Smalltown Bucks

Big Ten in the Buckeye State

Big Ten in the Buckeye State

By Jon Miller

After watching a big 10-pointer for two seasons, I finally got my shot at it on the evening of October 25, 2013. I discovered this buck on my trail camera last year on my family’s 200-acre farm in Licking County, Ohio. After capturing several photos, my cousin and I estimated the buck would push 140 inches. I knew if I ever saw this buck un... READ MORE

One for the Kids

One for the Kids

By Dusty Sprague

Illinois outfitter gives up time and profit to host youth hunters. Ted Sprague, owner of Eagle Lakes Outfitters, has always felt strongly about promoting youth hunting. His father and mother both took him hunting when he was a little guy, and now with two children of his own, he does his best to keep them involved in the outdoors and help teach oth... READ MORE

The 165-Inch Spike

The 165-Inch Spike

By Tony Crowder

Every time my daughter Alexis and I had been out hunting, she was determined that would be the time she would get a deer. She’d put in the work, helped build a box blind, and she’d been out there every chance she had regardless of weather. She was ready and hungry for her first deer. We’d planned to go hunting early Monday, Nov. ... READ MORE

Never a Dull Moment

Never a Dull Moment

By Dan Nimmo

It was a mixture of laughter and (good) tears on this father-and-daughter hunt. I’m fortunate to live in one of the best places to hunt whitetails, northwest Illinois. Like every other hunting dad, I enjoy taking my deer home for my family to see and share in the joy of the harvest. My daughter Keileigh is 10 years old and has been fascinat... READ MORE

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Ghosts of Christmas Past

By Burnell Simmons

Far too many of us take hunting and Christmases for granted. Thirteen years — that’s how long it’s been since I fell 25 feet from my treestand. I survived the fall and the hospital stay and made it home for that Christmas in 2001. It happened at 8:20 a.m. on Dec. 16. I had to walk home from the swamp I was hunting because I had ... READ MORE

First of Many

First of Many

By Lyndsey Wesner

I’ve had a lot of firsts in the past eight months, so after I caught my first 20-pound king salmon, shot my first 8-point buck with a bow, took my first doe with a bow, and my first doe with a muzzleloader, naturally I expressed desire to shoot my first turkey. My husband Rick said, “It's not easy. They have keen eyesight, and the slig... READ MORE

Turkey for Two

Turkey for Two

By Krissy Jean Zimmer

I love it when a plan ... falls apart. It just makes it that much sweeter when you make a new plan, get busted twice and still manage to bloody up the tailgate. As planned, we started the morning on the ground in front of a long narrow food plot. We knew the sun was going to be highlighting us so we brushed in, settled down and waited for daybreak.... READ MORE

Daddy, You Shoot It!

Daddy, You Shoot It!

By Dale Sampson

Heat of the moment was a little too much for first-time deer hunter ... but not for her dad. The season started with little excitement. Although a big coyote came by early, I didn’t see anything with antlers. That was okay since I was more looking forward to my daughter Kaitlin’s first whitetail hunting experience later that evening. A... READ MORE

Muley Mission

Muley Mission

By Kevin Stevens

In August of 2009, my hunting buddy Larry asked me to scout a new area we hadn’t hunted before. We took my truck and set off to the well-known G-2 big buck area in Wyoming. When we arrived, Tre Heiner of Double Diamond Outfitters, our guide, had horses ready for us at the trail head. We headed into the hills to scout some big bucks, amazed a... 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

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Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd