Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2025 i North American Whitetail

AS EDITOR IN CHIEF OF North American Whitetail, I have the distinct privilege of interviewing whitetail hunters from across the continent. Literally, I talk to folks from Canada to Mexico and every deer hunting destination in-between. In doing so, I’ve had conversations with all walks of life. I’ve chatted with old timers who’ve hunted big bucks for longer than I’ve been alive, legends who possess the sort of whitetail wisdom you can’t help but admire. I’ve met young hunters with skill and accomplishments beyond their years — as well as straight-up “horseshoe” lucky folks who sit on buckets with borrowed guns and shoot state record bucks. I’ve been lied to by poachers peddling fabricated stories. And I’ve been subpoenaed by wildlife officers to cooperate in investigations against them. And the…

Killer Instinct’s new Logix 435 RDC Crossbow is designed for serious whitetail hunters who demand blazing fast arrow speed, excellent accuracy and a compact axle-to-axle footprint. At first glance, the Logix 435 RDC looks like a sleek, tactical machine — and that’s exactly what it is. Measuring just 6.75 inches wide axle-to-axle when cocked, this crossbow is impressively compact, making it ideal for maneuvering in tight blinds or tree stand setups. Uncocked, the bow expands to 10.75 inches, still maintaining a low profile that’s easy to carry and stow. Despite its compact frame, the Logix 435 packs a serious punch. With speeds reaching up to 435 feet per second and 155.5 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, this crossbow is more than capable of taking down whitetails at extended ranges. The NAW…

“Your buck is right in front of the side by side!” Josh Cantrell was totally caught off guard hearing his future wife, Pamela, telling him the deer he had been after since the previous season was standing out in the open, as she was recording the buck on video… Josh had first seen the Arkansas whitetail the year before, when it had shown up on his cell cam. He figured it was a mid-150s deer, and he quickly began hunting it. Unfortunately, when he got an opportunity to take the buck, it had broken three tines, so he decided to pass. That first encounter set up what would be a real battle of wits for the next season. A long drought ensued after he let the buck walk. There was…

1 While hunting a fresh scrape line, Dillon Craig arrowed this Indiana typical. Dillon and his brother-in-law both were hunting the buck. 2 Tara Reese’s husband, Jason, missed this Kansas whitetail during the 2023 season. However, on Nov. 15, 2024, Tara made her opportunity count and tagged the 6 1/2-year-old deer. 3 On Nov. 22, 2024, Gary Frisbee killed this big whitetail in Madison Co., North Carolina. Gary had four years’ worth of history with this deer, and the buck scores 162 inches. 4 During an afternoon hunt with her son, Claire Tucker took this impressive North Carolina buck on Nov. 27, 2024. Claire used her .243 Win. to shoot the deer. 5 At 8 years old, William Reese shot his first-ever deer. After spending the pre-season completing habitat work…

YOU’LL FIND THEM HERE and there across whitetail country: dusty, moth-chewed mounts of bucks from way back when. Whether hanging in homes, garages, cabins, offices or even country-themed business establishments – looking at you, Cracker Barrel – they recall a time when any decent buck shot by a hunter was likely to end up in the nearest taxidermy shop. All mounts from way back when seem crude in comparison to today’s, but they’re great reminders of how much taxidermy has evolved. And much of that change coincided with the first issue of North American Whitetail back in 1982. SPREADING THE WORD As outlined in Part 1, public interest in wildlife mounts took off during the Victorian Era, with an explosion of growth in the taxidermy of animals, birds and fishes.…

THE ESTIMATED POPULATION of white-tailed deer in North America now stands at around 36 million; pretty impressive, considering estimates of the pre-Columbian population are somewhere between 20-30 million! It’s also estimated about 6 million deer are harvested annually, amounting to about 360 million pounds of venison! The number of Boone & Crockett qualifying bucks from 2020-22 for the top 16 states and provinces was almost 1,000! The average state record typical net score holds at around 194 inches (range=176-211 4/8, n=43). Given this information, why should I even continue? Things look pretty good in the world of the whitetail and whitetail hunting, right? Let’s take a deep dive into the facts. We will have to begin at the turn of the 20th Century. WILDLIFE PREFERRED TREES AND SHRUBS In 1900, there…

REALTREE A highly versatile camo pattern designed to keep you hidden from the eyes of the wisest mature bucks, Realtree’s APX is ideal for whitetail hunters. Supported by the slogan, “where abstract meets reality,” APX doesn’t just help you blend, it helps you disappear. With carefully selected colors and textures layered in a way to trick a whitetail’s depth perception, it’s easy to see why this titan of a camo manufacturer feels this is one of their best patterns of all time. (realtree.com) KILLER INSTINCT Officially the new crossbow partner of NAW TV, Killer Instinct makes extremely accurate and maneuverable crossbows. One of their most popular crossbows is the LogiX 435 RDC. Earning its name from the 435-fps speed rating, the LogiX features a patent-pending Let-Down triggerbox, allowing you to…

As many of you have found, it’s not uncommon for giant whitetails to have controversy surrounding them. In fact, intrigue and controversy are commonplace for those who chase these animals, whether for hunting purposes, for their antlers, or for their story. Most who are involved have come to expect it. The world of top-end whitetails has always had its share of intrigue and controversy. Whether it be allegations of poaching, score shopping, or alteration, the bigger the antlers are, the more vulnerable they become to scrupulous dealing. We’ve become accustomed to reading high-profile poaching cases in the news. We know of giant-antlered deer that cannot be entered into record books because someone thought they could game the system, so they cheat in various ways to get a higher score and a…