Advertisement
Hunting
Ten-year-old Payton McCullough, of Franklin, had no idea that her first deer harvest would be so special. Aside from sporting a beautiful 9-point rack, her buck also had abnormally long hooves that curved upward like elf shoes. In fact, her dad Chad had many trail camera videos and pictures of the unique buck that he…
Chase Hemphill has a love-hate relationship with Chestatee Wildlife Management Area and deer hunting the mountains of Lumpkin County. The 39-year-old public-land hunter from Blairsville has had remarkable success with two special bucks… but they are bucks killed five years apart that bookend countless unsuccessful hunts. “I love it when it’s right, hate it when…
“A buck of this caliber isn’t a secret. If you have one like him on your camera, you can be sure that someone else has pictures of him, as well. He was a true legend in this area,” Cole Cleiman, host of the “Mountain Morning Show” and co-owner of 94.3 WCHM radio station in Clarkesville,…
Brandon McKune caught a lucky break on Sept. 15, 2024 when his wife said she’d watch their newborn so he could slip off and hunt on opening morning of bow season. “I decided to walk in to my stand on the back of our property,” he said. “It was hot. Really hot. I started sweating…
When Colby Brown arrowed a 135-inch buck in Jasper County on Oct. 18, he thought his season was made. However, he was only warming up to what would be his best season ever. On Nov. 26, Colby once again had his bow in the stand. This time he was in Newton County and ended up…
Saturday, October 12, 2024, was a memorable day for diesel mechanic John McIntyre, of Grantville, when he arrowed a buck of a lifetime—a beautiful red stag weighing more than 400 pounds. “I first got pictures of the stag the day before coming through my cell camera,” said John. “I know of a high fence place…
It was opening-day afternoon of blackpowder, and I was in venison collection mode. I had four packs of frozen ground left, and it was time to replenish the Gill home. About 45 minutes before dark, a doe high-stepped out of some pines and into a strip of natural grass and broomsedge. At first appearing, she…
It was 2011 and it had just become legal to hunt over corn in Georgia. Thomas Vann took advantage and killed a huge buck with his bow. It is a Wheeler County record that still stands today. Fast forward to the presidential election on Nov. 8, 2016. Before the night was over, Donald Trump would…
FAQ: what does it take to harvest a whitetail big enough to qualify for GON’s Youth Big-Buck Shoot-Out? Well, you can always get lucky. But Cody Gay, the 2023 Youth Shoot-Out winner, has provided a better answer: 300 hours on the trail of one—and only one—shooter. His dad, Ronnie, has seen this happen before on…
Though I write for GON monthly, this makes the first hunting story I’ve worked on in quite some time, and that’s not by accident. I’ll be upfront and honest. I’m not particularly fond of the direction the hunting sector as a whole is headed, and I haven’t been for a long time. Now, let me…
Become a GON subscriber and enjoy full access to ALL of our content.
New monthly payment option available!
Advertisement