Big Buck — Articles — Fall Obsession

“After spending most of my life chasing whitetails, I have learned that those big moments are rarely created by one big decision. They are usually created by a hundred little ones…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashOctober 28, 2026Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Big Buck, monster buck, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Tips, Hunting Tips

Reading October: More Than a Calendar

“Early October is a perfect example. A lot of hunters are still trying to hunt the deer they watched all summer. They had a buck coming into a field every evening in August. They had him on camera throughout September. Then October arrives and suddenly he disappears…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashOctober 21, 2026Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Whitetail Management, Whitetail, Big Buck, monster buck, the rut

Trail Cams: The Other Side of the Lens

“We spend an incredible amount of time using trail cameras to learn mature bucks, but how much time do we spend thinking about what those bucks might be learning about our cameras?”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashOctober 18, 2026trail Camera, Big Buck, monster buck, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Deer Hunting, Deer Management

The Last Dance: Do Mature Bucks Have One Final Rut?

“Is it possible that some old bucks know, in a biological sense, that this may be their final breeding season? Are they simply worn down by age, or do they invest everything they have left into one final opportunity to pass on their genetics…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashAugust 17, 2026Whitetail Management, Deer Management, Whitetail, Big Buck, monster buck, the rut, habitat, Deer Hunting

The Process of Elimination: Finding the Buck Others Cannot

“One mistake I see hunters make over and over is becoming fixated on the exact location where they photographed the buck. They immediately want to hang a stand near that camera because that is where he showed up. I actually begin eliminating that camera location…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashAugust 5, 2026Big Buck, Whitetail Management, Whitetail, Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Scouting, E-scouting, habitat

The Genesis of Giants: Where the Crown Begins

“The genesis of giants has never started with antlers. It has always started with the rain….”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashJuly 28, 2026Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Big Buck, monster buck, Scouting

Are We Misunderstanding Summer Bachelor Groups?

“For decades, deer hunters have accepted one common belief about summer whitetail behavior. However, after reviewing thousands of trail camera photos, I have begun noticing something that seems to challenge that long held belief…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashJuly 22, 2026Whitetail Management, Whitetail, Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Big Buck, monster buck, velvet, Scouting, E-scouting, trail Camera

The Blueprint: A Hidden Science Behind a Buck's Velvet

“Most of us focus on the finished product, but very few stop to consider the incredible process taking place beneath the velvet itself…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashJuly 14, 2026velvet, antlers, Big Buck, monster buck, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Calling, Scouting, Off Season

The Buck That Beat You

“The woods are quiet now. Stands sit empty. Tags are either filled, notched, or folded and tucked away. But despite the silence, there’s still movement, just not where you can see it. It’s in your head…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashJanuary 14, 2026Big Buck, monster buck, Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Whitetail Management, Whitetail, Late Season

How to Score a Whitetail Buck: A Hunter's Reference to Scoring Standards

“Many hunters score their bucks just to understand what they harvested, while others hope to enter their deer in the record books. No matter the reason, learning how to measure a whitetail correctly is one of the most valuable skills an outdoorsman can have…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashJanuary 8, 2026Whitetail, Big Buck, monster buck, Deer Hunting, Scoring, Boone and Crockett, Pope and Young

Connecting the Dots: How to Tag Your Target Buck

“For hunters chasing mature whitetails, success isn’t about chance encounters, it’s about connecting the dots between bedding, food, travel routes, and timing. Big bucks don’t move randomly; they move with purpose…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashNovember 29, 2025Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Whitetail Management, Land Management, Big Buck, Whitetail, small property, trail Camera

First Snow, a Small Parcel & a Big Buck

“Fall Obsession has always preached real hunting. Not everyone has 300 acres, full-season access, or high-end gear. Some of the best hunts and the best lessons, come from ordinary guys hunting ordinary land the right way. Don’s snowy bow kill is a reminder of that truth…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashNovember 23, 2025Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Bow Hunting, Whitetail Management, Whitetail, Big Buck, small property

A Buck of a Lifetime: The Western New York Giant

“All antlers and mass, charging in behind her. My heart nearly stopped. I was tucked 18 feet up in a four-trunk tree, trying not to breathe as the doe locked eyes on me. She froze, and it felt like time stood still…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashNovember 18, 2025Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Big Buck, monster buck, Bow Hunting, Stories

Understanding the Rut One Doe at a Time

“The rut — that electrifying time of year when every hunter’s pulse quickens, is often viewed as one chaotic window of wild movement and endless opportunity. But in truth, it’s far more nuanced than a single explosive event…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashNovember 12, 2025the rut, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Big Buck, Land Management, Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Bow Hunting

Hunting the Pre-Rut: When Obsession Takes Over

“By late October, bucks have dropped their relaxed routines. Testosterone is rising fast, but the does aren’t quite ready yet. This creates tension ,a restless, aggressive energy that drives bucks to move more during daylight and mark every inch of their territory…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashOctober 31, 2025Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Deer Calls, Deer Calling, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Big Buck, How to hunt, How-to, the rut

Full Moon in October: What Drives Buck Movement & How Hunters Win

“This year’s Harvest Supermoon crests the evening of Monday, October 6, 2025 (peak around 11:47 p.m. ET). It’ll look big and bright—and make fields feel like parking lots—but it won’t rewire the rut…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashOctober 7, 2025Deer Management, Deer Hunting, the rut, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Big Buck

Against the Wind: Thinking Like a Buck in a World Full of Hunters

“They’re not walking into the breeze like every hunting show says they will. They’re not reading the same scent-control manuals or following the rub lines we neatly plot on a map. In fact, more times than not, they’re doing the complete opposite…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashAugust 5, 2025Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Deer Calls, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Tips, tactics, Hunting Tips, Big Buck, the rut, wind

Muzzleloader Madness

“These bucks are worn down. Most have lost some size due to the rut and are looking to regain their energy. If you know where to look for these bucks you can be very successful…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashDecember 17, 2024Deer Management, Deer Hunting, tactics, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, Big Buck, Northeastern

Targeting Late Season Bucks

“With the rut winding down, bucks often shift their behavior and focus; making late-season hunting a unique challenge. Here are 8 key strategies and areas of focus to help you nab a big buck late in the season…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashDecember 7, 2024Big Buck, Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Late Season, Land Owner, Land Management, Bow Hunting, Northeastern

Don't Get Rattled

“While most fights take place in fields being territory driven, bucks don’t always want to take part in fighting or come in to check out what’s going on in the open field or field edge…”

ArticlesSamuel ThrashNovember 3, 2024Northeastern, Big Buck, Whitetail, Whitetail Management, the rut, Deer Management, Deer Hunting, Deer Calling