Big Buck Tales

Richard Pauli Buck

Richard Pauli Buck

By Klaus Lebrecht

Prior to the 1983 gun season, Richard Pauli of Peoria, Illinois, saw this huge-antlered buck twice while bowhunting and once at night when he drove into a pasture to attend to some cattle. His headlights illuminated the deer drinking from a pond. Richard headed out on opening morning with a particular stand in mind. En route, he crossed a fence and... READ MORE

Clay Tiringer Buck

Clay Tiringer Buck

By Clay Tiringer

Following the 2008 hunting season, I saw a great 9x7 whitetail that left me counting the days until the next one. All I could do was hope the buck survived the winter. Immediately prior to the 2009 season, I went back to the area where I’d spotted the 16-pointer and discovered a perfect funnel – a creek bottom connecting bedding areas t... 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

Green Campbell Buck

Green Campbell Buck

By Mike Handley

If 14-year-old Green Campbell had been given a choice on Oct. 20, 2007, he would’ve gladly given up his ringside seat to one of the most dramatic college football games of the year. When he retrieved the 200 images from his first-ever trail camera that Saturday morning, which was exciting enough, he came across three shots of an unbelievable... READ MORE

Brad Heuvelmann Buck

Brad Heuvelmann Buck

By Brad Heuvelmann

While hunting after a heavy snowfall about 10 years ago, I ran into an older gentleman dragging out a once-in-a-lifetime whitetail. He had taken the buck early that morning and had been struggling to get the huge deer to his truck. It was about lunchtime, and he was only halfway to his vehicle. I was happy to give him a hand, just for the opportuni... READ MORE

Johnny Thacker Buck

Johnny Thacker Buck

By Ed Waite

When Johnny Thacker called his wife on Nov. 18, 2006, the tremor in his voice prompted her to ask, “What’s wrong?” “I’ve just killed a huge 14-pointer,” he blurted. “Are you sure?” she pressed. “Well, that’s what I think,” he said. “I counted at least seven points on the side I... READ MORE

Wayne Zaft Buck

Wayne Zaft Buck

By Kevin G. Wilson

It seems fitting that Alberta, Canada, the birthplace of Buckmasters' Full-Credit scoring system, has yielded the new No. 1 Typical in the BTR's compound bow category. The five-year reign of the Sam Collora Buck from Iowa came to an end on Oct. 8, 2001, when Wayne Zaft of Spruce Grove, Alberta, arrowed a 205 7/8-inch 13-pointer during an impromptu ... READ MORE

Mike Beatty Buck

Mike Beatty Buck

By Dan Armitage

Fumbling nervously in the darkness for one of his distinctive white-fletched arrows, Mike Beatty had made one of the toughest decisions of his life: to temporarily abandon the search for the monstrous whitetail he'd shot at dusk. Still not convinced that he'd chosen correctly, the Ohio bowhunter nocked the projectile on the barbed wire fence to mar... READ MORE

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