Biggest Bucks: Best Whitetails and Mule Deer Taken by OL Readers in 2012
Outdoor Life readers are the best deer hunters in the world, and these 30 photos prove it. Check out the...
Played a hunch to intercept deer exiting a bed area to food using moon time, SE wind, & trail camera ops. Brother and I were 60 yds apart as I randomly rattled in 10 second bursts. Deer came to within 20 yards, thrashed a tree, and approached looking for the inferior bucks. Have 2010 and 2012 velvet photos. 6.5 yrs old, gross 180s -chadly
I saw this guy coming in at 300 yards out. It wasn’t until about 85 yards I saw how big he really was. Then he just came strait to me like he knew me. I was surprised he didn’t run away from the sound my Big Buck I saw this guy coming in at 300 yards out. It wasn’t until about 85 yards I saw how big he really was. Then he just came strait to me like he knew me. I was surprised he didn’t run away from the sound my heart was making but he came within 20 yards and that’s when I shot. I had to track him about 150 yards. He’s a 12pt and his gross score was 199 7/8 (unofficial). -Mark Clinehens
heart was making but he came within 20 yards and that’s when I shot. I had to track him about 150 yards. He’s a 12pt and his gross score was 199 7/8 (unofficial). -Mark Clinehens
Lindsay killed this buck out of a ground blind in Franklin county,Ohio. She was using a Parker Tornado crossbow with G5T3 broadheads. The buck scored 158 inches and only ran about 60 yards before expiring. Her husband Kevin Groom got the whole hunt on film! -kevin groom
On November 14th 2012, wich is opening day for shotgun deer season in Connecticut, I was lucky enough to bag this 11 point giant buck in Salmon River State Forest. This is my best buck yet.I use an Itahca Deerslayer II 12 gauge shotgun with Hornady SST 300 grain sabot slugs. There are some big deer in Connecticut, but on state land these are pretty rare. -jerfx
My Husband LOVES hunting! We have a room full of trophies from hunts, but this year he got a really nice one! He had spotted this buck earlier in the week hunting on his fathers farm, and this day the buck came in close enough, chasing a doe, that Greg was able to shoot it with his bow! November 7th, 2012 in Jennings County Indiana. -vicki owens
My brother-in-law, Rick Johns, arrowed this buck in October, it green scored 150+, weighed 200+ pounds live weight. -berrde47
No guides, no ranch just boots on Montana public land!!! -Montanaturfkiller
I got this 4×5 whitetail buck this evening just before dusk hunting with my husband near Mound City, SD. This is my first buck, and I only have 1 doe under my belt! I’m one pretty excited lady tonight to have bagged this guys as my first buck! -Jenny Larson
I was on our land in Grayson County, Virginia, hunting. This is only my second year of hunting. I glanced out of my deer stand and saw this buck walking past me. He was in our turnip patch food plot. I shot him with my 7mm 08. He walked 100 yards and fell. He was a 155 inch 10 pointer and weighed 205 pounds. -cheria68
This 217″ Kansas giant was finally harvested by me after a 3 year chase with no avail. With my fiance behind the video camera, we had a change of luck when the buck we called “Slash” (because he has a slash in his right ear) came walking cluelessly under my stand. 30 yard shot with my PSE bow. Victory was finally mine! And now the chase is over with this enormous Kansas Giant!! -scdtwokansas
This buck was shot in Central Wisconsin. He was shot with a 12g at 15 yards away opening morning. I was hunting in a deer stand that was set and he came into a series of Doe bleats and after being shot once directly in the lungs, ran all of 25 yards. He green scored 170 3/8! -diehardsportsman
My name is Gail Miller and I killed this 11 point buck with my crossbow in Medina County Ohio on 10/26/12.I am a mother of 2 and grandmother of 4 and this has been one of the most exciting moments of my life. This buck is on our trailcams and he is named Bullwinkle. Just an awesome experience and needless to say, I have been on cloud nine ever since. -gamiller11
Opening day, tagged out! -Montanaurfkiller
Just before legal closing I saw him working his way up the valley towards me, then he cut across the side of the valley and came out into an open field about 35 yds away, I couldn’t shoot when I wanted because of a tree limb, so as soon as I had a clear shot I stopped him with a mrrrr. Then he looked at me broadside, and I let the arrow go and he ran about 70 yds and went down -Ekxjar
After 20 years of hunting this is my first big buck taken with my shotgun. It was taken on the first legal minute of opening morning 2012 Illinois shotgun season. -tipton72
My son Tyler got a nice 11 point buck with his PSE Bow Madness and RAGE tips. -Boyd Atkins
6 bucks chased 3 doe past my tree and i was able to shoot this hog at 18 yards. the rage did the rest!the buck green gross score was 170 n 4/8 over 42in. of which were mass measurements! -ryan christy
1st year archery hunter and it turns out third time in the stand, this buck shows up, walks directly to me, offering no shot. Finally at 12yrds he quartered away giving me the opportunity to seal the deal. I let the release go, saw the impact and new it was a clean shot. Recovery was 60 yards from point of impact. corykujawa@gmail.com
I’ve hunted the Black Hills of South Dakota many years since I moved to the area from the plains of South Dakota but this is easily the best buck I’ve ever harvested! Although Black Hills deer are typically smaller than their prairie cousins, this guy measured up well! -redjohn
It finally happened this year that Angela got her a nice mature main frame 4 X 4. I guess you could say that patience isn’t her thing. A trophy to her is any size buck that she has to hike for. She had to be convinced to pass on a couple smaller bucks that morning and now she’s glad she did. While hunting on public land she put him down with a great shot from her .308. -gnhusker
Marty Furseth of Edgerton Wisconsin poses with this BEAUTIFUL 10 pointer. Losing light and ready to call it a day He was about to climb out of his tree stand when he finally got what he was waiting for,a 40 yard shot was delivered, the big buck ran about 20 yards and was down! -Danny Furseth
I shot my second buck on the first Monday of rifle season with my Marlin 30/30 on my father inlaws’ property in Benton, Columbia county. It’s a 10pt with 18.25″ inside spread. It weighed 155 lbs dressed out. -mrishel
20 points all together. -sqwimpy1
Walking in a thicket, I heard what appeared to be a deep grunt. I pulled Emma to the ground. I whispered, there is a big buck approaching. In the crouched position she readied the cross bow. Within moments, I heard the twang of the string & the thud of the bolt. Emma whispered “Did I get it?” With that she buried her face in my chest and became overwhelmed with emotion. Her first buck! -garblaster
8 pt., weighed 243lbs., scored 151. Taken near Carrot River in Canada with a Remington 300 ultra mag/Federal Premuim 180 grain burger bullet. -raychris
My second buck taken turned out to be a monster. Shot this low country buck at 60 yards. Wow my dad and I were shaking for a hour. My smile tells it all. This 210 lb deer is a low country buck of a lifetime. -Marty Middendorf
I hunted as hurricane sandy’s wind blew. This buck never made it to his feeding spot. I made a good shot and he only went 20 yards. It is my best bow buck to date. -AndyH
This was Traci’s first deer hunt. Traci shot this muley on opening day of a youth hunt in Montana. One shot from 150 yards with a 243. -cjohnstn4618
Bryson Fowler aka Big “B” bags a 11 point buck scoring 136 in Putnam county. -bryfowler
For our first out-of-state big game hunt, I decided to try Mule Deer in Montana with Owen. I couldn’t believe our luck when, on the afternoon of opening day of rifle season, this 151″ appeared 40 yards away. Great trip! -Mitchw
Outdoor Life readers are the best deer hunters in the world, and these 30 photos prove it. Check out the biggest bucks taken this year.
