Big Deer Blog

Last month I embarked on an epic journey to hunt blacktail deer on Kodiak Island, Alaska. It was an amazing DIY adventure, and you’ll see the 2-episode special on BIG DEER TV next fall. Coincidentally, while I was up there, a guy sent me this photo he saw online somewhere. I have no idea of its origin, but I am glad I didn’t see it before I hiked miles in all those thick alders up there on the island. If anyone knows the origin of this picture let me know so I can give it the proper credit: Alaska… Man and beast locked in eternal battle. The man holding the gun was a guide on Kodiak Island back in the [...]

Hi Mike: On November 9th of 2014, while hunting on my lease in East Texas, I stumbled upon these two bucks locked together. They had suffered a horrible fate and had just succumbed to their death.  It appears that the coyotes played a part in their death as well.  It was tragic indeed, but had a bitter sweet ending. I was fortunate to find them on a very cool morning and just hours after they had passed.  Unbelievably, I was able to have them mounted (after gaining permission from a Texas Game Warden to take possession of them) using their original hides and antlers.....no add ons. I consider myself very lucky to have found them, and I believe this to be a [...]

Way to go Mike, big fan of your site. My daughter Ella (age 8) shot this buck Nov 23, 2014 after 16 hours on stand during Illinois' first shotgun season.  A fine Sunday morning buck with a youth muzzleloader.  Made all those hours at that Hunter Safety course worthwhile.  We're both looking forward to another father-daughter hunt this year.  All the best, Bruce Way to go Ella, good luck this season!

Love posting good old big-buck stories from my home state of VA: Mike: Here's a picture of a 10-point I shot in southern Virginia. This buck was coming to beans that the farmer had planted on the property where I was hunting. We had a few trail camera pics of him during the summer, but weren’t sure if we'd ever see him in the fall. I went out on Monday, October 5 and climbed a tree along the bean field. Some does came out early into the beans, and then close to dark the big boy stepped out and started eating. He was about 75 yards and just wouldn't come any closer. I was like, I have to move to [...]

From Minnesota bowhunter Kevin Clouse, who for 3 years traveled down to Missouri to hunt for this awesome buck: I named this deer the “Beer Can Buck” 3 years ago. When I first saw him, I thought his bases were as thick as a beer can. My hunting partner, Tom Vandehey, also saw him 2 days later and agreed…he’s a monster! No other sightings of him during our first year hunting with Tombstone Creek Outfitters. The second year, no encounters with the Beer Can Buck, and just a couple trail cam pics at night. This year, our third year there, the hunting was extremely slow. Just like last year, only a couple pics of him at night. With things slow, I decided to get [...]