Matthew Weber, 39
Location: Pennsylvania
Gear: Phantom Saddle, Predator XL Platform, One Sticks
In early 2023, just after New Year's Day, my phone rang, and on the other end was my best friend, Brad. He had recently relocated to Pennsylvania for work and, being an avid hunter, he had an exciting proposition for me. He asked me to log into our shared ONX account for some e-scouting adventure. Fast forward to September 2023, after taking a leave from my active duty in the United States Air Force in New York, I embarked on a journey to Pennsylvania.
Our group, including Brad, had a grand plan to camp during the opening weekend in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania. The weekend got off to an excellent start, with a couple of does taken down on the first night. However, we knew that to set our sights on a buck in the area, we needed to be mobile. This year, I decided to try saddle hunting, a choice I would later be grateful for.
To gain easier access to prime buck bedding areas, we went knocking on a few doors, literally. On a crisp Monday morning, September 18th, at 5 a.m., we found ourselves walking through a residential area, on our way to what we believed to be ideal buck bedding areas. It took us about 30 minutes to set up two saddle hunters, a camera, and two bows in a suitable tree, and we were ready just before sunrise.
The morning started with a successful doe harvest by Brad around 7:30 a.m., but besides that, we hadn't seen much action. We decided to climb down and take care of his doe at 8 a.m. Then, at 8:15 a.m., I caught a glimpse of antlers - a large-bodied buck, approximately 95 yards away in the thicket. He slowly strolled in our direction for the next 15 minutes, casually browsing on acorns.
In the final 40 yards, he closed the gap in less than 20 seconds, heading straight toward us. At just 8 yards away, he presented the perfect shot opportunity. We had cameras rolling, capturing every moment of this extraordinary hunt, culminating in the buck going down on camera! It was beyond my wildest dreams to have shot a 275-pound whitetail on my very first hunt in Pennsylvania and, furthermore, my first ever hunt out of my TETHRD SADDLE!
I can confidently say I'll never use anything else for my hunting adventures. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Tethrd team for providing an exceptional product. To represent one of the Tethrd 10 in 2023 would be an absolute honor.
