Smalltown Bucks

Turkey for Two

Turkey for Two

By Krissy Jean Zimmer

I love it when a plan ... falls apart. It just makes it that much sweeter when you make a new plan, get busted twice and still manage to bloody up the tailgate. As planned, we started the morning on the ground in front of a long narrow food plot. We knew the sun was going to be highlighting us so we brushed in, settled down and waited for daybreak.... READ MORE

Dagwoods Anyone?

Dagwoods Anyone?

By Andrew Marley

How a rabbit hunter fills a freezer in just five seconds. Spoiler alert! This story does not have any antlers involved, but it is interesting nonetheless. Fortunately, it doesn’t end with a big bowl of tag soup, either. Opening day of Kentucky’s gun season finally arrived, and I headed to the woods, excited about what might be under t... READ MORE

Thanks for the Memories

Thanks for the Memories

By Christina L. Krause

I got my first buck on Dec. 12, 2009, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in my treestand, waiting impatiently to see the woods wake up around me. A few groups of deer ran by in the distance, and I hoped they would go by my husband, Mike, and my daughter, Michaela. After that, it was pretty slow. By 8:35 I started to get a lit... READ MORE

My First Deer

My First Deer

By Trentin Meyer

Video games can’t provide life-changing experiences like a first youth hunt can. It was Nov. 8, 2014, opening day of Vermont’s youth weekend. It was my first official youth weekend deer hunt. My dad and I decided to start our hunt in Wilmington and work our way toward Stamford. When we got to Wilmington, I was excited and couldn&rsquo... READ MORE

Uncle James

Uncle James

By James Nugent

My oldest niece Briley, an eager 8-year old, had begged to go hunting with me for several years. After weeks of discussion and planning, the time finally arrived for her first trip. Still not comfortable enough with a rifle to hunt, she was excited to watch and learn all she could. Briley is no stranger to the outdoors; she won first place in the ... READ MORE

Hard to Top

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

Ghosts of Christmas Past

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

Oh, Brother!

Oh, Brother!

By Todd Davis

Last year my youngest brother Fred kept harvesting critters in northeast Oklahoma, while I struggled to see anything in drought stricken north Texas. North Texas looked, smelled, and felt like being on the moon. Everything was brittle, dried up and turning to dust. After ribbing me for months, Fred finally extended an invitation to hunt with him t... READ MORE

In Memory of Papaw

In Memory of Papaw

By Kyle Bevis

We all want big bucks, but hunting is more about the memories. On December 20, 2010, I harvested my first buck on my Papaw’s old home place. It took many long days of hunting, but I was determined to shoot a buck just to share it with him. It was funny because every time we would come in from hunting, the first question he would ask is, "Did ... READ MORE

Virginia Is for Bowhunters

Virginia Is for Bowhunters

By Mark Douglas

Whether it’s your first or your 82nd, there’s something special about taking a deer with a bow. On the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 8, I couldn’t wait to take my climber to a location I had scouted two weeks before opening day of the Virginia archery season. There were two scrapes under a couple of broken branches on an old logg... READ MORE

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