Black Friday Shopping Pays Off with a 200-inch Mule Deer!

by
posted on December 11, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

For some, shopping on Black Friday means hitting the malls. For bowhunters like my husband, Phil, and me, it means hitting the sandhills to try and close the deal on a good buck. The plan came together for Phil that morning when he dropped this 200-inch muley.

While seeing one monster mule deer can be a once-in a lifetime experience, we saw two on his Kansas lease that week so whichever buck he got close to first would be the one. Easier said than done. He actually held off on stalking them until his Mathews No Cam HTR bow arrived. Would I be as patient, I wondered? Evidently, Phil knew that new bow would give him the edge.

Phil and his cameraman had several encounters and got great footage of both bucks for his TV show before he finally caught this one trailing a doe. But what were the odds because he was actually sitting with me in my blind as I waited on the whitetail buck I was chasing. Both whitetails and muleys were leaving the crop circle and heading for the sandhills when the heavy buck walked right past our blind. Our HECS Stealthscreen suit and Ozonics likely had something to do with our going undetected--considering they came from downwind. An Easton Deep Six FMJ arrow topped with a Grave Digger broadhead did the trick and the rest, as they say, is history.

Latest

Markkdkristy Chukar Hunt At Fence Small File
Markkdkristy Chukar Hunt At Fence Small File

Try a Hunting Preserve

With most hunting seasons over, some of us like to find another avenue in which to go afield. What about trying a bird hunting preserve?

First Look: Hawk Solace Platform and FLX Saddle

Hawk's latest product launch features two purpose-built pieces engineered to elevate modern saddle hunting systems: the Solace Platform and Helium FLX Saddle.

Texas Governor Makes New World Screwworm Disaster Declaration

On Jan. 29 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) declared a state of disaster as a pre-emptive move to minimize risk of the New World screwworm (NWS) establishing a foothold in the U.S. and Lone Star State.

New for 2026: GForce Arms LVR30S

GForce Arms has released the LVR30S, the newest addition to the company's Saddlehorn lever-action lineup.

#SundayGunday: Mossberg 500 Combo Field/Deer

Shotguns offer unmatched versatility, and when combined with a dependable manual platform like Mossberg’s Model 500, the result is not only practical but genuinely impressive.

Member's Hunt: The Spot

Back in 1963, my dad asked if I wanted to go deer hunting in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (what we locals call the U.P.). We had no tent, no camper and no cabin, although we did have a horse truck, and we converted it into a deer camp. Read on for this week's Member's Hunt, from Jim Mikkelsen.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.