Deer Hunting

Deer Hunting

Palmer, Bankston win deer photo monthly contests; finals round begins

February 4, 2011 Andy Crawford

MS-Sportman.com users Jackson Palmer and Justin Bankston took top honors in the final monthly edition of the Nikon Deer of the Year and Trail Cam photo contests. Palmer and Bankston now move on to the grand-prize round of voting that begins this afternoon.

Each of the users will receive an Official Sportsman Gear prize pack that includes a Sportsman T-shirt, a decal and a free one-year subscription to Mississippi Sportsman magazine. […]

Deer Hunting

170-inch 10-point adds icing to user dgbarton’s season

February 1, 2011 Andy Crawford

Raymond’s David Barton had had a great season already. His wife Roxie and 10-year-old daughter Cloe had popped their first bucks, and his 8-year-old son had put down a doe. Barton also had hosted a Wounded Warriors hunt, and several others had killed their first deer on the family land near his Hinds County home.

So when the alarm clock sounded Saturday (Jan. 29), he hit the snooze. Twice. […]

Deer Hunting

190-class buck downed before dogs released on Hatchapaloo Hunting Club

January 31, 2011 Andy Crawford

It was bitterly cold on the Jan. 9, and only five truckloads of Hatchapaloo Hunting Club members had shown up for a morning dog hunt. The hunters were riding the more than 30 miles of roads on the 7,000-acre Smith County lease looking for a likely place to release their dogs.

“We were just riding and trying to stay in the truck because it was so cold,” joked Gary Kennedy, known at the camp as “Festus Hagen.” […]

Deer Hunting

Canton archer gets second shot, connects on 160-class buck

January 29, 2011 Andy Crawford

Claudie Steen watched the nice 11-point ease into the bottleneck, and drew his bow as the animal approached his stand site. He had seen the deer earlier while trailing another deer he had arrowed, and now everything was falling in place.

At a mere 15 yards, the Canton hunter put his pin on the deer’s vitals and released the arrow. And felt his stomach churn as the animal ducked and quickly disappeared.

That was Jan. 31, 2010. […]

Deer Hunting

Persistence pays off with 170-inch Hinds County buck

January 27, 2011 Andy Crawford

Justin Bankston grew up a fanatical deer hunter, but about 12 years ago the Terry resident decided he just couldn’t afford to invest the time. So he became a part-timer, hunting here and there as his busy schedule allowed.

“Starting two businesses and starting a family, I sort of fell out of it,” Bankston said.

However, he realized last year it was time for his 8-year-old son to get involved in the sport, so he joined a Hinds County lease. He still didn’t plan on going full out, though – until he saw a trail-cam photo of a monster buck on the property. […]

Deer Hunting

Deer Hunter’s Reference Guide

January 26, 2011 Mississippi Sportsman

The Deer Hunter’s and Land Manager’s Pocket Reference, written by J. Wayne Fears, is a one-of-a-kind guide filled with valuable information including managing plants and land for deer, deer harvest information, butchering tips, getting the pH of a food plot, how to find a deer biologist where you live, and much, much more. […]

Deer Hunting

Young Gulf Coast hunter rings in New Year with 170-inch buck

January 19, 2011 Cliff Covington

Rather than ring in the New Year in Pass Christian shooting fireworks, 16-year-old Jonathon Allen opted to celebrate by spending the holiday weekend with family and friends at their 2,400-acre hunting lease in Yazoo County near Vaughan. It had been six long years since Jonathon had scored on a buck, and he was more than ready to change his luck.

Allen knew the property was home to a number of very large bucks. The day after Christmas his dad had missed a monster buck that was farther out in the field than he had estimated. And Jonathon’s uncle had been hot on the trail of a giant 9-pointer he had spotted earlier in the season. […]