Big buck surprise: 9-year-old Blakely scores on youth opener

Nine-year-old Blakely Payne of Ava added a remarkable buck to her hunting memories during the opening morning of youth season, Oct. 24, while hunting in Ozark County. 

The second buck of her young hunting career, the deer was taken on family land near Tecumseh. Blakely, a student at Ava Elementary, was hunting with her parents, Scott and Melissa Payne, using a .350 Legend rifle.

The family settled into a blind shortly before 7 a.m. They had never hunted that particular property before, but knew there were some big deer in the area. Instead, an unexpected visitor made its way down a road through the timber.

“We were actually hunting another big buck we had a trail picture of,” her dad, Scott, told the Times. “When we saw this buck coming down the timber, we were shocked!”

Scott said it was about 45 minutes after first light when they spotted the big buck. He stopped it at approximately 30 yards with a “meh” call.

“I was way more nervous than my daughter was and was repeatedly telling her to shoot,” he said. “She had trouble finding him in the scope, and after what felt like 10 seconds later, with the buck staring right at us, she finally pulled the trigger.”

The buck ran a short distance up the hill, bringing the amazing hunt to an end. Blakely’s brother, Blayze, was hunting nearby with their grandpa, Randy, and was able to join in the celebration.

“This is a hunt we will definitely never forget and memories that will last a lifetime,” he said. 

The buck’s impressive measurements included a 24-inch inside spread, main beams measuring 25 inches each and G2 points measuring 12 inches and 10 6/8 inches. The family gave it a rough score of 167 2/8 inches total. 

For a nine-year-old hunter with only one other buck harvest under her belt, it’s an impressive accomplishment. But for the Paynes, the memory of being together in the blind, watching the buck appear unexpectedly and celebrating with family afterward may be the very best part of the story.