Big Buck Tales

Jeff McCulley Buck

Jeff McCulley Buck

By Ed Waite

Jeff McCulley would’ve been elated to burn his 2009 buck tag on the wide and tall-tined 8-pointer that had given him the slip all season. It was the biggest he’d seen on the 25 acres for which he’d gained permission to hunt through a fishing buddy who knew the landowners. The 41-year-old hunter from Stow, Ohio, lived just 10 or 15... READ MORE

John Klucky Buck

John Klucky Buck

By Mike Handley

When John Klucky first laid eyes on the buck that would be New Hampshire’s state-record Typical, it wasn’t a Kodak moment. He revels in telling the story. In fact, he rattles off the details so quickly that his tongue begins to knot. But the hunter from Bow, N.H., freely admits that he had no clue as to the caliber of whitetail he twice... READ MORE

Dean Dwernychuk Buck

Dean Dwernychuk Buck

By Buckmasters Online

Dean Dwernychuk of Calgary, Alberta, had established tree and ground blinds in five strategic locations around the perimeter of an alfalfa field west of Calgary. He had been within bow range of excellent bucks on several occasions, but some minor complication always prohibited a shot. On Sept. 25, 1984, he prepared again for the hunt with renewed ... READ MORE

Bruce Lane Buck

Bruce Lane Buck

By Bruce Lane

Rather than striking out for my deer stand in the pouring rain on Oct. 31, I crawled back under the covers. The storm was supposed to move out by noon, which meant I could still spend half my Saturday in a tree. I’d hung my stand several months earlier, after spotting a huge whitetail bedded on a brushy hillside. The buck’s travel route... READ MORE

Jeff Ralls Buck

Jeff Ralls Buck

By Derrick Schreiber

Unaccustomed to shooting at bucks with a rifle, Jeff Ralls was almost certain he'd shot over the deer he saw as Kansas' 2009 firearms season came to a close. There was no sign whatsoever - neither in the animal's reaction, nor on the ground -- to indicate that bullet had met flesh. Before going home, he stopped at the local locker to compare notes ... READ MORE

Travis Cockburn Buck

Travis Cockburn Buck

By Jason Hoffard

Travis Cockburn winced whenever he heard a gunshot during last November’s firearms season in Illinois. He, his brother and father weren’t the only hunters in Williamson County who knew a very large buck was hanging around their 80-acre hunting spot near Johnston City. The Cockburns knew because Trent, Travis’ brother, had decided... READ MORE

Kevin Fitch Buck

Kevin Fitch Buck

By Ed Waite

It was as if the ground opened up and swallowed Kevin Fitch’s buck. One minute, it was on the receiving end of a shotgun slug (he hoped). The next, it was gone. Not fall-down-dead gone. Not running-with-the-wind-and-leaving-a-blood-trail gone. Just gone, leaving the hunter from Norwalk, Ohio, with Rodney Dangerfield eyes and a mouth full of... READ MORE

Blake Voltz Buck

Blake Voltz Buck

By Mike Handley

The only sound worse than the steel-on-brass click of a firing pin punching a dud primer is the raucous laughter of the deer gods, one of whom is surely named Murphy. Just ask Blake Voltz. That’s precisely what happened to the deer hunter from Columbus, Ga., back in 1997, when he was staring through crosshairs at the biggest buck he’d e... READ MORE

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