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Worth the Wait
By John Mitchell
It took a few years, but when Micah got his first deer, it was a good one. I started taking Micah to the dove lease when he was 7, and he started deer hunting with me when he was 9. Micah has developed a love for hunting and being in the woods. Even so, it felt like he would never get his first deer. It seemed like no matter what, something always ... 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
One for the Kids
By Dusty Sprague
Illinois outfitter gives up time and profit to host youth hunters. Ted Sprague, owner of Eagle Lakes Outfitters, has always felt strongly about promoting youth hunting. His father and mother both took him hunting when he was a little guy, and now with two children of his own, he does his best to keep them involved in the outdoors and help teach oth... 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
His and Hers
By Stacy Vaccaro
Food plot stand exceeds expectations and maybe saves a relationship. One beautiful, sunny afternoon in October 2018 in Coloma, Wisc., I made the decision to sneak out of work a little early for some stand time. My boyfriend, Wally, and I had worked hard on a nice food plot that produced daytime pictures of several decent bucks. No sooner had I deci... READ MORE
Ghosts of Christmas Past
By Burnell Simmons
Far too many of us take hunting and Christmases for granted.
Thirteen years — that’s how long it’s been since I fell 25 feet from my treestand. I survived the fall and the hospital stay and made it home for that Christmas in 2001.
It happened at 8:20 a.m. on Dec. 16. I had to walk home from the swamp I was hunting because I had ... READ MORE
Hard to Top
By Josh Tieman
Maybe it's a good thing this young hunter doesn't realize just how big his buck is.
Parker and I were on our first hunt together during opening day of Missouri's youth season.
While I had high hopes we would see a few deer and maybe even a buck, I never dreamed what would happen next. Parker spotted a buck to our left on the ridge and heading awa... READ MORE
How To End a Season
By Miranda Cheatham
Every hunting season since I was 2 years old, my dad and I have traveled from our home in Niceville, Fla., to Macon County, Alabama. It had been four years since I was able to take a nice buck worthy of mounting.
This year I had a new gun handed down to me, a 1980s Browning BAR .270. I had been letting small bucks walk until the rut hit. Then, on ... READ MORE
A Prayer Answered
By Dan Self
The Missouri archery deer season began like many others. I had seen several deer, but the best part was just spending quality time outdoors. Things took an interesting turn at the end of September when my daughter Allison asked me to take her bowhunting for our next fun day together. Allison is 8 years old, but her age isn’t an issue. She has... READ MORE
Long Live Maxximus
By Carla Schartz
For 423 days, my husband Lance and I observed a whitetail buck we'd nicknamed Maxximus. Before our eyes, it transformed from a velvet-antlered buck with potential into a true Kansas giant.
This beast of a buck had over 230 inches of massive bone atop its head and too many points to count.
Lance and I are avid bowhunters and anticipated the epic ... READ MORE