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Heart of the Hunt
By Christopher Jecker
Shortened season doesn’t stop concerned son from taking his best buck ever.
While I live in Louisville, Kentucky, I hunt in Crawford County, Indiana. Two weeks before gun season, my work and hunting partner, my dad, had a massive heart attack.
We rushed him to the ER, where the doctor informed us that he needed to have open heart surgery. A... READ MORE
The 165-Inch Spike
By Tony Crowder
Every time my daughter Alexis and I had been out hunting, she was determined that would be the time she would get a deer. She’d put in the work, helped build a box blind, and she’d been out there every chance she had regardless of weather. She was ready and hungry for her first deer.
We’d planned to go hunting early Monday, Nov. ... READ MORE
Who Needs Fishing?
By Quintin Sullivan
Let me preface this story by saying that my son Joseph is one of the best kids on the planet. Sure, I’m biased, but the kid has some amazing accomplishments under his belt, and he’s not even 13 yet. Joseph is an avid fisherman who ties his own flies (and sells them under the name Joe Hunter), and in 2013 alone caught a 7-pound largemout... READ MORE
First of Many
By Lyndsey Wesner
I’ve had a lot of firsts in the past eight months, so after I caught my first 20-pound king salmon, shot my first 8-point buck with a bow, took my first doe with a bow, and my first doe with a muzzleloader, naturally I expressed desire to shoot my first turkey.
My husband Rick said, “It's not easy. They have keen eyesight, and the slig... 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
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
Hey, This Actually Works!
By Michael Dickerson
There are some things in hunting you have to experience before you believe they’re true.
It was opening day of muzzleloader season in McNairy County, Tenn. The days had been getting colder, so I was hoping the rut was about to kick in. I had been scanning several areas for a place my set up my ladder stand and decided on a pine tree in front... READ MORE
Congratulations, Dad!
By Aaron Rippstein
Sometimes the best bucks are the ones taken by the people we love. I wanted to share this buck taken by my dad, Rob, on Nov. 4, 2017 in Highland County, Ohio. Growing up in southern California didn’t offer many opportunities to go deer hunting, so when my family moved to Ohio in 1992, my father wanted to try something different. It didn&rsquo... READ MORE
The Brow Tine Buck
By Brandon Carter
The fall of 2012 was one of the toughest whitetail seasons I had ever seen. EHD outbreaks across the Midwest during the drought-plagued summer significantly reduced buck numbers. Weather conditions were not favorable for daytime movement or rut activity, you had to make every encounter count. Of course, luck always plays a part. Anything and everyt... 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