Smalltown Bucks

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

Long Live Maxximus

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

It’s Great To Be Back!

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

A Trip to the Bone Yard

A Trip to the Bone Yard

By Krissy Jean Zimmer

You never forget your first archery buck, even if it happens after you’re a veteran hunter. There aren't a lot of “firsts” when you get to be my age and have been hunting for years, so harvesting my first buck with a bow this past season was extra special. I've been shooting bows for more than 20 years, and during that time I have... READ MORE

In the Nick of Time

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

The 12-Year Wait

The 12-Year Wait

By Candice Guthrie

For the past 12 years, I’ve have been hunting on my dad’s lease in north Louisiana, Bienville Parish in Saline. I’ve only had a chance to shoot does. For some reason, I would never see a buck, and the two times I did see bucks, they were chasing does, and I can’t shoot that fast! I finally had my chance to change things the... READ MORE

The Ringo Bull

The Ringo Bull

By Anthony Coffey

This Hunt started by sending in for The Kentucky Quota Elk Hunt. It was the 13th year I had applied for a permit, and I had begun to give up hope. When they released the results on their website on May 15th, I logged on just to make sure it still said, “Sorry, try again next year.” I couldn’t believe my eyes when, instead, it was... READ MORE

Tag-Team Buck

Tag-Team Buck

By Sara Wilken

Drop-tined Missouri monster should have stayed with his doe. My husband, Andy, and I were on a whitetail hunt in Missouri a few weeks ago. The first day into the hunt, we headed out to the stands about an hour before sunlight, around 5:30 a.m. We were about 400 yards apart on opposite ends of the woods. Once daylight hit, I heard shots and, of cour... READ MORE

Was Noah from Ohio?

Was Noah from Ohio?

By Tim Walker

In late October 2012, my brother Mark and I headed out for a week of bowhunting in Ohio. We left Rockingham, N.C., for the Tar Hollow State Forest in Hocking, Ross and Vinton Counties, east of Chillicothe. It was our eighth trip to Ohio’s second largest state forest. We attended a Christian Bowhunters Association hunt with the Lord of the Ha... READ MORE

Whose Best Day?

Whose Best Day?

By Marti Young

The only division in this family is when debating who had the best time. While every day spent hunting is a good day, some are better than others. For James Whetzel Sr. and 11-year-old Starr Young, their best day ever started at 3:30 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2017. The adventure started with a softly whispered “Wake up, Starr. It’s almost time ... READ MORE

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