Big Buck Tales

Brandon Alday Buck

Brandon Alday Buck

By Mike Handley

Brandon Alday's 4-year-old son, Hayes, nearly choked him when the yelling commenced. The boy was getting a free ride on his father's shoulders when Brandon’s flashlight beam fell across the buck he was convinced he’d either missed or maimed. "I started screaming like a little girl, which scared my son half to death," Brandon laughs. "H... READ MORE

Wayne Schumacher Buck

Wayne Schumacher Buck

By Duncan Dobie

As Wayne Schumacher sat in his stand watching the late afternoon shadows steadily darken, he briefly daydreamed about a huge 24-point buck that had been photographed near the property he was hunting. The thoughts that went through his head were not unlike those that go through the minds of many hunters who hope for a one-of-a-kind encounter with a ... READ MORE

Ralph Postin Buck

Ralph Postin Buck

By Ed Waite

Ralph Postin of Lewistown, Ill., knows that the buck he shot more than a decade ago isn’t much to look at. He calls it the “Rodney Dangerfield” of whitetails because, while it breaks the 200-inch mark, nobody would’ve guessed it. In other words, the Fulton County specimen doesn’t get any respect – not in a state ... READ MORE

Mikell Fries Buck

Mikell Fries Buck

By Mike Handley

Mature bucks’ antlers might grow a half-inch or more a day during the spring and summer months, but that doesn’t mean they’ll double in size from one year to the next. After all, unless they’re on the downswing, whitetails have to regrow what was shed (or something similar) before adding mass, length or extra points.That was... READ MORE

Richard Gates Buck

Richard Gates Buck

By Peter Schoonmaker (2008)

The existence of a trophy whitetail is no accident. They possess superior genes. They are surrounded by bountiful nutrition. And their realm possesses several varieties of protective cover. Limited access or private agricultural lands will allow a buck to achieve full body growth and possess a true trophy rack of antlers. And some of these whitetai... READ MORE

Cole Foglesong Buck

Cole Foglesong Buck

By Ed Waite

Nineteen-year-old Cole Foglesong of Astoria, Ill., a freshman biology student at McMurry College, has already made an impressive mark in the deer hunting world – thanks to an incredible 13-point buck he took during the Land of Lincoln’s 2003 season. While hunting on his family’s property in Fulton County in 2001, Cole found an inc... READ MORE

Dann Hughes Buck

Dann Hughes Buck

By Savannah Hughes

For my dad, getting up early on a cold morning, layering himself in camouflage and then sitting in a deer stand or duck blind rates right up there with breathing. He lives for (and because of) it! Half his wardrobe is camo, and I guarantee that he gets his money's worth out of it all. It does not make sense to some people why Dad and other hunters... READ MORE

Scott Odenbrett Buck

Scott Odenbrett Buck

By Rusty Johnson

Try telling Ryan Odenbrett that life is fair. He wanted to go bowhunting on the cool gray afternoon of Oct. 20. He knew exactly which stand to visit, too. But the conflicted sophomore at Southern Missouri really needed every available hour to study for a biology test. Or did he? His dad, Scott, made the decision easy. “You study for your t... READ MORE

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