Big Buck Tales

John Rolfe Buck

John Rolfe Buck

By Brady Smith

Nobody can accuse John Rolfe of being a fair-weather bowhunter. On Nov. 18, 2003, the hunter from Sabina, Ohio, not only braved freezing temperatures and gale-force winds to indulge his passion, but he also stood his ground in a rainstorm – even as the rain flew sideways. “At first, I thought I was an idiot for doing it,” John adm... READ MORE

David Laster Buck

David Laster Buck

By Mike Handley

You might not find David Laster’s name on the speakers’ list at any deer hunting seminars, but don’t be surprised if you see the 28-pointer he shot last year hanging shoulder to shoulder with Mississippi’s finest whitetails. The buck didn’t make a big splash outside of the 57-year-old’s hometown of Columbus, Miss... 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

Mike Beatty Buck

Mike Beatty Buck

By Dan Armitage

Fumbling nervously in the darkness for one of his distinctive white-fletched arrows, Mike Beatty had made one of the toughest decisions of his life: to temporarily abandon the search for the monstrous whitetail he'd shot at dusk. Still not convinced that he'd chosen correctly, the Ohio bowhunter nocked the projectile on the barbed wire fence to mar... READ MORE

Mark Woller Buck

Mark Woller Buck

By Lisa L. Price

Mark Woller has his son, Eric, to thank for rekindling his interest in bowhunting. Eric’s newfound enthusiasm for archery was not only contagious, but it also led to Mark’s replacing his 20-year-old bow. "I’d been too busy with other obligations to do any bowhunting for a few years,” said the hunter from Merrill, Wis. &ldquo... 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

Johnny King Buck

Johnny King Buck

By Mike Handley

The two men approached the downed buck cautiously, from different sides. Johnny King’s bullets had dropped the enormous whitetail, but Brad Heisz, who’d answered his cousin’s desperate call for help, had obligingly administered the coup de grace. Brad reached it first, while Johnny was circling around in front. He knelt, grasped t... READ MORE

Robert Shadow Buck

Robert Shadow Buck

By Duncan Dobie

"Robert Shadow's '09 Kansas bow tag almost wound up in a drawer rather than on a buck's antlers. He and his son, Alan, had drawn the permits and were looking forward to hunting the "Promised Land," but then along came a double dose of tragedy. Robert's 89-year-old mother passed away in early October. Later that same month, a tornado toppled a large... READ MORE

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Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd