Smalltown Bucks

Cow Mountain’s First-Timers

Cow Mountain’s First-Timers

By Bill Hanson

A first deer is a memory of a lifetime for more than the young hunter. As first appeared in The Community Voice of Sonoma County, California. From the highway the north end of Cow Mountain is the only green zone east of the 101, save the flat lands of the Ukiah Valley. The recent Mendocino Complex Fires which includes Hopland’s ‘River F... READ MORE

The Bow Stalk

The Bow Stalk

By Taylor Maas

Never-quit attitude helps Iowa bowhunter recover his biggest-ever buck. October 11, 2017 started similar to most other fall workdays. After getting to the office that morning, I checked the weather throughout the day, trying to decide if and where I should hunt that evening. The wind that evening allowed me to hunt from a stand I had never tried be... READ MORE

No Limits

No Limits

By Bonnie Olson King

New hunter overcomes challenges to claim her first buck. The 2015 hunting season turned out to be one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I was 64 at the time and had only taken up hunting in 2012, when I retired from my nursing career due to significant health issues. That fall, I received a crossbow for my birthday, and that was when h... READ MORE

It’s Great To Be Back!

It’s Great To Be Back!

By Chuck Manetta

Frustrated Florida hunter finally gets back to the deer woods. I was born and raised in Miami, Fla. I grew up in the Everglades and have a piece of land inside the Everglades National Preserve with two hunting cabins. While you might not think of Florida as a whitetail paradise, we had a healthy number of deer back in the day. They weren’t gi... READ MORE

The Brow Tine Buck

The Brow Tine Buck

By Brandon Carter

The fall of 2012 was one of the toughest whitetail seasons I had ever seen. EHD outbreaks across the Midwest during the drought-plagued summer significantly reduced buck numbers. Weather conditions were not favorable for daytime movement or rut activity, you had to make every encounter count. Of course, luck always plays a part. Anything and everyt... 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

Small Property, Big Results

Small Property, Big Results

By Chris Casper

Every buck is an opportunity to be a better hunter. I live in Georgia’s Oglethorpe County, but I got permission to hunt a small, approximately 10-acre tract surrounded by a subdivision in Athens-Clarke County. I scouted the area and found several promising spots. I got my first trail camera picture of a dandy buck I named Subdivision in late ... 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

One Old Buck

One Old Buck

By Tim Angel

Not all the best Bucks in the woods have antlers. I was born in Peoria, Ill., where hunting mainly consisted of rabbits, squirrels and pheasants. I now live in the Northwest, where I hunt everything from elk, deer, bears and even cougars. I am sending this letter to share one of the most memorable moments in my life. It involves my grandmother, N... READ MORE

Dagwoods Anyone?

Dagwoods Anyone?

By Andrew Marley

How a rabbit hunter fills a freezer in just five seconds. Spoiler alert! This story does not have any antlers involved, but it is interesting nonetheless. Fortunately, it doesn’t end with a big bowl of tag soup, either. Opening day of Kentucky’s gun season finally arrived, and I headed to the woods, excited about what might be under t... READ MORE

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