Lady Hunter Self Films Warren County Bow Buck

By Amber Kitchens

It all started on Oct. 1 when a big Georgia brute showed up on our deer camera. I got in the stand around 5:00 that afternoon but saw only a few does and a young buck. Having two kids makes it hard to just go to the woods whenever I want to. My fiancé Matt Gordy and I decided we’d see what happened during the week and get back on him.

On Friday, Oct. 5, he showed up on camera at 8:45 that morning.

Oct. 6 was the second time I climbed in the stand to pursue the buck that we named Big Boy. Matt and I got in the stand around 6:30 that morning. As soon as it was light enough to see outside, we already had does all around us. One doe came out and then six or seven trailed in behind her. Around 7:25, out of know where, Big Boy was coming straight toward the corn pile. He locked in on a doe and was hot on her. He was around 40 yards, but I never could get a shot on him. Around 8:45, we saw 12 to 15 more deer. We decided to get down and head home in hopes we’d get on him that same afternoon.

We got back in the stand around 4:00 that afternoon and saw a few young bucks and some does.

The next morning, on Oct. 7, we decided to go to that same spot again since we knew we weren’t hunting that evening with the Georgia Bulldogs playing. The next morning, on Oct. 8, I had intended to hunt but was just being lazy, and I slept in. He showed up on our camera that morning at 8:30. I was sick to my stomach as soon as I saw that. I decided I was no doubt going that evening to hunt him.

That afternoon I sprayed down with my Shadow Majik dirt-scented spray. I got in the stand at 4:30 that evening, sat down and realized I had forgotten the camera arm. I quickly texted Matt to see if he wanted me to go get it or just not even worry about filming. Deep down I wanted to go grab it, but I also didn’t want to risk messing up the spot. He told me to get down and go grab it, and I’m so glad he did.

I got back in the stand and couldn’t figure out how to fix the strap, so I had to YouTube it. I got everything fixed and was set up and ready to go at 4:55. I saw the first deer at 6:30 that evening. One doe came in, and then within 10 minutes I had 10 deer in front of me—a few does, a few fawns and three young bucks. The bucks started messing around with each other, and all of the does ran off and the three bucks slowly eased out. Two fawns and a doe came back out, and they had no idea I was there.

When 6:50 rolled around, I could see a nice buck coming in from my right side, but I couldn’t quite tell if he was a shooter. He came in pretty quickly, and when he got to about 30 yards, I sent Matt a video on Snapchat to see for sure if that was Big Boy. I texted him and told him to check his text now and he said “yes kill him!”

At that point, it was 6:59. I was already shaking by then. I slowly put my phone up and got the camera on him. I stood up, and he looked right at me, put his head back down. I stood still, and he looked right back up again trying to get me to move, but I didn’t. He put his head back down and got comfortable. Within 30 seconds, I drew back, got on him and put an arrow in him. He kicked up dirt and took off.

I immediately called Matt. Him and his buddy Tone were hunting in a stand in Louisville. You could just hear the excitement radiating through his voice. He told me to go back and review the footage and send him a video. I couldn’t have made a better shot, and it was a complete pass-through with a G5 Montec broadhead.

I packed everything up and climbed down and walked over to my arrow. There was perfect blood on my arrow and good blood on the ground. At that point Matt and Tone were already climbing down and headed home for us to begin tracking him. I didn’t go any farther than my arrow, and I went back to the car and headed home to wait on Matt.

We got back to the spot around 8:30 p.m. to track him. We walked to the arrow, and we got on a blood track, but it quickly ran out, and I was feeling discouraged. Tone reminded me that his cavity had to fill up before the blood started pouring. About 40 yards from where I shot him there’s a fence that we figured he had jumped over and a huge field that we assumed he had run through. Me and Tone stayed on the side of the fence I had shot him on looking for blood, and Matt climbed over and was looking in the field. We heard Matt holler “I got him,” and we took off toward him. There he was, less than 100 yards from where I shot him. That big Georgia brute took a dirt nap!

I still am over the moon about my Georgia bow-kill and super proud of the shot I made and also super proud that I self filmed the entire thing. If y’all would like to watch the video of everything going down, check out the full YouTube video above or go over to YouTube and look up “No Skunk Gang” and give us a like and subscribe!