Follow Ups

This time of year can be interesting. Usually, pictures and rumors of big bucks are running wild in e-mail inboxes across the country. I know mine's been busy. Earlier this season, I posted the above picture of a big Kentucky buck, supposedly killed in Butler County. Now I see Jake has a picture of a hunter with a big deer from Kentucky. They look a lot alike to me. I'd love to know more of the story.

Other big deer have popped up as well, and have led to other endings. I saw on Boone and Crockett's Trophy Watch, for example, that a big non-typical Missouri buck we posted here a couple weeks ago was likely shot in a high-fenced pen. I'm not going to get into whether that's a good thing or bad thing--it simply won't count as a world record as mentioned in the e-mails I saw if that's the case.

On another note, I've got a feature article posted on Realtree.com this week called The Hometown Buck. If you get 10 extra minutes, take a look at it and let me know what you think. This was a meaningful story for me to write, and it gave me the chance to catch up with a friend I hadn't talked to in a long while. Stories like "Hunting Bucks in the Rut," "Killing Call-Shy Turkeys" and "10 Ways to Catch Bass on Topwaters" pay the bills, are fun to write and provide good information, but I think it's important to be reminded from time to time that there's more to our sport than simple mechanics. Aspects of hunting can connect folks in ways few other endeavors can. I enjoyed writing this piece, and I thank Realtree for giving me the channel.

Winter is setting in here in Dixie, and deer seasons are winding down. My mind is beginning to drift to thoughts of hog hunting in short sleeves in Florida. Threats of snow and freezing rain flashed across TV screens yesterday afternoon, and most of the grocery stores promptly sold out of the essentials, like milk, bread, and beer (even though it's supposed to hit 60 degrees Saturday). But, a few late gun seasons and quite a bit of archery hunting time remains. Some die-hards are still out there, so expect another big one or two to fall before all is said and done.

Will in Tennessee