Big Buck Tales

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies

By Mike Handley

’Twas a tiny female fly — not a bullet, broadhead or Buick — that brought down the largest antlered (wild) whitetail in North America last year. And it might have gone undiscovered had a Kansas man not taken a stroll along a creek bank in search of the buck that had dropped off his nephew’s radar. The deer, while alive, was ... READ MORE

Wayne Schumacher Buck

Wayne Schumacher Buck

By Duncan Dobie

As Wayne Schumacher sat in his stand watching the late afternoon shadows steadily darken, he briefly daydreamed about a huge 24-point buck that had been photographed near the property he was hunting. The thoughts that went through his head were not unlike those that go through the minds of many hunters who hope for a one-of-a-kind encounter with a ... READ MORE

Larry Reece Buck

Larry Reece Buck

By Mike Handley

Larry Reece was desperate. With shooting light quickly fading and a "decent" buck almost within range (at least it was before it disappeared into a pine plantation), he glanced at the grunt tube in his hand. The 57-year-old deer hunter from Benton, Miss., considered the little gadget long on hype and short on magic. He'd never had a deer respond to... READ MORE

Wayne Zaft Buck

Wayne Zaft Buck

By Kevin G. Wilson

It seems fitting that Alberta, Canada, the birthplace of Buckmasters' Full-Credit scoring system, has yielded the new No. 1 Typical in the BTR's compound bow category. The five-year reign of the Sam Collora Buck from Iowa came to an end on Oct. 8, 2001, when Wayne Zaft of Spruce Grove, Alberta, arrowed a 205 7/8-inch 13-pointer during an impromptu ... READ MORE

Andrew French Buck

Andrew French Buck

By Allen "Horntagger" Morris

"Wait a minute," Brian Bard stopped, his face a rainbow of emotion. "You're not going to believe this … My bow's back in the truck!" Brian and Andrew French were so preoccupied by thoughts of what their afternoon hunt would bring that neither thought it odd - at least at first - that Brian wasn't carrying his bow. He was carrying his huntin... READ MORE

David Melton Buck

David Melton Buck

By Mike Handley

It was no small miracle that five Alabama men didn’t drown in the Tombigbee River back in 1956. Since none of them are alive today to tell the story of what happened 52 years ago, it isn’t known whether their johnboat was aluminum or wood, although it must’ve been powered by an outboard motor. The river is simply too strong to nav... READ MORE

Jerry Bryant Buck

Jerry Bryant Buck

By Mike Handley

Strangely, the buck didn't react to the loud pop of the crossbow's string. The deer didn't charge off toward parts unknown. It merely stood there, sort of bobbing its head and pawing the ground. "I thought he was just peeved," remembers Jerry Bryant. There was no way that the hunter from Peoria, Ill., could shoot again. He can only cock his 10-year... READ MORE

Ronald Ewert Jr. Buck

Ronald Ewert Jr. Buck

By Gary Fahrni

Back in 2000, Ronald Ewert Jr. picked up a shed on the family farm near Leavenworth, Kan., that bewitched him. The misshapen antler sported a foot-long drop tine that more resembled a club. When he learned in 2003 that his neighbor shot a 22-pointer with a drop tine, he was afraid the buck he’d obsessed over was dead. But when Ron finally saw... READ MORE

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