Buckmasters Magazine

Kids and Magnums

Kids and Magnums

By Ryan Noffsinger

How I built my child’s confidence in heavy calibers. In 2015, my son Luke and I traveled from Alabama to hunt whitetails with an outfitter in western Kentucky. It was opening morning of the youth firearm season, as we sat in a ground blind over-looking a long food plot. Luke, 11, waited quietly with his .300 Win Mag — that’s r... READ MORE

Adrenaline Intervention

Adrenaline Intervention

By Darron McDougal

How to close the deal when a giant buck appears I’ve heard hundreds of blown-shot stories over the years, many of which could have ended happily if the hunter had held his composure. Those accounts were from the few who were brave enough to admit they’d failed. Far more hunters keep their botched opportunities a secret. It’s heart... READ MORE

What’s for Dinner?

What’s for Dinner?

By Tracy Breen

Proper field care and a few simple recipes can change the minds of venison haters. We deer hunters love our venison. We grill it, fry it, grind it and turn it into jerky or chili. Unfortunately, not all venison meals turn out the way we plan them. And it only takes one or two bad dishes to turn the rest of the family against venison for good. Scott... READ MORE

What Goes Up

What Goes Up

By P.J. Reilly

Try these safety precautions for hanging, and hunting from, treestands. Anyone who has ever deer hunted knows the excitement and joy that accompanies a season opener. In Pennsylvania, emotions for the gun season opener run especially high. Going hunting on this day is a tradition with deep roots. Today, businesses and schools still close their door... READ MORE

Turn the Tables

Turn the Tables

By Bob Humphrey

When your hunting efforts produce nothing but lemons, make lemonade. Humans, like deer, are creatures of habit. Just like a wily old whitetail, our downfall is sometimes the result of falling into a pattern. Fortunately, we have the unique ability to reason, even if we don’t always use it to our advantage. When your preferred hunting methods ... READ MORE

Seedless Food Plots

Seedless Food Plots

By David Hart

You don’t need a tractor to attract deer. It’s just about impossible to pick up a hunting magazine without seeing something related to food plots. Whether it’s a feature on choosing the right seed or selecting the best site, it seems like everyone is jumping on the food plot bandwagon. There’s no question food plots can impr... READ MORE

Reading Buck Sign

Reading Buck Sign

By David Hart

What do we really know about the things bucks leave behind? It looks like just another pile of deer poop to you, but your friend doesn’t hesitate. “That’s a giant buck,” he says. “See how it’s in a large clump? See how thick and long it is? Big buck.” You ponder his confidence, wondering if he’s about... READ MORE

Hog Control with Cellular Controlled Trapping

Hog Control with Cellular Controlled Trapping

By Cody Hall

Wild hogs continue to spread at alarming rates throughout the southern regions of the United States, and one of the only ways proven to be effective at reducing their numbers is using remote cellular trapping. Thermal hunting can be a fun and easy way to get outdoors with friends and enjoy an almost real-life video game experience, but it is not th... READ MORE

Managing Soil Nutrients in Wildlife Food Plots

Managing Soil Nutrients in Wildlife Food Plots

By Cole Sikes | Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Food plots need good soil and even better nutrients. These are necessities for growth. Crafting the perfect plot takes time. Simply cultivating soil and throwing out seed is not enough to lure in the perfect buck. Plots require science, which serves as the recipe for an ideal hunting experience. Soil BasicsTo get started from the ground up, every l... READ MORE

Get Bit!

Get Bit!

By Cody Hall

You haven't fished until you've done it bare-handed! Handfishing, hogging, grabbling, noodling — whatever you want to call it, the concept is the same: go under water and catch a catfish with your bare hands! If that sounds more scary than exciting, then read on. Chances are the dangers and fears you might have about noodling are unfounded. H... READ MORE

Shed Quest

Shed Quest

By Bob Humphrey

Who says deer hunting ends in the fall? Whether you're trying to keep tabs on which bucks made it through winter or you're just looking for a fun family-oriented activity, shed hunting is a great way to spend some quality time outdoors. Before you head out, however, what follows are a few quick tips to make your hunt more successful. WHEN You can f... READ MORE

Choosing the Right Backyard Target

Choosing the Right Backyard Target

By P.J. Reilly

Is there a better way to spend quality family time in the outdoors than slinging a few arrows in the backyard? The backyard is the perfect place for archery, provided you've got the space to safely shoot. It's always open. It's right outside your door, and there's never a crowd. All you need is a target, your bow and some arrows. Choosing the rig... READ MORE

Against All Odds

Against All Odds

By Russell Thornberry

In the fall of 2013 trail cams revealed a 3 1/2-year-old, tall-tined 8-point buck with lots of promise, so Rush Darnell, of Montgomery, Alabama, and his hunting partners agreed to let him grow up and see what he might become. In 2014, at 4 1/2, he was a 9-point and still growing and again the decision was made to let him grow another year. The buck... READ MORE

Kernel of Truth

Kernel of Truth

By Bob Humphrey

Some of deer hunting’s common misconceptions actually have basis in fact. Deer hunters love a lively debate almost as much as matching wits with a wily whitetail. They’ll argue at length about details on deer behavior, hunting tactics and equipment, each passionately defending their particular point of view. But there are two sides to e... READ MORE

The Plot Thickens

The Plot Thickens

By Jordan Graves | Regional Extension Agent

How to get the most from your food plot efforts. For every lush, green food plot in existence in any given year, an equal number fail, wasting the time, effort and money of the hunters who tried to grow them. That shouldn’t be a surprise since growing a food plot is akin to becoming a professional farmer. Unless done properly, anything that c... READ MORE

The Exception to the Rule

The Exception to the Rule

By Ed Waite

Never shoot a buck on the first day of a Kansas bowhunt. This story began 19 years ago when John Bowser packed up his bowhunting gear and drove to Kansas in search of giant bucks. With no outfitter, no topo maps or GPS coordinates, John must have looked pretty lost as he sat in a small diner after a fruitless day spent looking for a place to hunt. ... READ MORE

Do What?

Do What?

By Darren Warner

Five unconventional rules for bagging wise, old bucks. If only deer hunting was like horseshoes or hand grenades. Unfortunately, it isn’t, especially not bowhunting, where the line between success and failure is microscopically thin. My one and only shot at the 12-pointer with double-split brow tines had gone up in smoke, and a neighbor bagge... READ MORE

Dare To Be Different

Dare To Be Different

By Ken Piper

Consider heading south for your out-of-state whitetail hunt. Early November rut hunts in the Midwest have been among the most exciting times I’ve spent in the woods. Just catching a glimpse of a rut-crazed Midwest giant can be worth the price of an outfitted hunt. Who doesn’t dream of going to Illinois, Kansas or Iowa to shoot the buck ... READ MORE

Big Frank

Big Frank

By Eric Wuebker (Part One)

No matter how big the buck, you can’t split it over two tags. PART ONE The story of Big Frank begins in the summer of 2010. I first captured him on a trail camera on August 29, 2010. As soon as I saw the photo, I dedicated my entire season to pursuing this monster whitetail. Not only did I never see Big Frank while hunting, I didn’t get... READ MORE

Black Death

Black Death

By Richard P. Smith

Coyotes aren’t the only predators impacting fawn survival rates. It’s about time black bears get the credit they deserve as whitetail predators. On a year-round basis, where they are present, bears might not kill as many deer as coyotes or wolves, but if you focus on which predator takes more fawns, bears are right at the top. And if yo... READ MORE

Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd