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Entries for May 2021
‘Dumbest Buck in America’
By Mike Handley
Clay Kiteley could do no wrong on Nov. 3, 2020, though he might now think twice before carrying a naked crossbow to and from his deer stands. It’s one thing, a good thing, to climb and descend ladders with an uncocked and unloaded bow. When feet are on the ground, however, it’s usually prudent to be prepared. After an uneventful morning... READ MORE
‘Twin Towers’ Ties Oklahoma Record
By Mike Handley
Blind rattling isn’t particularly effective once the whitetail rut is underway, but tickling the ivories can sometimes tear a lovelorn buck’s gaze away from its heart’s desire. Better yet, the distraction can make it shift into kick-butt mode and charge into bow range. Chano Bargas knows this, which is why he carried a small set o... READ MORE
Forty-minute Roller Coaster
By Mike Handley
When it comes to shooting bragging-sized bucks, John Koleszarik isn’t accustomed to things going right. Even if the hunter from Central City, Pennsylvania, isn’t too discombobulated when opportunity knocks, he’s apt to witness Murphy’s Law in action. While hunting public land in Somerset County last season, however, he snuck... READ MORE
Carpe Diem (Seize the Moment)
By Mike Handley
For Emily Schaad, the iron was hot on Oct. 10, 2020, and boy did she strike! The Stockport, Ohio, huntress had been hoping to get a shot at a camera-shy buck she’d nicknamed Freak since 2018, but it was a hide-and-seek master. “His rack was all weird back then. I believe he was hit by a vehicle, maybe in 2017,” she told Ed Waite, ... READ MORE
This One was a 160 without the Junk
By Mike Handley
Jakob Begley was crestfallen when the whitetail at the top of his wish list would come no closer than 70 yards the one day he actually saw the animal in 2019. But when their paths crossed again a year later, distance wasn’t an obstacle. The deer of his dreams was either living on or passing through a relative’s farm in Fayette County, t... READ MORE