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A Year and a Day
By Ken Piper
"It's a great spot! I've been sitting there for years, but a big buck hasn't shown up yet. It's just a matter of time, though." We hear that more frequently than you might believe. Maybe it's because it's in our nature to resist change, but way too many hunters hold onto stands long after they've ceased to produce. On the other hand, when a stand i... READ MORE
Close Encounters
By Ken Piper
While not everyone has the opportunity to target and pursue a world-class buck, we can all appreciate the frustration of having a shooter in range and not being able to close the deal. That happened not once, but twice to Kentucky's Gerry Otto in his quest to take a buck he nicknamed Whitey. Whitey had prominent white circles around his eyes, and h... READ MORE
Basic Instinct 2
By Ken Piper
Brow tines can make or break a buck. They're one attribute where even giants often have a weakness. Then there's the buck Mary Catherine Ervin shot in Texas in 2020 ... Texas, Tennessee, that is. It's complicated. What isn't complicated is Mary Catherine's buck has some of the longest brow tines we've ever seen: 8 5/8 and 9 5/8 inches, to be exact.... READ MORE
Not Only a Scorer
By Ken Piper
When Hunter Schmittou gets out his measuring tape, it's not always for someone else. As an official scorer for Buckmasters Trophy Records, Hunter Schmittou gets to see giant bucks fairly regularly. Impressively, some of those bucks were taken by Hunter himself - and the giant he took in 2020 came from public land! What's more, the public parcel Hun... READ MORE
New Script Followed
By Ken Piper
When two hunters are after the same giant buck, at least one will be disappointed. It's rare that a giant buck is taken out of the blue these days. Trail cameras have rewritten the script, but the stories are no less compelling. In fact, they often have a background or history that was lacking in giant deer tales of years past. It usually goes some... READ MORE