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Life's a Dance
By Ken Piper
You won't get the girl or the giant buck if you don't ask permission. I could have written Garth Brooks' hit song “Life's a Dance.” Shy to the point of idiocy, I never could get the courage to ask girls out in my younger days. “What if she says no?” I always thought. Sure, it's a stupid way to think about it, but that didn't... READ MORE
Change of Plans
By Ken Piper
How one trail camera photo turned a meat hunter into a trophy chaser. Meat hunter. It’s a label we all should wear proudly considering the whole idea of shooting deer began with a need for food. Lean, hormone-free protein remains one of the best reasons to hunt whitetails, but who doesn’t like to claim a nice set of antlers now and then... READ MORE
Bucking The Odds
By Ken Piper
Taking a buck north of 200 inches is a rare feat. We call such a deer a buck of a lifetime, although an overwhelming majority of hunters go their entire lives without even seeing such a deer in the woods, let alone taking one. It’s been said your odds of shooting a 200-inch buck are about the same as hitting the lottery. Hud Baker not only sh... READ MORE
Mixing Work and Pleasure
By Ken Piper
Taxidermists get to see and work with a lot of big bucks. They also put their hands on bucks of every age and antler configuration imaginable. That knowledge and experience are partly why Steve Garverick knew he was looking a potentially incredible buck shed when he stumbled upon it while hunting mushrooms in 2016. It wasn’t so much that the ... READ MORE
1+1=357
By Ken Piper
There’s a reason hunters so often use the phrase “buck of a lifetime.” Racks north of 170 inches don’t grow on trees, even in states known for producing monsters. Iowa certainly qualifies as one of those states, but even dedicated and skilled hunters aren’t likely to harvest multiple giants. Then there’s Brady Sn... READ MORE