Brenton Brown of Kalispell, Montana is a 21-year-old student at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City. On the morning of Nov. 3, 2005, he headed out to some land just west of Oklahoma City on which he had obtained permission to hunt. Brenton had been watching a small group of does for the past few weeks, and he now hoped to harverst one with his new Hoyt bow. He finally reached his stand after enduring a number of frustrating events like waking up late, forgetting his face mask and misplacing his water bottle. But just as he got to his stand, he jumped the very group of does that he had hoped to hunt. Thinking quickly, Brenton dropped his backpack on the ground and ran up a hill behind some thick brush in an effort to intercept the spooked does. “To my utter shock, I did not see a single doe,” Brenton said. “What I did see was a monster buck and he was oblivious to my position because he was busy chasing one of the does. I drew my Hoyt, whistled to stop him and my arrow found its mark. Previously I had taken numerous bucks with a rifle but this was my first buck with a bow and by far my biggest ever!” Brenton’s long-tined 4×5 trophy green-scored 151 6/8.

Rick Carnevale Jr. was bowhunting in Clermont County, Ohio on Nov. 29, 2005 when this 16-point brute came by shortly after sunrise. Using his Mathews MQ32, Rick made a perfect shot, but the blood trail was almost non-existent. However, after four hours of diligent searching, Rick finally located his 16-point trophy of a lifetime in a deep ravine nearly 3/4 of a mile from where it had been shot. He then called his dad Rick Sr. to help him get the big boy out of the woods. Rick’s buck field dressed at 203 pounds.

For the past 14 years, Cary Blakemore has lived and hunted on 23 acres in Medina County, Ohio. On Nov. 10, 2005, he bagged this beautiful 23-point non-typical giant at about 5:10 p.m. “I had never seen anything like this until that afternoon,” Cary said. “When he came out of the woods, I noticed he had a decent spread, but I never paid any attention to the number of points he had because I was concentrating on the shot. He went less than 100 yards, and after we found him my hunting partner made me aware of just how large he was. My entire family loves to hunt and spend time in the woods, and my goal now is to find a good buck for each of my daughters.” Cary didn’t say whether or not he was using a bow or a crossbow.

On Oct. 29, 2005, 18-year-old Jason Campbell of southern Indiana had not been in his stand for 20 minutes when he heard a noise behind him. Jason turned his head in time to catch a glimpse of a huge rack. “Unlike the countless number of deer I had passed up in the past, I immediately knew this buck was a shooter,” Jason said. “I grabbed my Bowtech Allegiance and drew back for the 35 yard shot. Although I admit that the shot was not my best ever, the arrow did penetrate one lung. I found him about 200 yards away. He field-dressed 205 pounds and green-scored 140. Not bad for an eight-pointer!” The 2005 season marked Jason’s third year of serious bowhunting.

Avid deer hunter and North American Whitetail subscriber Tony Smith was bowhunting in northwestern Illinois on Nov. 3, 2005 when he encountered this buster buck. Tony says that he spent countless hours scouting a 2,000 acre tract in 2004 and all that hard work really paid off. He knew just where to look for a dominant buck in 2005. After spotting this brute on Nov. 2, Tony moved his stand to a new spot. The result: a 20 yard shot the very next afternoon. Tony’s main-framed 5×5 sported several burr points and stickers. “North American Whitetail and putting some time in the woods is a deadly combination,” Tony says.

Next time you decide to take your wife hunting with you, be sure that you are willing to accept the consequences. On Sunday Nov. 6, 2005, Amy Lien of Fargo, North Dakota was hunting in northern Minnesota when she anchored this wide-spreading 11-point brute with her Remington .243. According to her husband, John, Amy grew up in a non-hunting family. Seeing how obsessed John has always been with whitetail hunting, however, Amy slowly started getting into sharing the adventure with her husband. 2005 marked only her third year of chasing deer, and this dandy whitetail was only her second buck. “This is actually the first a
nimal she has shot while being alone without me coaching her or helping her,” John said. “And she shot this guy at 300 yards! That’s what I get for teaching her how to shoot and allowing her to hunt out of a heated stand that morning. And now that she has a buck that is bigger than anything I have on the wall, I guess I’ll have to go up on my guide fees!”

For John Lien of Fargo, North Dakota, Sept. 24, 2005 turned out to be a most unusual day in the woods and one that he would never forget. Earlier in the week, John just had that feeling about being in his favorite stand. Having been bear hunting in Minnesota for the previous three weekends, this would be his first opportunity to chase whitetails. “It was one of those days that just felt right, like something good was going to happen,” John says. “The place I hunt has produced some dandy bucks in the past and I’ve always considered it to be a honey hole for sure!”
John drove the 130 miles to his favorite hunting spot and walked to his stand. The stand is situated in the bottom of a coulee, and a small creek is located about 10 yards from the tree holding the stand. “As I eased toward my stand, something in the creek caught my eye,” John said. “To my utter surprise I realized it was the back end of a deer completely covered with mud. My first thought was that it might have fallen into the creek somehow and drowned. As I got closer I thought I was looking at a huge non-typical rack. But then I realized it was not one but two deer locked together and coal black from the mud and muck they had churned up while fighting in the otherwise crystal clear creek. One buck was still standing. He was up to his belly in water and mud. The other buck was lying motionless with his head down in the water. After a few seconds of letting everything sink in as to what I was looking at, the buck still standing moved his ear. This kind of brought me to attention and I nocked an arrow and started sneaking foward. The buck still standing started thrashing about and dragging the dead buck away from me. What a disheartennig scene — two beautiful bucks locked together and trapped in a creek that had turned into a disgusting mud pit. Not wanting the live buck to suffer any longer, I quickly put an arrow through his lungs. He was down in a matter of seconds.”
John called his wife first; then he called the local game warden who showed up within 20 minutes. Together they managed to get the mud-caked bucks out of the creek. “The smaller buck had no business tangling with the larger buck,” John insists. “He clearly was sub-ordinate in antler size and body size. He should have known better. I don’t know how long they were in the creek, but it appeared as if they had been there for several days. I believe the smaller buck drowned and I think he’d been dead for at least a day or two.”
So John’s 2005 North Dakota archery buck tag was filled in less than 15 minutes, and it resulted in a one-of-a-kind trophy that he never dreamed he would have. Naturally he plans to have the locked bucks mounted. “If they had been just a few yards down the creek I never would have seen them,” John said. “But they just happened to be right there at my honey hole. I think somebody upstairs must have put them there for a very special reason!”

Ray Ortlund Jr. of Frankiln, Tennessee was gun hunting in Burke County, Georgia on Oct. 28, 2005 when a young 10-pointer walked into a clearing near his stand. As Ray was watching the 10-pointer, the deer suddenly looked back, and out stepped a much more mature 8-pointer. Ray wasted little time in making a well-placed shot on the second buck with his Remington Model 700. Ray’s Peach State trophy weighed-in at 177 pounds.

Russell Japuntich of Manhattan, Kansas shot this great Kansas buck at 10:45 a.m. on opening day of gun season while hunting in Morris County in December 2004. “We had been sitting all morning and hadn’t seen a single deer so we decided to sneak up a wooded draw where I had seen several large deer before the season opened,” Russell said. “On the way I used my binoculars to look over a small wooded area next to a pond. Suddenly I saw this big buck bedded down watching us. I made the shot at 230 yards with my .30-06.” Russell’s Kansas monster had two broken tines and a kicker growing off the base of each pedicel. The big brute grossed 170 inches. After deductions, though, the rack netted 155`3/8. “The biggest lesson I learned from that hunt was to always have a camera with you so that you can take some good field photos.”

Tyson Walters was bowhunting in Knox County, Illinois on the morning of Oct. 8, 2005. He was hunting near a thick bedding area when he detected movement about 100 yards away. While concentrating on that movement, Tyson heard a twig snap right behind his stand. “A big 10-pointer had slipped in one me and he was standing about 10 yards away,” Tyson said. “With my bow still hanging next to me I slowly reached for it and got ready for a shot. He finally turned broadside at a distance of about four yards and gave me the shot I wanted.”

After 11 years of deer hunting, this is Tyson’s first B&C buck. The massive 10-pointer grossed 180 points, and should easily net above the 170-point mark.

Ross Hausmann of Green Lake, Wisconsin says that his favorite stand is located near a cow pond adjacent to a 40-acre block of woods. The deer frequently use this pond in early season and during the rut. On the morning of Nov. 15, 2003, Ross saw several small bucks and a few does between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. About 30 minutes later, the woods exploded around Ross with running deer. Ross got a brief glimpse of some long antler tines as a big buck ran through the woods in front of him. “I figured it was a mature buck chasing some small bucks away from a hot doe,” Ross said. “Because of this I decided to grunt-snort-wheeze at him. About five minutes later I heard a twig snap. he was heading straight toward me from downwind. For several long minutes he stood about 50 yards out on some adjacent property looking and testing the wind.Then, he slowly walked off.
“About 2:30, I caught sight of him again walking through the woodlot in front of me. I tried calling again with no results. The next time I saw him it was about 4 p.m. A small buck had come to the pond to drink. I really thought my day was over until about 20 minutes later. That’s when I turned to my left and saw the big buck walking across the pasture toward the pond. I stopped him before he got to the pond and released my arrow. It was a good shot, and I watched him run about 200 yards across the pasture before going down. He had 14 points and grossed 170`2/8. It was my first buck with a bow!”
On Sept. 17, 2005, opening day of archery season, Ross was sitting in the same stand late in the afternoon when he heard a deer approaching. “It was a nice buck,” Ross said. “I heard him jump a fence and I saw him heading straight to the pond. He was quartering toward me, and he drank for several minutes. While he drank I heard three grunts from another buck on the other side of the fence but I never saw him. I waited until the first was done drinking, and I drew my bow. When he turned broadside I released my arrow. He turned out to be a beautful eight-pointer with an 18`1/2 inch inside spread and he grossed 125`5/8.”

Fourteen-year-old D. J. Dempster of Delhi, Iowa was hunting with his Hoyt Reflex on Oct. 12, 2005 when he spotted this Iowa brute. The big 11-pointer came within 10 yards of D.J.’s stand, but the excited hunter missed his first shot. Later on, just as D. J. was preparing to climb down from his stand, he saw the same buck downwind making a scrape about 10 yards away. Because of heavy brush, however, D.J. could not make another shot. He waited patiently until the buck moved away. Then, at a distance of 30 yards, the young bowhunter made a perfect second shot. D.J.’s P&Y 11-pointer grossed 145 points.

Robert E. Walden of West Terre Haute, Indiana was planning to go hunting on the afternoon of Nov. 3, 2004, but he had to work late. He debated about whether or not to stay home that afternoon. However, since he had just arrowed a nice doe four days earlier, he decided to give it a try. “I got up in my stand about 3:45 p.m.,” Robert said. “My bow was still on the ground when I heard a crashing sound. I looked over to my left and saw a pure white buck about 100 yards away. He was headed in my direction and he had four other bucks following him. I got my bow up, and when the albino eight-pointer was about 18 yards out I shot and missed. He ran a short distance and I shot again. This time my arrow didn’t miss and the rest is history!”

It was Oct. 23, 2005, the last morning of Iowa’s early muzzleloader season, when Michael Owens finally got the chance at a big buck he had been hoping for. After a slow morning hunt, he decided to walk a bottom that he had always wanted to hunt but never had because the area was always flooded. Due to the constant water, many of the trees were dead, leaving few options to hang a stand. The bottom was fairly open and surrounded by beautiful hardwood timber. It didn’t take long for Michael to find some thigh-size rubs and table-size scrapes, all of which convinced him that he should hunt the area that afternoon.

About 3:30 p.m., Michael hung a Lone Wolf stand in a small pine tree at one end of the bottom. The wind was perfect for that location. Michael had bumped a good buck walking in and he was a little nervous about his evening hunt. A little after 4 p.m., he glimpsed a big buck crossing the bottom at a fast pace some distance away. “I never even had time to raise my gun,” Michael said. “But my anticipation was growing and I just had a feeling that this might be my day.” It started raining and the wind picked up. As the sun was setting, Michael suddenly heard a deer grunt off to his left. He grabbed his muzzleloader and saw a dark rack cutting through the brush.

Michael grunted several times using his own grunt tube. After a few moments a small six-pointer appeared. Michael could still hear the bigger buck grunting off in the distance. Then Michael saw a doe standing about 40 yards away near a scrape. The doe was staring at the opposite ridge, and when Michael looked over, he could see why. A big-bodied buck was coming down the ridge! Michael immediately noticed that the buck’s face was whiter than normal. “I then went into auto-pilot,” Michael said. “When the deer stepped into an open lane about 75 yards away, I squeezed the trigger. Smoke filled my scope and I noticed the doe was still standing in the same spot. I went from serious to that shaky feeling you get when you know a good buck is down. I climbed down and walked over to the spot. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had just harvested the most beautiful piebald buck that I had ever seen. In fact, it was the only piebald I had ever seen! He grossed 157 inches and weighed 218 pounds. In order to give him the respect he deserves, I plan to have a full body mount done of him in a bedded position!”

It was a cold, rainy afternoon in mid-October 2005 and Neil Ruholl of Teutopolis, Illinois was not sure if he wanted to make the long walk to his stand in the rain. Neil was hunting in the central part of the state. While at work earlier that day, he decided that if the rain let up somewhat he would make the effort. The rain stopped, and Neil hurried home to get dressed and get his gear. On the way to Neil’s stand it began pouring again. “I figured that since I was already half-way there, I might as well go on,” Neil said. “Luckily for me I was wearing my rain suit. After sitting in my stand for about 1`1/2 hours, I saw this buck coming down the hill about 150 yards behind me. I watched him for about five minutes and lost him. I was sitting there wondering just how big he really was when he suddenly appeared about 10 yards away. He moved a little closer and stood there for many long minutes like he knew something was up. After what seemed like a half hour, he finally turned his head and I was able to stand up in my stand for that all-important shot. I pulled back my bow and steadied my aim. After I released my arrow, he went down immediately but he got back up. I drew another arrow and let it fly. It was a good shot and after a few seconds he went down for good.” With a 20-inch inside spread and G-2s and G-3s measuring 12`1/2 to 13`1/2 inches, Neil’s incredible trophy grossed 189`6/8 points. Neil is mighty glad that he decided to hunt in the rain!

Jace Canfield of Eau Claire, Wisconsin was fortunate enough to be hunting in that state’s famed Buffalo County on Oct. 21, 2005 when he crossed paths with this 11-point monster. It was about 4:30 in the afternoon when Jace put a well-placed arrow into the rutting giant. With a 19`1/4-inch inside spread, Jace’s Buffalo County heavyweight green-scored 161`5/8 gross and 153`4/8 net. The buck field-dressed at 230 pounds. Two years earlier, Jace arrowed another Wisconsin bruiser that netted 152`7/8.

Although the Massachusetts archery season had been open for almost a week, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005, proved to be Matthew Wheeler’s “opening day.” Being a senior at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Matthew could not get away to hunt until that Friday. Matthew was happy to be in the woods in Essex County, Massachusetts to see if all his pre-season scouting would pay off. “At about 7:15 a.m., I heard some noise to my left and I turned around to see a nice 8-pointer walking down the same trail I had used to get to my stand,” Matthew recounts. “I take pride in always trying to be as scent-free as possible, and the deer did not wind me or catch my scent whatsoever. The buck was browsing along a ridge and he presented me with a nice quartering-away shot at about 15 yards. Having just purchased a Mathews Switchback bow, I was I very anxious to try it out. Wow! The bow performed beautifully!” The buck only went about 80 yards before going down. Matthew says his stand was located just outside a large group of conifer trees on the edge of a ridge, and he attributes his “one-hour” hunting success to good pre-season scouting and finding buck sanctuaries. “My father and I knew that several bucks were in there from the sign we had seen, so we set up just outside that area. Now, with the rest of the 2005 season still in front of me, I’m looking forward to filling my second buck tag!”

Stuart Wange of Nisswa, Minnesota was bowhunting in Crow Wing County, Minnesota on the afternoon of Oct. 26, 2005. With less than 20 minutes of shooting light left, this dark-antlered 9-pointer suddenly appeared out of a thicket following in the footsteps of a doe. Stuart watched as the buck made a scrape, trashed a sapling and then went back to the doe. Stuart made a perfect shot at 22 yards. The buck ran about 65 yards before piling up in front of a very nasty swamp. Stuart’s trophy field-dressed at 185 pounds and green-scored in the low 120s. Amazingly, Stuart shot another good buck exactly two years earlier on Oct. 26, 2003. Two great bucks taken exactly two years apart!

Brent Meyer of New Haven, Missouri had been sitting in his stand for less than 15 minutes when he looked down to his right and saw this 120-class 8-pointer. It was Oct. 22, 2005, and Brent was bowhunting in Missouri’s Franklin County. The rut was just starting and as the buck walked away, Brent made two low grunts with his grunt call. The buck turned immediately and trotted right over to Brent’s stand. Drawing back his Mathews Q2, Brent made a perfect shot. Later on, Brent and his hunting buddies had no problem recovering Brent’s first-ever buck by bow!