Hunting Southern

Sometimes the biggest trophies aren't found at the end of an 11-hour road trip, but right in your own backyard.

Darren Hice had just returned home to Arkansas from a grueling hunting trip in Northern Nebraska when he received a shocking phone call from his stepson, Hunter Smalling. Hunter had headed out to a local spot his father had scouted over the weekend, though the family "had no idea that the deer even existed" in the area. While Darren had just driven 11 hours for a chance at a buck this size, Hunter managed to seal the deal just 11 minutes away from their front door.
Hunter originally estimated the deer would land somewhere in the 130 to 140-inch range, but the tape measure quickly proved told a different story. When they finally took the massive whitetail to the Arkansas Big Buck Classic, it officially measured in at a staggering 180-7/8 inches and won biggest buck for Sebastian County this year.

It is a world-class reminder that you don't always have to travel far from home to find the hunt of a lifetime.

Congrats Hunter!

Sometimes the best hunting stories start with an unplanned invitation and a decision to let your buddy take the "lucky" stand.

Nic Daugherty of South Carolina was just stopping by a friend's house to pick up a ground blind when he was invited for a last-minute afternoon hunt on a property where a massive buck had been dodging hunters all season. Despite 8 to 10 people targeting the deer over a four-mile range, Nic selflessly insisted his friend take the back stand where the buck was usually caught on camera. Nic settled into the "front stand" where the deer had never been seen before, watching smaller bucks and does feed as the sun began to dip.

Right before dark, the massive buck suddenly stepped out between two smaller bucks, offering Nic a clear shot at 100 yards. Recalling the intense moment after he pulled the trigger of his .308, Nic said, "It was the biggest buck I have ever had the opportunity to shoot." After a short tracking job through the field and into the wood line, Nic and his friend found the brute lying just 15 yards into the tree line.

What a beautiful deer. Congrats Nic!

Grayson Muse proved that old-school woodsmenship still beats a trail camera after he cracked the code on this 173-inch Kentucky giant.

Grayson had been watching this buck on camera since June, but once bow season opened, the deer completely vanished from his standing cornfield setup. Refusing to give up, he used a rainy day to scout the farm from top to bottom, eventually discovering a patch of white oaks loaded with acorns, fresh rubs, and dried velvet. He quickly hung a new stand in the timber and waited for the perfect wind to return, despite still having no recent photos of the buck in this new area.

While watching a solid 130-inch 10-point feed on acorns, the target buck finally stepped out of the timber and offered a broadside look. Grayson settled his nerves just long enough to execute the shot, saying, "I got my bow up, drawn back and shot him with nothing short of a perfect shot." The buck didn't go 60 yards before crashing thanks to his grim reaper broadhead, ending a long game of cat-and-mouse with a buck that unofficially tapes out at a massive 173-5/8 inches.

Congrats Grayson!

What started as a routine job clearing fruit trees for an elderly couple in Skyline, Alabama, quickly turned into a terrifying fight for survival against a highly unusual attacker.

Jonathon Counts was stacking limbs when an 8-point buck with orange bows on its antlers emerged from the woods, seemingly tame yet showing no fear. The deer suddenly charged, pinning Counts onto its antlers and repeatedly ramming him as he struggled to hold on. As he fought for his life alone in the brush, Counts recalled, “He then proceeded to pull me back and then charge forward repeatedly to try his best to kill me”.

With no help in sight and visions of his family flashing through his head, he realized his only chance was to cut off the animal's air supply. Counts managed to wrestle the buck into a rear naked chokehold, holding the position with everything he had until the deer finally fell motionless. To ensure the threat was over, he retrieved a pistol from his truck and fired a final shot, later discovering the deer had left him with a deep 6 cm puncture wound.

Jonathan would like to thank Dr. Wilson Alley for providing exceptional care after this incident.