Teen Bowhunter Chases Massive Buck All Season, Finally Connects

Clay Austin is your typical 17-year-old American high school kid: he loves baseball (and is an ace southpaw pitcher on the Floyd Central Highlanders baseball team), loves his family and God, and especially loves whitetail deer hunting. Unlike many American teenagers, however, he’s taken some very good bucks in his limited number of years deer hunting.

“I’ve been deer hunting my whole life," Clay explained. "I shot my first buck when I was six years old, and since then I’ve harvested 10 bucks total. Every hunt teaches me something new and fuels my love for the sport even more. The time, the patience, the adrenaline, the stories — that’s what makes hunting special to me."

Up until the 2025-26 season, however, he hadn't taken what he considered a true giant. But, two of the bucks he’s previously harvested were over 150 inches — thus proving once again that the term “giant” means different things to different hunters.

“This season, I was blessed with the chance to take the biggest deer I’ve ever hunted, and honestly, maybe the biggest I’ll ever have the chance to kill," Clay said. "I first got this buck on camera back in mid-June, and from that day on, I was hooked. I’ve spent over 150 hours in the woods (in October) chasing him, driving more than 1,600 miles back and forth, and passing up plenty of good deer that most people would’ve shot, all waiting for this one. I had six encounters with him over the season but just could never get it done — until November 4th at 4:20 p.m.”

One of the earlier encounters stuck in Clay’s mind. He had him dead to rights at 47 yards with legal light still present. The issue? He couldn’t see his sight pin because it was just a bit too dark for that. So, Austin just sat there, with his dream buck so close that it made his heart pound in his chest. That moment made him even more determined to seal the deal on this buck, and good on him for not taking what he considered to be an unethical shot.

That perfect moment he’d envisioned would finally come in November.

“I was saddle hunting on a ridge when I saw a decent 8-point down in the bottom. It was too thick to see what else might be down there, so I decided to let out a couple soft grunts," Clay recalled. "About 15 minutes later, I looked up and saw the big boy coming out of the bottom. He was heading straight to me — 55 yards out — but then he cut back and started working along the bottom of the ridge."

"As he moved away, I caught sight of a doe walking straight toward me. Sure enough, he turned and followed her right up the ridge. The doe stopped right under my tree, and when he came to 24 yards, I took the shot. He ran about 70 yards down the ridge, and I heard him crash in the bottom. That sound was the best feeling in the world — I finally got him!”

Then the real work began.

“Dragging him out was no joke — it was all the way in the bottom and by far the hardest drag I’ve ever done, but it was worth every second," Clay said. "I only had him on camera for one year and ended up with around 300 pictures of him total. When I finally walked up to that deer, all the hours, miles, and effort came rushing back. The chase was over, but the memories will last forever. Now, it’s time to find another giant to chase.

One can’t help but get the idea that Clay Austin is a bit more mature than his age implies. It seems that hunting runs deep in his family, too. His grandma is an avid hunter who has traveled and hunted all over the world, and his late grandfather was the same way before he passed. Even though Austin never got to meet him, he feels as though his passion for the outdoors was passed down to him. His father, Phil, has been Clay’s biggest teacher and supporter through it all. They’ve spent countless hours scouting, preparing, and just enjoying time together in the woods.

“Those memories mean more than any rack ever will," Clay explained. "Through it all, I’ve tried to keep God first because none of this would be possible without Him. Every hunt reminds me how blessed I am to spend time in His creation doing what I love. God is good.”

Indeed.

Austin’s super-symmetrical buck gross green scored 182 3/8 as a mainframe 10-point typical. With a few non-typical points present, it would bump up to around 190 inches as a non-typical.

Author’s Note

Clay Austin helps run an outdoors page on Instagram called @bow_huntr with one of his good friends. On the page they share their hunts, experiences, and tips as they grow as hunters and outdoorsmen. His overall dream is to one day make it in the hunting industry — traveling, filming hunts, and inspiring others to chase their passions in the outdoors. I can’t help but think the lad just might get his wish based on everything I’ve learned about him and his family, as it seems he has his priorities lined up quite nicely.