Hard Earned Bow Buck Breaks Peach County Record

Jonathan Campbell, of Marshallville, with the new Peach County bow record buck that had a net score of 161 5/8.

Jonathan Campbell, of Marshallville, has been hunting deer with a bow since he was just 9 years old. Being 38 now, he’s definitely had the time to fine-tune his skills and hunting techniques. The true test of his experience arrived on the evening of Nov. 23, 2024.

Jon has been hunting and managing a family friend’s property in Peach County for the last five years. With numerous cameras and high-quality feed, a trophy buck was bound to become a target. One particular buck had shown up on camera in the previous year and caught the attention of Jonathan and his buddies.

“I had videos from the year before and he was about 140 inches. I knew I wasn’t gonna shoot him, I’d let him walk. He was close to the record, and I knew he was 4 1/2 years old. But this year, once he got to 5 1/2, his horns exploded,” said Jon.

“On Sept. 1, me and my boys were riding that particular farm to feed. That deer jumped into the road, and we just stared at him. We all got a good look at him. Using that moment along with the cameras, I knew he was gonna be a contender for the record. I knew he would be within an inch.”

Late November brought about the prime rut period in Peach County. As the season had gone on, Jonathan explained, he started to get more nervous about the likelihood of harvesting this buck since the rut is usually late for a bow kill. It took him 33 hunts this year to harvest his target buck.

“We looked at pictures every week hoping he didn’t break one point or tine, because that’s all it would take. We were just praying,” said Jon.

“He didn’t have a schedule or timeline; it was just when he wanted to move. On Nov. 23, I saw the deer with my eyes, that was the third day in a row that I saw him. A few does were out in front of me, but they had me pinned down so I couldn’t move at all,” said Jon. “I knew one was behind me because they were all looking that way. I was able to look down and he was at the bottom of the tree at just four yards.”

Jon had a shot opportunity at his target buck at just four yards away.

“When I shot the deer, it didn’t have the sound I was looking for. I didn’t want to mess this up right at the end. I was second guessing my shot, and when I didn’t see my arrow on the ground where I shot, I was even more worried. I finally saw the arrow along the path he ran and that’s where the blood picked up, and I was able to walk right up to him.”

In the 30 minutes Jon was waiting to track, he hadn’t told anyone about the shot he had just made.

“My dearest friend in the world texted me and said, ‘My spidey senses are going off, have you shot him?’”

“When I finally walked up to the deer, I stopped about 20 yards away and just stayed for a while. It’s something I worked so hard for. I had to sit there and just take it all in and remember to enjoy it, because this is as good as it gets.”

After an exhausting season-long chase, Jon’s hard work finally paid off. He now holds the Peach County bow-kill record with a score of 161 5/8. He was just 1/8-inch off from breaking the 1981 All-Time Overall county record for any weapon, held by Jeffery O’Neal. Jon now holds three of the top 10 spots in the Peach County All-Time Bowhunting Records.

Jon let his target buck walk in 2023 to allow more growth, which paid off when his antlers exploded in just a year.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Jon, “it’s awesome that that’s the biggest scoring deer and hardest I’ve ever had to work for one. Now the target is on my back for the record to be beaten. I’m gonna try to beat it myself if I can.”

A story like this makes every hunter eager to get back into the deer woods, ready to try their hand at a county record buck. “I think people in this world need to focus on aging a deer and doing it properly. It helps with growing the deer and makes you a better hunter.

“My family and I are very serious about being good, humble hunters. Hard work definitely pays off,” said Jon.

Jon’s achievements in the Georgia deer woods are testaments to perseverance, patience, and a respect for the land God has blessed us with. Jon’s journey serves as a reminder that success in the woods is earned, one shot, one hunt, and one season at a time.

Peach County All-Time Bowhunting Records

Peach County All-Time Record Bucks (all weapons)