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Journey for the Trippledropper by Garry Donald

Over the years I have been fortunate to have met up with many colossal whitetails and mule deer. As the prime photographer for this publication for 24 years now, I have captured thousands of photos. Each one of these magnificent animals has shown me just how cagey they can be. I guess I have to thank these big brutes for keeping me young at heart with a deep passion that burns within...

Monsters in the Ditch by Jeff Schlachter

Stacey Scorda of Fairview, Alberta, holds the mammoth whitetail sheds she found in the spring of 2011. Stacey spotted the castoffs while travelling down the road one fine day. It just goes to show that you never know when you will cross paths with a shed and in her case a giant matched pair. The 18-pointer ended up scoring well over 200 non-typical points....

The Incredible Hulk by Jeff Schlachter

Curtis Narfason of Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, achieved an almost unachievable feat in November of 2010. There were no mistakes made when he crossed paths with this enormous heart-stopping, double drop-tined buck. Curtis’ world-class whitetail is the fourth biggest non-typical ever taken in Saskatchewan...

A Year to Remember by Kayla Dieno

We hunted on the way to the area where we had seen him before. While driving, we checked out some spots that looked promising. After only seeing a cow moose and two calves, we continued on. When we were about a mile from where we had seen the buck the first time, we decided to check out some bushes on the way. In the third bush we circled, Dad spotted a big guy lying under a willow bush...

The Lucidal Buck by Karen Bernecker

It was Sunday afternoon, October 17, 2010, the second day of bow season, and I was heading into our “Coffin Corner” stand. My husband, Art, and I had hung, trimmed, and marked yardage earlier in the year to get ready for the season. It was a warm sunny afternoon, and I had on my light camo, with my heavier camo packed in my backpack knowing that when the sun goes down it gets chilly...

My First Hunt by Taryn Freemantle

Taryn Freemantle of Carrot River, Saskatchewan, with her great 2010 whitetail. It was her first year of hunting and she downed the buck with one shot. Taryn didn't have to take the trophy far to get it mounted as her dad, Trevor, runs Timberline Taxidermy...

When Wishes Come True by Austin Guerra

Austin Guerra found giant sheds from a buck they called “King of the Field” in the spring of 2009. The massive antlers scored 187 3/8 inches. (See photo on page 26, fall 2009 issue.) In 2010, Austin and his dad, Billy, were on the deer trails once again. Austin was following a well-used deer trail while his dad was checking out another part of a big field. He had only walked 300 yards when he found an enormous shed that would later score 102 inches. When the two of them met up later and Billy saw the antler his son was carrying, he nearly did a backflip! After some pictures and a quick snack, they decided to pick their way through the snowdrifts with the quad to try to find the mate...

Saskatchewan Heart Stopper by Garry Donald

Jesse Haug of Outlook, Saskatchewan, shows us the largest scoring whitetail taken in Saskatchewan during the 2009 whitetail season. Main beams on this brute are excellent at 25 5/8 and 26 even inches...

The Buddy System by Garry Donald

I first met Ken Cull at the Huntfest show put on by WildTV. He was there working the Vortex booth, a company which produces some outstanding optics. After the show, a bunch of us would meet in the evenings. A lot of laughts were shared, and I soon realized Ken was like the rest of us: a serious deer hunter. The hunting stories started getting even crazier into the wee hours of the morning...

It Was In The Cards by Jeff Schlachter

My eyes practically popped right out of my head and my dad's jaw dropped to the ground as we stared at the absolute GIANT bull elk that stood in front of us at less than 50 yards. We felt completely helpless as neither one of us had a draw tag for elk, so I turned the video camera on to capture as much footage as I could of this brute of brutes. This bull was not only one of the widest we had ever laid eyes on, but sported insane mass and palmation like we had never seen before...

On Cloud Nine by Jeff Robbins

The fall of 2009, my fourth Alberta archery season, started out hot with above normal temperatures. My father and I hunted hard for almost three weeks with each of us trying to kill our first elk. We came close a few times. I finally tagged a 5x6 bull on the evening of the day that my father flew back to Ontario. I was extremely happy because this was my first bowkill since moving to Alberta back in 2006. I had shot numerous whitetails and turkeys back in Ontario, but no other big game...

Sneaky Pete by Lacy Shomaker

This story began during the hunting season of 2008 when I and my husband, Mark, were scouting land that we were leasing for 2009. The landowner, a friend of ours, rushed us up to the spot where he had just seen a huge buck and another young buck bedded just off the main road next to some cedars in tall CRP grass. After driving by a few times, trying to locate the spot, we suddenly saw him take off running in a crouched position about 20 yards off the main road. After this encounter, we decided to call him "Sneaky Pete" because of the way he had tried crawling out to avoid being detected...

Widest Canadian Moose Ever by Harley Busse

My hunting buddy Lon and I decided to enter the draw for farmland moose last fall. He lives in Kindersley, which is a short drive for me from Swift Current, and we thought it would be a good area to try to get a tag. As luck would have it, we
both drew tags in Zone 26. My buddy's neighbour, Grant, had also put his name in for moose but wasn't successful, so he took us out the night before the season opener and showed us some areas we could hunt. strategy was in order, and we figured that pushing some bluffs might improve our chances for a bull...

A Guide's Hunt by Brad Fry

"We're in luck today, boys," were the first words out of my mouth. We had just settled in behind our glasses on top of a massive rock outcropping that conveniently overlooked a sea of Arctic birch and willows.

It was late September in the extreme northern region of British Columbia, smack dab in the middle of the moose rut. I was no stranger to hunting moose in this part of the world as over the years I had guided many hunters to their trophy bulls...

El Dorado by Garry Donald

When the Saskatchewan 2009 hunting season came to a close, I was about to give up on my photography and video sessions. After being on the deer trails from the beginning of August to the end of November, I had already come to the conclusion that big trophy whitetails did not exist in this area which only a few years ago had held some real giants. After four long months, I was ready to throw in the towel. Still, one of my favourite sayings is "Never say whoa in a mud hole," so on December 10, I decided to give my blind one more visit...

The Duke by Garry Donald

During the 2008 hunting season, I photographed and took video footage of a few good mule deer bucks. One particular buck walked the same turf as another big buck called "Majestic the Second." This buck was run off by Majestic and I put the footage on my DVD Where Legends Roam #2. Bill Longman and I figured this was still a young buck that could be a real dandy in the future. I was pretty excited to find his sheds in April of 2009 lying only 30 yards apart. He net scored 194 non-typical points...

Broken Curse by Jason Villemaire

Over the past three hunting seasons, I have seen my family members harvest some great whitetail bucks. My dad, Mike, took a nice whitetail in 2003 that scored 176 typical. In 2004, my cousin Tyler got a nice non-typical that went 176. The following year, my uncle Gary and brother Jon both shot two great bucks, scoring 160 and 165 typical respectively. So you can only imagine the heckling and teasing I got from these four great hunting partners...

The Bull We Called "Mister" by Greg Alexander

Huntfest, my brother Gord and I had taken in a presentation held by Ralph and Vicki. During that presentation, they had touched on land permission, hunting pressure, public land and the amount of acres we are blessed to hunt. Acting on a hot tip from Sheldon Bolduc about some huge scrapes he had found earlier in the season, I told my wife that I was off to the big timber and fresh spring water...

Sneakin' Around the Sandhills by Brad Fry

My weather-worn hands dug into the dashboard of the circa 1950's vinyl that graced the interior of the ancient Cessna that was now hurtling down the makeshift runway. My death grip wasn't caused from lack of bush plane experience but rather from the horrendous speed at which we were travelling. You see, I had just completed my three-month "tour of duty" in the Yukon, and during that entire time, my derriere had not ever exceeded five mph, a direct result of being confined to either horse or human power...

The Garry Donald Earn-A-Buck Program by Rob Manley

They say good things come to those who wait. When the story involves Garry Donald and the act of pulling a trigger, you best add "and wait" to the age-old saying. Photo: Garry Donald of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with his 4x4 whitetail that also grew two extra stickers. It was taken on November 30, 2009. Main beams are impressive at 26 inches, the longest tine is 13 inches, brow-tines go to 5 5/8, with circumferences at the bases at five inches. The antlers gross 157 and net 152 7/8 typical points. Bill Longman photo.

Hangin' With the Stars by Jeff Schlachter

Back in the mid-1990's, while watching Bentley Coben's first video production and listening to the soft, soothing narration of the late Gordon Eastman, I saw Cody Robbins for the first time. He was just a young punk kid, but I could tell instantly by the sparkle in his eyes that we shared one thing in particular: an incredible passion for hunting. Over the next few years, I always made sure to get Bentley's production of the year, looking forward to seeing what this young hunter had done over the season...

Sweeter Than Wine by Brent Saukarookoff

It all started when I helped my buddy's dad plant grapevines in his vineyard last summer. We planted 4,500 vines, and instead of being paid for my time, I asked if I could hunt their property for deer in the fall. He kindly gave me permission, which turned out to be the best pay I ever received! I had always dreamed of hunting deer on this property...

The Hog by Jason House

It all started three years ago when I spotted this hog of a buck in early rut. I got a look at him running off into the bush after four does. I knew it was going to be a big challenge to get a shot at this deer; he didn't get this big by being dumb. I hunted that area for the rest of the season, but didn't see him again.

It was a year later almost to the day when I got a second look at him...

Missed Opportunites & Captured Moments by Victor Hargraves

It was the cooler weather we were experiencing in August that kicked me out of the numbing work environment and back into hunting mode. In years past I'd scout out the areas I intended to hunt with the same reckless abandon as a gopher daring a Goodyear radial tire, wide-eyed and ready to go. It was really just for the chance encounter, regardless how fleeting it might be...

It Happens Just Like That by JoAnne Hernberg

There's a song that says, "The things you think could never happen, happen JUST LIKE THAT." Well, in the hunting world, it has happened to me twice in basically the same spot! The first buck, now known as "Triceridrops," came along on the first day of my ladies-only whitetail camp. We had just gotten back from picking up the ladies and getting their tags. It was too late in the day to set up camp, so we decided to hunt around home....

Window Shopping by Melissa Smylie

On November 21, 2005, we heard from some neighbours that a big buck had been seen near our home in 150 Mile House, British Columbia. My husband, Jim, was on day shift at the local mill, so he told me to keep an eye out for it. Two days later, I was up early, getting my two youngest daughters, Emma and Laura, ready for school. Our oldest daughter, Katie, was away at university. I was at the kitchen sink and happened to look up and see the largest live deer I have ever seen, standing in the front yard.....

Never Signed an Autograph by Cody Robbins

Five miles down the road from my family farm in Saskatchewan, in a little town called Tessier, lives Mr. Bentley Coben. This very accomplished fellow has been producing hunting videos for the last 20 years and is known for having the largest shed antler collection in North America. Since the time I was barely old enough to hunt, this man was a 10,000- pound statue of solid gold in my eyes. Someday, I wanted to be just like him. ......

Heavy Duty, The Final Chapter by Garry Donald

This pdf is a photo essay of the life of Heavy Duty. To read the rest of the story, check out the Spring 2009 editorial.

Mule Deer Buck Photos - Page One, and Sheds - Page Two

Page one shows photos of this big mule deer while page two shows the sheds that were picked up from the same buck. Garry Donald says, "One afternoon I parked my Toyota Tacoma, then grabbed my camera and rattling antlers. With any luck at all, I was hoping to photograph a decent whitetail. When closing in on my chosen area, I decided to walk through a small bluff and set up on the edge of it. Suddenly I heard a crash and a mule deer doe bounced out in front of me, followed by a huge buck. At about 60 yards, he pulled up and looked back towards me. I knew I had only seconds, so I took two photos before he fled the scene. Bill Longman and I managed to see him once again while snowmobiling in the winter. We figured he should net 195 inches. One amazing Wednesday morning, I couldn't believe it when I spotted his right side shed on the crest of a hill where he had been feeding the night before. Exactly one week later, I picked up the mate a half a mile away. He had held on to that antler for some time."

Two Days With A Princess by Cody Robbins (348kb)

The lady on the loudspeaker called all passengers to now board the flight. I was leaving Montreal on my way home to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, from a pretty long and wet Quebec Labrador caribou hunt. The muzzleloader mule deer season had started on October 1st, and it was now already the 12th and I hadn't even been out scouting yet! I'm sure the mule deer gods were not very proud of me at this point. My phone started vibrating, so I reached down and yoinked it out of my pocket. It was Mr. Shockey...

Where's the Lucky Horseshoe? by Jeff Schlachter (456kb)

As the morning sun slowly began to rise, casting a gorgeous pink hue onto the high peaks of the Alberta Rockies, my dad rode his horse up ahead on the first day of a week-long hunt. He stopped on a high mountain trail, and as I rode up beside him, he pointed down to a horseshoe lying on the ground. He said, “Well, Jeff, there's your horseshoe and it's pointing lucky side up.”

The Lloyd Smith Bucks by Larry Warantz (328kb)

In 2007, Lloyd Smith of Riding Mountain, Manitoba, harvested his biggest whitetail. The massive 5x5 has an inside spread of only 15 3/8 inches, but long tine length and massive 26 4/8 inch beams make up the difference.With circumferences ranging from 4 2/8 to 5 1/8 inches, tines from 5 4/8 up to 13 4/8 inches, and brow-tines of 7 4/8 and 7 1/8 inches, you end up with 177 1/8 net typical Boone and Crockett points.

Big John by Mike Charowhas (228kb)

An incredible event happened on February 1, 2008. A farmer who lives in the Midwest United States was just pulling out of his driveway to do his morning duties. As he glanced to his left, he spotted a gigantic antler lying points up. As he pulled over, it sure didn't take long before he reached the shed antler. The farmer couldn't believe the size of it, and wondered how a deer like this could have eluded all the hunters during the 2007 hunting season...

The Flint Hills King by Mike Charowhas (400kb)

Back in the summer of 1996, a Kansas dove hunter went to retrieve a dove that he had shot. When he approached the area where the bird had landed, there lay a GIANT left shed with an amazing row of typical tines. When the surprised hunter picked it up, he knew he hadn't found just any antler! He desperately looked for the other side, but the task wasn't quite that easy, and the other side wasn't found, that is, until...

King Kong by Kara Imlach (200kb)

We first spotted this big mule deer in the fall of 2005. He wintered in the same are as my brother Kyle's Boone and Crockett moose. Due to the buck's size, we had nicknamed him "King Kong." During the 2006 hunting season, I was excited to find out I had been drawn for an elusive mule deer tag. I was sure hoping I would get the big fellow, because I was getting tired of hearing about Kyle's big moose. Well, you know how brothers are...

Bit by the Antler by Jeff "The Shedhead" Waschbusch (320kb)

Ever since I was nine years old, I have followed the hunting trails of my father with big hopes of seeing him get the big one. Eleven years later, he is still my very own personal guide and I now have a new understanding of the term “buck fever.” It was September 2002 when it all started. Dad and I set out on our usual hunting trail one morning. We headed towards a nearby clover field, where we spotted a group of mule deer does feeding just outside the treeline.

November Bucks by Crystal Faessler (684kb)

Records Are Made To Be Broken by Myra S. Smith (704kb)

This hunt actually started over two years ago. One evening in the summer of 2004 after I had put our boys to bed, my husband, Greg, and I were watching Bass Pro Shop's Outdoor Adventures. They were hunting mule deer in Sonora, Mexico. Near the end of the show, the ranch “accommodations” were highlighted. There was a pool, games room, and they described how the cooks made homemade tortillas. I laughed and told my husband, who goes hunting in Canada every year, “You are always wanting me to go on a hunting trip with you, well, I'll go to Rancho Grande.” Before I knew it, we were booked.