Whitetail Deer Hunting

Oklahoma's muzzleloader season was barely under way, and I was thrilled to get a chance to enjoy a pre-rut gun hunt before targeting my local whitetail haunts.

NAHC Life Member Shane Simpson offers a personal story about hunting metro deer, and tips for you to take on backyard bucks.

The mercury had dipped to minus 20 degrees by the time my brother, Bob, and I left the warmth of his pickup and trudged down the power line toward our deer stands.

The glory days of whitetail hunting are upon us. Early generations cultivated land to feed their families, while today we plant fields to grow and kill giant deer. But make no mistake: Wall-hanger whitetails still ain’t a dime a dozen. I waited 16 years for the opportunity to tag a heavy-antlered Minnesota buck.

The short truth is that I completely came apart. The buck was right there, as in 30 yards away and I carried a .300 Win. Mag.—right there. I shot. The buck struggled away. I simply came apart. Somewhere out there was a wounded buck that likely wasn’t sleeping because of my misplaced shot, and I didn’t deserve sleep, either.
 

Once you decide to target a real monarch—the buck of a lifetime—it means putting all your chips in the game. It means making life-altering sacrifices. You have to be dedicated, focused and determined. Are you ready? Here are the final two steps in a 10-step series to help you kill the biggest, best buck of your life.

Once you decide to target a real monarch—the buck of a lifetime—it means putting all your chips in the game. It means making life-altering sacrifices. You have to be dedicated, focused and determined. Are you ready? Here are steps seven and eight of a 10-step series to help you kill the biggest, best buck of your life.

Once you decide to target a real monarch—the buck of a lifetime—it means putting all your chips in the game. It means making life-altering sacrifices. You have to be dedicated, focused and determined. Are you ready? Here are steps five and six of a 10-step series to help you kill the biggest, best buck of your life.

Once you decide to target a real monarch—the buck of a lifetime—it means putting all your chips in the game. It means making life-altering sacrifices. You have to be dedicated, focused and determined. Are you ready? Here are steps three and four of a 10-step series to help you kill the biggest, best buck of your life.

Once you decide to target a real monarch—the buck of a lifetime—it means putting all your chips in the game. It means making life-altering sacrifices. You have to be dedicated, focused and determined. Are you ready? During the next 5 weeks I’ll provide 10 steps—two per week—to get you on track to killing the biggest, best buck of your life.