Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! Today, we are joined by Matt Payne to dig into his story that goes beyond hunting. Matt opens up about his battle with alcohol and how hunting became the catalyst for completely saving his life—dropping over 100 pounds and finding a new purpose. Matt chats about growing up chasing whitetails on the East Coast, then fast-forward to his wild 2025 season out West, from a brutal hamstring blowout before a mule deer hunt to grinding it out and arrowing a velvet mule deer buck in the high country and a bull elk days later. He also shares what it meant to get the call to join the Lone Wolf Custom Gear team, why he believes hunting low to the ground is beneficial, and how he approaches runnin' and gunnin' hill-country bucks. Lastly, the guys look ahead to his hunting plans for 2026 and what's next on his journey—both in life and in the field. This is a great story of resilience and how to answer adversity when you are faced with the unexpected. Enjoy the show!

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