The whitetail is a coveted creature looked upon with unequalled allure. Perhaps it's the mystique that the whitetail embodies. Maybe it's the sheer size of the animal that demands such respect among its many small game counterparts. Regardless, taking the life of a white-tailed deer is a blessing at any stage in the life of a hunter. But a hunter's first deer—to put it simply—is a big deal.

If you think Americans are more pro-firearms than 20 years ago, you’re right. And new data from one of America’s leading polling companies points to anemic support for any new gun control regulations.

If you're not hunting right now, you better have a really good excuse. The pre-rut is rolling and whitetails are on a serious hunt for the first hot does. I'm sure a few of you have already seen chasing, and possibly even a flurry of breeding. It's happening now, and there's no better time to hunt whitetails or muleys.

There's snow across the West. I've been there and done that. It's snowing in Wyoming as I'm typing. I just returned from Colorado after hunting with Elkhorn Outfitters. The weather was brutal, but began to settle enough to spark rutting activity, especially at dawn and dusk. We used mules and horses to access backcountry. They are quiet, and you can even ride up to the elk and deer for a face-to-face view of the critters.

Every hunter has those memorable hunts they will never forget. For me, many of my best days were spent in a deer stand hunting with my dad. It was there that my love and appreciation for the great outdoors began.

It’s that time of the year. We’re creating new memories to last a lifetime and new stories to share with good friends. So with the “North American Hunter-TV” camera rolling, I took my second buck of the season. This one completed the challenge of taking two bucks in two states (Montana and Wyoming) during one trip.

The Illinois House of Representatives has voted to override Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of a measure that would allow citizens to remove dead animals from the state’s roadways for personal use. Action now moves to the Senate, which earlier voted unanimously in favor of the measure.

I tagged this muley late last week in north central Idaho while hunting with the crew at Boulder Creek Outfitters.

As you read this I’m sitting in a deer stand in northeastern Wyoming waiting for a buck to show up … whitetail or mule deer … doesn’t matter. The tag in my pocket is good for either. On Sunday afternoon, just north of the state line in Montana, I saw my first buck of the season who was showing interest in does. So I shot him.

A recent funeral service held at a remote cemetery located in the heavily wooded, red clay hills of northwestern Alabama attracted some 400 mourners, many dressed in hunting camouflage, and more than a few sporting four legs and a tail. As the funeral procession headed out from Tuscumbia to the departed’s final resting place, it was observed that vehicles were lined up for a full half-mile.