My Unicorn Buck

Ross Baker Sparkman, 17, was hunting with his brand-new crossbow on Sept. 14, 2023 when he killed this velvet buck in Colquitt County.

By Ross Baker Sparkman

I normally have to work after school, but we were caught up, and I was given the evening off to go hunting. My dad and I were talking about a storm moving in and how the temperature was going to drop that evening and that it would be good hunting weather.

I had hung a new stand in a spot we had never hunted before, and I was trying to decide if I should hunt the new stand or one of the stands I am more familiar with. I decided to sit in the new stand. I like to pray and talk to God while I am hunting and thank Him for my blessings and His creation we get to enjoy. While sitting there, I prayed, “Lord if it is your will, please let me see some good deer and get a good shot on them, but Lord if it isn’t your will, just help me to be thankful for this time in your woods with you.”

As I continued to look around, I saw something moving in the woods. I kept watching and saw a good buck walk out. He was about 75 yards away. He walked around eating from the bushes. I watched him casually graze for about an hour.

Finally, he came within 10 yards of my stand, and I was trying to get a clear shot on him. This was my first time hunting with a crossbow, so I was being extra cautious because I wanted to make sure I made a good shot and didn’t just wound him. The wind swirled and changed directions, and he ran back out, but he was still in range. I continued to watch him, trying to get a good shot on him because he was standing behind some thick brush. He continued to nibble at the grass, and he stepped out of the brush, finally presenting me a shot. I aimed my crossbow and shot.

He ducked down and ran off into the thick brush. I watched him as long as I could see and listened to him running and then all sounds of him stopped.

I climbed down to look for the arrow. Although I could not find the arrow, I found fresh blood. I didn’t have a flashlight with me, and it was getting darker, making it hard to see. I jumped on my 4-wheeler and went home to get a light and asked my dad to come help me track him. We came back to the woods and started following the blood trail. The farther we went into the woods, the larger the blood spots grew. Finally I looked through some thick privet hedge and briars and saw him lying there 50 yards from where I shot him.

When I walked up to him and picked up his rack, I noticed his rack was still covered in velvet. I was ecstatic! I not only had my first bow-kill the first time I hunted with my bow, but I just shot an 11-point buck still fully covered in velvet. This was an accomplishment my dad hasn’t even conquered. My dad hunts with me and has taught me everything I know about hunting and even he hasn’t killed a deer still in velvet. I was completely speechless, thankful and so humbled for such an awesome opportunity at what I like to call My Unicorn Buck.