Smalltown Bucks

Stress Test

Stress Test

By Richard C. West

It’s great to finally see the buck of your dreams, but don’t get too excited. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving in 2015, an Illinois buck tested my heart. It was the second day of the firearms season, and I’d spent my first day – all 12 hours – on the stand with nothing to show for it but a couple of song birds, a re... READ MORE

Tag-Team Buck

Tag-Team Buck

By Sara Wilken

Drop-tined Missouri monster should have stayed with his doe. My husband, Andy, and I were on a whitetail hunt in Missouri a few weeks ago. The first day into the hunt, we headed out to the stands about an hour before sunlight, around 5:30 a.m. We were about 400 yards apart on opposite ends of the woods. Once daylight hit, I heard shots and, of cour... READ MORE

Back to Basics

Back to Basics

By Christopher Kunkel

Michigan bowhunter can’t resist the call to return to archery’s roots. My archery journey started about 18 years ago. Like most new archers, I was introduced to bowhunting through other archers, in my case it was coworkers. My first bow was a used Browning compound with 60 percent letoff. The draw length was 3 inches longer than it sh... READ MORE

Was Noah from Ohio?

Was Noah from Ohio?

By Tim Walker

In late October 2012, my brother Mark and I headed out for a week of bowhunting in Ohio. We left Rockingham, N.C., for the Tar Hollow State Forest in Hocking, Ross and Vinton Counties, east of Chillicothe. It was our eighth trip to Ohio’s second largest state forest. We attended a Christian Bowhunters Association hunt with the Lord of the Ha... READ MORE

One for the Can

One for the Can

By Mike Kochheiser

Three generations of my family hunt on my father’s farm — my father, myself and my son. Until Ohio’s 2013-14 deer season arrived, none of us were aware of the huge, 196 1/8 inch buck with the 25 1/2-inch spread that my father would take before the season ended. The first time we saw the buck was when it appeared on a trail camera... READ MORE

Congratulations, Dad!

Congratulations, Dad!

By Aaron Rippstein

Sometimes the best bucks are the ones taken by the people we love. I wanted to share this buck taken by my dad, Rob, on Nov. 4, 2017 in Highland County, Ohio. Growing up in southern California didn’t offer many opportunities to go deer hunting, so when my family moved to Ohio in 1992, my father wanted to try something different. It didn&rsquo... READ MORE

Lesson Learned

Lesson Learned

By Greg Newburn

If you ever wondered why TV hunters often poke a downed deer... I went bowhunting at my favorite spot on the morning of October 26, 2015. I placed a doe decoy 20 yards from my treestand in hopes of luring a buck in close for a good shot. At about 7:30, I saw a spike buck come out into the field and approach the decoy. We have a 4-point on one sid... READ MORE

A Buck is Coming In!

A Buck is Coming In!

By Lyndsey Wesner

My husband Rick and I recently acquired a new property to hunt in Berrien County, Michigan, so we started preparations by doing our homework. Rick spent countless hours walking the terrain and becoming familiar with the area. He set up trail cams where there appeared to be lots of deer traffic. Once the travel patterns were established, we scoute... READ MORE

If It Feels Right ...

If It Feels Right ...

By William Sawyer

Trust your instincts when you think you’ve made a great shot. During the 2014 archery season in Guilford County, North Carolina, I had found a large rub while putting out some corn. It looked like a great place to set up, but I didn’t want to hunt it until conditions were perfect. On the second Saturday of the season, I asked my wife to... READ MORE

Lucky

Lucky

By Shawn Stephenson

Thank goodness for dogs that have more sense than their human companions. I had the great pleasure of hunting in Central Ohio during Halloween week in 2011. It was one of the best hunting experiences in my life, and I was able to call in several deer within bow range. I ended up shooting a nice 8-pointer that weighed over 250 pounds. Over the nex... READ MORE

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Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd