Awesome! Congratulations!!

Congrats!

Stories like this is why I still enjoy hunting and frequent this place. I'd much rather hear a good story of a hunt (preferably sitting around a fire with a drink) than kill one myself.

Congrats Southwood! Great buck!

Nice deer, great story, and kudos for never giving up.

Great deer! Congrats

Congrats and great story!

nice job, great story!

Awesome story! Thanks for sharing... Congratulations! I bet it won't be long before you get another one.

Congrats Matt on a fine Cahaba Buck!!

Great buck and awesome story!! Congrats man!

That's a great read and fine buck too. Congrats Matt!

congrats

Very nice. Congratulations.

Congrats bud

I missed this post when you first posted it. I came back to it after I read your post on the Cahaba rifle hunt. Congrats on this fine bow kill, and the rifle kill. Looks like you've figured 'em out. Great deer, great stories. I look forward to reading more success stories.

Nice bucks,that's a pretty good season right there.

Congrats

Nice job, congrats

Great Story thanks for sharing!

Nice Buck congrats.

Congrats on your buck, you have some serious patience.

Congrats!

nicely done dude. tall tines on that guy. public land hunting is a tough, glad you got him

congratulations on the first of many to come.