|
|
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
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
Cactus Ugly
By Mary Bostwick
When I climbed into my treestand in Screven County, Ga., on Nov. 17, 2012, I couldn’t have predicted my hunt would end by taking a buck with one of the most unusual set of antlers I’ve ever seen. I’d been sitting in my stand about 30 minutes when a young spike appeared. Ten minutes later, I saw what appeared to be a deer disappear... READ MORE
Tracking Clubber Nine
By Derrick S. Schreiber
Finally, after 81 hours in the stand, I arrowed a buck I’d named Clubber Nine on Dec. 3, 2011. I’d seen him on my trail camera since October. He was distinctive with an impressive body and a right rear foot that apparently had been broken at some time. I have the good fortune of having sole access to the ground I hunt, which made it pos... READ MORE
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
The Perfect 10
By Jeffery Patterson
Call it beginner’s luck or call it fate, but you can add another hunter to our ranks. I got my crossbow from a friend who said he wanted to sew a seed in my life. At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about, but I decided to give this hunting thing a try. I got up at 5:30 on the first day of Virginia’s archery season and was in... READ MORE
Blustery Day Buck
By Krissy Jean Zimmer
The day ended up awesomely, but it didn’t start out that way. On Friday, while at work in the dental office, I checked my weather channel app. It said, “30 mph winds — stay in bed today.” I laughed when I read that. Even my boss Dr. Rahn said, “I bet you won’t get up and go tomorrow.” I considered staying i... READ MORE
Never Give Up
By Ray Thiel
It only takes a second for an entire season of frustration to turn amazing. The 2018 deer season in eastern Connecticut was slower than normal. After two years where gypsy moth caterpillars ate nearly all the leaves off the oak trees, they just didn’t produce acorns. Unfortunately, on property I have permission to hunt on in Griswold, acorns... READ MORE
Stress Test
By Richard C. West
It’s great to finally see the buck of your dreams, but don’t get too excited. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving in 2015, an Illinois buck tested my heart. It was the second day of the firearms season, and I’d spent my first day – all 12 hours – on the stand with nothing to show for it but a couple of song birds, a re... READ MORE
Rage in the Cage!
By Logan Hannon
My bowhunting adventure started on typical Friday night, hanging out with my buddies and playing some pool. Since each of us had put in lots of time in the woods without much to show for it this season, we devised a game plan for the following morning.
Someone was going to get a deer.
The rut was kicking in, the temperature was dropping and... READ MORE