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From Sinkhole to Cloud Nine
By Mat Ritchison
On a cold and frosty Sunday morning, Nov. 3, 2013, I decided to hunt one of my favorite stands about 40 yards from the edge of a half-picked, Indiana cornfield. I was aloft 20 minutes before dawn.
Shortly after daybreak, I decided to start things off with an aggressive rattling sequence – to paint the deer a picture. I grunted three times, p... READ MORE
Thanks, Grandpa
By Julie Loy
Borrowed stand produces first buck for young hunter. Nate, 7 years old, went out this crisp Missouri morning for his first youth deer hunt. He had been practicing at targets and had sat with mom and dad during previous seasons, so he was ready! After calling Great Grandpa Charlie to ask permission, he decided to hunt his stand. Nate and his dad, Da... READ MORE
One Old Buck
By Tim Angel
Not all the best Bucks in the woods have antlers.
I was born in Peoria, Ill., where hunting mainly consisted of rabbits, squirrels and pheasants. I now live in the Northwest, where I hunt everything from elk, deer, bears and even cougars.
I am sending this letter to share one of the most memorable moments in my life. It involves my grandmother, N... READ MORE
It’s Great To Be Back!
By Chuck Manetta
Frustrated Florida hunter finally gets back to the deer woods. I was born and raised in Miami, Fla. I grew up in the Everglades and have a piece of land inside the Everglades National Preserve with two hunting cabins. While you might not think of Florida as a whitetail paradise, we had a healthy number of deer back in the day. They weren’t gi... READ MORE
Velvet Surprise
By David M. Cole
I wasn’t a white-tailed deer hunter until I met Donna Shuman at Georgia Southern University. The first time I traveled to her hometown to meet her family, I was instructed to go to their hunting club. I arrived just after dark, just in time to see my future wife dragging a nice buck under a fence.
After we were married, I became an avid deer... READ MORE
In the Nick of Time
By Jayden Steinkamp, age 11
Napping in the stand is okay, but shooting a big buck is better.
It was midseason in Indiana in 2013, and the wind wasn’t blowing hard. We had gone hunting in the morning and saw one doe. We were hunting at my grandpa’s, and there are some big deer there. He doesn’t like us to shoot does, so we passed.
When it got 2:50 p.m. that... READ MORE
Lucky
By Shawn Stephenson
Thank goodness for dogs that have more sense than their human companions.
I had the great pleasure of hunting in Central Ohio during Halloween week in 2011. It was one of the best hunting experiences in my life, and I was able to call in several deer within bow range. I ended up shooting a nice 8-pointer that weighed over 250 pounds.
Over the nex... READ MORE
The Brow Tine Buck of 2018
By Michael R. Bath
What’s a broken leg to a man on a buck mission? I first saw this 10-point brute on my trail camera, but it was always in the middle of the night. After seeing the brow tines, which turned out to be 8 and 7 inches, I knew this was my target deer, no matter what. After figuring out where he was living during the daytime, nine hunts later I star... READ MORE
All in the Family
By Jessica Jenderny
I’ve been hunting with my dad, Eric Jenderny, since I was old enough to walk.
He taught me what his dad taught him about hunting. His best friend Bruce Rogers also taught me a lot about hunting, so what I’ve learned about deer and hunting, I owe to them.
Now that I’m 16, I’ve become a mighty hunter like my mentors.
The we... READ MORE
Daddy, You Shoot It!
By Dale Sampson
Heat of the moment was a little too much for first-time deer hunter ... but not for her dad.
The season started with little excitement. Although a big coyote came by early, I didn’t see anything with antlers. That was okay since I was more looking forward to my daughter Kaitlin’s first whitetail hunting experience later that evening. A... READ MORE