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Ever wonder where the most active hunting communities in the country are located? According to the latest USFWS reports,...
02/17/2026

Ever wonder where the most active hunting communities in the country are located? According to the latest USFWS reports, some say the South is leading the charge.

Two of the top four states with the most licensed hunters in the entire country reside in the South. Three if you include Texas, which currently holds the number one spot with over a million licensed hunters, while Georgia and Tennessee sit comfortably in the top four.

The South also offers some of the most affordable access in the nation, with Georgia ranking among the least expensive states to secure a tag.

It’s clear that the passion for the outdoors remains a cornerstone of Southern life and culture and will for years to come.

Two hunters from Rayville, Louisiana, are now facing federal charges after allegedly taking 66 ducks across three trips....
02/11/2026

Two hunters from Rayville, Louisiana, are now facing federal charges after allegedly taking 66 ducks across three trips.

Agents began monitoring a specific area after receiving tips about individuals repeatedly exceeding the daily bag limit. On January 31, enforcement officers caught the pair with 14 ducks, which led to a deeper inquiry into their activity earlier that month. It was discovered that the hunters had also harvested 28 ducks on January 24 and 24 ducks on January 25, totaling 66 birds across the three trips.

Additionally, the subjects were cited for exceeding the daily limit for pintails during their first outing. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, "violations of federal migratory bird regulations can result in fines up to $15,000 and imprisonment of up to six months." The case has been sent to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution in federal court.

Johnathan Moreland decided to take advantage of Arkansas’ new 2024 regulations by trading his traditional archery gear f...
02/10/2026

Johnathan Moreland decided to take advantage of Arkansas’ new 2024 regulations by trading his traditional archery gear for a seven-foot homemade spear crafted from rebar and flat steel.

After months of practice, he perched 14 feet high on the evening of October 9th with a bait pile positioned just steps from his tree. When a heavy-racked buck finally stepped into his zone, Moreland launched the heavy weapon for a heart-pounding two-yard shot. Watching the spear bury deep, Johnathan was overcome with emotion, saying, “I’ve had some amazing days in the woods, but this is humbling.”

The buck bolted into the thick brush, leaving a trail that eventually led Johnathan toward the dark waters of a nearby lake…

See it unfold in the incredible footage below 👇

Yes, you can trespass on "stolen" land 😉While most hunters respect trespassing laws and bag limits, one Louisiana hunter...
02/10/2026

Yes, you can trespass on "stolen" land 😉

While most hunters respect trespassing laws and bag limits, one Louisiana hunter decided to respect neither.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents recently cited 33-year-old Kyle Barksdale after discovering he had allegedly taken five illegal bucks during the 2025-26 season. The investigation was sparked by reports of a hunter on land without permission, eventually revealing that three bucks were harvested earlier in the year without being tagged or validated. Two of them while trespassing.

Things came to a head on January 16th when the hunter reportedly took an 8-point and a 12-point buck on property where he was trespassing. Taking those two deer in a single day pushed him well over both his daily and seasonal limits for antlered deer. In addition to potential jail time and tagging fines, "Barksdale’s on the hook for civil restitution up to $2,400 for the illegally taken deer."

Lucky for Barksdale, the property did not press trespassing charges and issued a warning instead.

What if the woods itself could tell the game warden exactly when a poacher pulls the trigger?Across the globe, conservat...
02/10/2026

What if the woods itself could tell the game warden exactly when a poacher pulls the trigger?

Across the globe, conservationists are using new AI technology to monitor thousands of miles of wilderness in real-time. These systems can listen for gunshots or track unauthorized trucks moving through the brush. In Zambia’s Kafue National Park, this tech helped teams catch 322 poachers in just one year.

If brought to the U.S., it could mean "Hidden Rangers" at the entrances of our state lands and WMAs. A game warden would get a smartphone alert the moment a rifle is detected out of season or a vehicle drives around a closed gate at 2:00 AM. As researcher Drew Cronin put it, "There’s all these tools out there to try and push back against something that is increasingly well financed, increasingly organized and difficult to combat."

At the end of the day, if it keeps the 'fair' in fair chase without infringing on our privacy, it’s a win for the entire hunting community.

Sometimes the biggest trophies aren't found at the end of an 11-hour road trip, but right in your own backyard.Darren Hi...
02/09/2026

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" ...
02/09/2026

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 K...
02/09/2026

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 terr...
02/09/2026

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.

While the birth of his first daughter was the ultimate highlight of 2025, Payton Neal’s hunting season reached a new pea...
02/08/2026

While the birth of his first daughter was the ultimate highlight of 2025, Payton Neal’s hunting season reached a new peak with an incredible Mississippi 8-point.

Payton had only seen this elusive Carroll County buck on camera a few times at random hours before deciding to switch things up the day before Thanksgiving. He moved from his usual food plots to a stand along a wooded creek bed he had rarely hunted, hoping for a change in luck. Within an hour, Neal heard movement and spotted a buck that quickly slipped out of sight before reappearing just 50 yards away twenty minutes later.

As the massive deer stepped into the clear, Neal felt the full weight of the moment. "I knew he was big. You get that buck fever when your heart starts beating out of your chest and you start shaking," Neal said of the intense encounter. He managed to squeeze the trigger and make a clean shot, eventually recovering a trophy that grossed an impressive 154 inches.

While the buck is a lifetime achievement, Neal considers the harvest a secondary blessing to the gift of becoming a father earlier this year.

Nothing gets hunters divided faster than the "corn pile" debate. 🌽🦌Is it a game-changer, or is it the reason that monste...
02/08/2026

Nothing gets hunters divided faster than the "corn pile" debate. 🌽🦌

Is it a game-changer, or is it the reason that monster buck still manages to ghost you regardless of how much "yellow gold" is on the ground?

What’s your take? Is it a strategic tool or just a crutch?

Hear from your peers below 👇

A crucial legal battle over six duck hunters in Sweetwater could determine whether Tennessee cities have the power to ef...
02/07/2026

A crucial legal battle over six duck hunters in Sweetwater could determine whether Tennessee cities have the power to effectively ban hunting within their limits.

"The outcome of this appeal is critical because many of Tennessee’s most impressive bucks are taken on private land within municipal boundaries like Nashville or Hendersonville."

Full story in comments 👇

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