Smalltown Bucks

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

In Memory of Papaw

In Memory of Papaw

By Kyle Bevis

We all want big bucks, but hunting is more about the memories. On December 20, 2010, I harvested my first buck on my Papaw’s old home place. It took many long days of hunting, but I was determined to shoot a buck just to share it with him. It was funny because every time we would come in from hunting, the first question he would ask is, "Did ... READ MORE

Right Place, Right Time

Right Place, Right Time

By James M. Chastain

It was September 2013, just before deer season in Wyandotte County, Kansas, when I set out deer minerals and my game cameras. When October arrived, I set up deer feeders. When I checked my cameras, I was pleased to discover there were a lot of deer using them. I was most interested in the 10-pointer that consistently appeared on camera. That buck ... READ MORE

The Perfect 10

The Perfect 10

By Jeffery Patterson

Call it beginner’s luck or call it fate, but you can add another hunter to our ranks. I got my crossbow from a friend who said he wanted to sew a seed in my life. At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about, but I decided to give this hunting thing a try. I got up at 5:30 on the first day of Virginia’s archery season and was in... READ MORE

Study, Hunt, Repeat

Study, Hunt, Repeat

By Ben Englert

College student’s first archery harvest gets a 4.0 in Bowhunting 101. It was Nov. 15, and the 2018 Indiana shotgun season would begin two days later. I was logging as many hours as I could with my bow, hoping to tag out before the gun-toting army arrived on opening morning. I had put in countless hunts since bow season started on Oct. 1, but ... 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

The 12-Year Wait

The 12-Year Wait

By Candice Guthrie

For the past 12 years, I’ve have been hunting on my dad’s lease in north Louisiana, Bienville Parish in Saline. I’ve only had a chance to shoot does. For some reason, I would never see a buck, and the two times I did see bucks, they were chasing does, and I can’t shoot that fast! I finally had my chance to change things the... READ MORE

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

The Buck of Two Lifetimes

The Buck of Two Lifetimes

By Tim Kamats

Dad’s best buck ever was the one taken by his daughter. The Pennsylvania whitetail rifle season was fast approaching. Once again, my daughter Xaura and I had put in countless hours scouting our hunting grounds in Centre County. Setting out trail cameras, we checked them weekly. After carefully studying the pictures and identifying some very n... READ MORE

Who Needs Fishing?

Who Needs Fishing?

By Quintin Sullivan

Let me preface this story by saying that my son Joseph is one of the best kids on the planet. Sure, I’m biased, but the kid has some amazing accomplishments under his belt, and he’s not even 13 yet. Joseph is an avid fisherman who ties his own flies (and sells them under the name Joe Hunter), and in 2013 alone caught a 7-pound largemout... READ MORE

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