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Scoring Matters
By Patrick Dunning
Of the nearly 20,000 entries Buckmasters Trophy Records has recorded since its inception 29 years ago, only 13 mainframe 3x3s have met our minimum requirements (140 inches for firearms taken bucks and 105 inches for bow deer) to earn a spot in the record book. All of the 3x3s were taken with archery gear. BTR doesn’t have a category specifica... READ MORE
Xen Moment
By Patrick Dunning
29-year-old Xen McAllister's Fayette County Freak was less than an inch shy of cracking Buckmasters Trophy Records' top-10 in the irregular, compound bow category for the state of Illinois. Buckmasters master scorer Bill Alexander measured this 22-pointer at 222 3/8 inches of antler with a 20 7/8 inch inside spread, totaling a BTR score of 243 2/8 ... READ MORE
Buck on the Run
By Patrick Dunning
Dani Thomas killed her biggest buck to date in the rain from a hay wagon in October 2022. This Licking County Giant posted over 11 inches of irregular points and scored 194 inches for Buckmasters Trophy Records. Dani now holds the world record in the female, crossbow, semi-irregular category after taking this 12-pointer, which is awesome since it w... READ MORE
Wall of Tines
By Patrick Dunning
There's nothing quite like getting access to a hunting property and finding out it has a big buck on it. Last August when John Totzke received permission to hunt a private chunk 40 miles south of Chicago in Will County, he had no idea he'd just awoken a sleeping giant. The landowner said his 70-acre property hadn't been hunted in years and was over... READ MORE
Change of Plans
By Patrick Dunning
Tuesday morning, Nov. 1, Terry Hollis got two photos of a giant buck at his feeder at 7:17 and 7:20 a.m. When a buck like that is on its feet in daylight, you have to act quickly, so Terry devised a plan to tuck his SxS between two hay bales on top of one of the fields. Another thing about big bucks is you have to be ready to adjust your plan. With... READ MORE
A Crown of Thorns
By Patrick Dunning
Jeff Humphrey arrowed this multiple forked-droptined beast from a 180 Realtree blind in September 2022. It's the 10th largest crossbow-felled whitetail ever taken in Kentucky, measuring 201 4/8 inches for Buckmasters Trophy Records. Because Jeff isn't a big fan of social media, not many people have seen this giant buck, nicknamed Gnarly, but it and... READ MORE
Right Tree, Right Time
By Patrick Dunning
Scared of heights? No problem. A canvas stool against a white oak will do just fine. Three days into Pennsylvania’s 2022 archery opener, 71-year-old David Putt did just that and caught this 16-pointer with his nose down along a gas line in Indiana County. The mainframe 12-pointer scored just shy of 200 inches, with 198 6/8 inches of bone and ... READ MORE
Fuzzy Racks, Beware!
By Patrick Dunning
Realtree's Tyler Jordan got his boots wet in Mississippi during the state's 2022 inaugural three-day velvet season. It's his first deer in the ‘Sip and the second-largest buck harvested on Backwoods Attractions' Testing Grounds property in Yazoo County to date. It only took one afternoon sit to catch this 175-inch giant. "I went to school at Ole Mi... READ MORE
Beginner's Luck
By Patrick Dunning
We all dream of taking a giant buck at least once in our life. Now, imagine you've never killed a buck, period, let alone with a compound bow. Now picture this Georgia giant examining a mock scrape at 30 yards from your treestand. Bryce Spillers sent half of Upson County into a tizzy after word got out of this 18-point toad taken so early in the st... READ MORE
Dad's Buck
By Patrick Dunning
Talk about a roller coaster of emotions. After three frustrating years patterning this Ohio Monster, 21-year-old Wyatt Damron arrowed the biggest buck of his life. That same night, his father, Thomas, was rushed to the hospital for an emergency surgery. The procedure was successful, and Thomas is recovering. He hasn't been able to hunt lately, but ... READ MORE
Small Town, Big Buck
By Patrick Dunning
Queue the champagne and fire up the cigars. Small Town Hunting's Chris Ashley and Joey Dombroski couldn't make it out of the tree stand before celebrating this 200-plus Mega taken during Kansas' 2022 muzzleloader opener. "I squeezed the trigger and when the smoke cleared, I said, 'Oh my god, where is he?' Joey started yelling, 'You dropped him! You... READ MORE
Throwing Smoke
By Patrick Dunning
Pennsylvania native Jason Diamond drove 16 hours for a showdown with a velvet stud during Kansas' 2022 muzzleloader opener. His personal best buck scored just shy of 200 inches at 197 6/8, with 18 countable points more than an inch. It's the second-largest velvet whitetail ever taken in the state with a muzzleloader. In Kansas, nonresident hunters ... READ MORE
Where There's One ...
By Patrick Dunning
Jacody Downey's pre-season prep paid dividends after getting skunked during the 2022 bow season opening weekend in the Bluegrass State. When a beautiful buck is active on your trail cameras throughout the summer and you're documenting his growth cycle almost daily, you try your best to make it feel safe and secure. The 200-acre stand of hardwoods J... READ MORE
Making Memories
By Patrick Dunning
Father-and-son duo, Robbie and Garrett Ammons, outsmarted two mature bucks during Kentucky's 2022 archery opener and have the velvet to prove it. Four years ago, the Ammons started leasing rights to hunt a farm 60 miles southwest of Louisville in Hardin County. The farm biennially rotates between two of the whitetail's favorite dishes, corn and soy... READ MORE
Beauty and the Beast
By Ken Piper
I've known some outstanding female bowhunters. My ex-wife did everything on her own since one of us had to stay home with the kids, and she had great success. I met Judy Kovar shortly after she was run over by a giant buck in a ground blind and suffered several serious injuries – but that was the exception since Judy usually got the better of... READ MORE