Stars Align On Baker County Crossbow Hunt

It was the night before the opener, and I had just arrived at Matt Lowe’s property in Baker County. Matt and I have been best friends and hunting partners since we were 12 years old. This tract of land is part of the newly assembled Caney Creek Co-op.

We sat sat around the cabin that night and scrolled through trail-cam pictures from the previous week. All but two of the hit list bucks were on a nocturnal pattern, so we homed in on the two bucks that had been on their feet during the last hour of daylight. The wind was forecast to be blowing out of the east all weekend, which actually worked for the locations which these bucks had been captured on camera. We opted out out of the morning hunt as we determined the risk outweighed the potential reward.

After a great morning of bass fishing on the 50-acre lake located on the property, it was time to ease into the woods and set up my climber. The deer had been frequenting this area in the evenings, and the plan was to intercept them from their bedding area on their way to the corn field. We set my climber in a recently select-cut stand of mature pines with thick cutover to the north and a fresh cut corn field to the west. I knew that there was a good chance it was going to happen that afternoon. I could feel it in my gut.

I originally got settled 30 feet up a pine without breaking too bad of a sweat. I began to hoist up my crossbow when much to my dismay, the rope wrapped around the bolts and they popped loose, not making the trip up with the crossbow. So back down I went.

Once settled for the second time, I was pouring sweat, but thankfully a brief downpour cooled me off a bit.

It was 6:45 when a group of six does and yearlings appeared from the row of hardwoods that divided the pines from the corn field. They worked their way downwind of me, and I was incredibly relieved to have remained undetected. This calmed my nerves.

Eventually this group of does worked their way out into the corn. Light began to fade, and at 7:40, he stepped out at 40 yards along with four other nice bucks. The buck I was after was the only one in the group which had shed its velvet, and his rack was noticeably dark in color.

He browsed his way into 35 yards and eventually presented the broadside shot I had been waiting on. I took the shot and hit him high in the shoulder and down through the vitals. The buck ran about 100 yards before folding up.

This was one of those hunts where the stars aligned perfectly, a rare occurrence when pursuing mature whitetails.

Zach Thwaite and Matt Lowe with the Baker County 9-pointer.

Once Matt and I had loaded the amazing buck into the truck, we decided to take him back to where a clan of fellow hunters had gathered, anxiously awaiting to see the deer. Getting to share this success with great people really made it that much more special. That is what it is all about. When you surround yourself with like-minded hunters, friends and family, it isn’t about the score or who kills, it is all about the experience. This was one of those truly special moments that I will never forget.

We grossed the buck at 157 inches, and he should net around 150.

Editor’s Note: Zach unfortunately had let his GON subscription run out and is not eligible to enter his deer in the Truck-Buck contest.

All-Time Baker County Top-10 Bucks