Clay Matney has punched his ticket for unofficial membership in our unofficial SWAT — Suburban Whitetail Assault Team — hunting crew.

Clay, who is from Roanoke, llast appeared here in 2010 as a 16-year-old with his opening day bow buck. Here’s his story:

” Here’s the 8-pointer I killed in Roanoke County in a place much like you have described in your blogs. It’s about 5 or so acres surrounded by neighborhoods and streets and whatever else. I killed this buck with a crossbow at 15 yards in a homemade ground blind. I have been hunting this deer for the whole season. He had a very infected wound on his back leg which me and my buddy decided was from his leg getting caught on a fence.

Anyway, I woke up the morning of the 21st of November. When I  looked at the alarm clock and it said 6:30! So I jumped up and ran through the house grabbing all of my hunting gear, threw it in the truck and sped off to my hunting location which is about 10 minutes from my house.

When I sat down I  looked at my phone and it  6:55 a.m.  I had at least made it before sunrise.

I sat all morning with no luck, just squirrels. About 9:15 a.m. I looked out and saw a deer moving at the edge of the treeline. I turned around and got up on my knees, and watched as the 8 pointer came down the hill. I tried to get my shooting stick up in time but no luck.

I made the shot on the deer and my heart dropped. The deer didn’t look like he had been even phased. So I got up and looked, and found no blood and  no arrow. I was in shock. Then I walked out in the field and saw the deer laying along the woodline.”

Congrats, Clay, your SWAT patch is in the mail! (Actually, we don’t have SWAT patches, but maybe we should?)