Rack Reports

Looking for the inside scoop on a rumored record whitetail? Just how big was that buck your favorite pro-staffer killed last week? Did you shoot a big buck yourself, and want to share the story? Then you've come to the right place: Welcome to the Rack Report.

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Double Amputee Jason Koger Takes Last-Day Buck with a Crossbow

February 6, 2019  |  From Rack Reports

Jason Koger’s history with this particular buck started in November of 2018, but this Owensboro, Kentucky, hunter’s story goes back much farther. In early March of 2008, Jason was out riding the farm on his ATV, a near daily occurrence for the active outdoorsman. Then something went horribly wrong. “I...

Muzzleloader Hunter Takes 180-Inch Buck

January 20, 2019  |  From Rack Reports

Nebraska deer hunter Tyler Collier had to stop by a convenience store midday on December 5. There, he happened to stumble upon a single penny laying heads-up. “I’ve always heard that it’s good luck to find a penny laying heads-up,” Collier said. “I hoped it was a sign that the...

Deer Hunter Kills Two Booners in Same Calendar Year

January 5, 2019  |  From Rack Reports

As Chase Peters made his way to the Redneck Blind on that fateful December evening, he couldn’t help but think how his previous roller-coaster season ended about a half mile away. This Hoosier State native will readily admit his addiction to bowhunting whitetails. Making that addiction even worse is his...

Bowhunter Stalks Giant Bedded Buck

December 25, 2018  |  From Rack Reports

If a hunter makes his or her goal taking a 200-inch buck with a bow, I suppose the place to do it is Iowa. The state allots nonresident deer licenses on a very limited basis. That, combined with excellent nutrition and firearm seasons that run after the rut, makes the...

Youth Hunter's Long Journey Ends with Huge Buck

December 21, 2018  |  From Rack Reports

Kentucky hunter Landon Smith was 10 years old the first time he saw the buck. It was the early youth season and Landon and his grandfather, Gary, known as “Hay” to Smith, had just settled into the stand. The hunters happened to look back along the trail they had just...

Hunter Tags Giant Buck 2 Miles from Its Supposed Core Area

December 19, 2018  |  From Rack Reports

Most bucks featured in Realtree.com’s Rack Reports are taken by hunters who’ve been pursuing those specific bucks for one or more seasons. Some consider the building of history with a particular buck — sheds, encounters and trail cam pictures — a relationship. Often, these relationships last three or four years...

All-Day Sit Leads to Giant Archery Buck

December 19, 2018  |  From Rack Reports

It’s not every day that you get to deer hunt in Iowa. And it isn’t every day you get to chase a 6 ½-year-old buck. But that’s exactly what Realtree’s own Phillip Culpepper did this November — on both counts. “I was fortunate enough to have my buddy, Drake Lamb...

Hang-and-Hunt Sit Produces a 200-Inch Monster

December 17, 2018  |  From Rack Reports

Marc Anthony’s quote, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” is quite true. However, while Chris Van Gerpen, Xpedition Archery’s operations manager and land manager/consultant, loves his job, he’s so immersed in the outdoor lifestyle that his hunting time is limited. “I’ve been helping...

Aggressive Calling Leads to Hunter's Biggest Buck

December 14, 2018  |  From Rack Reports

When Jason Eiring booked a bowhunt with outfitter Mark Schuhter of Schuhter’s Outpost, he didn’t realize he’d be bringing home the largest buck of his life — a deer that Schuhter had nicknamed Hollywood and been trying to put his clients on for three years. In camp the week Eiring...

Hunter Tags Giant Buck After Nearly Giving Up the Search

December 12, 2018  |  From Rack Reports

If you hunt long enough, you’ll eventually face a perplexing tracking job. It’s a sinking feeling until closure comes. Now, imagine if the deer in question is a 231 7/8-inch gross-scoring giant you’ve been chasing for three seasons. “I almost gave up on looking for the deer after scouring the...

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