Trophy Dreams

by
posted on August 26, 2010
** 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. **
lessons_ah2015_fs.jpg (7)

I have just returned from my first scouting trip for the season. Out here in Wyoming scouting is a bit different than our whitetail hunting brethren do elsewhere—mostly in terms of scale. The area I plan to hunt for mule deer is a large, wide-open piece of public land. In a given section of this ground there are less than a dozen bushes that are as tall as my thigh and virtually no trees. Game trails are clearly visible from several hundred yards. Right now the mule deer are concentrated around the agricultural land that borders these mountains. Once the bell has rung and the hungry hordes start pressuring them, the big bucks will head for the hills.

Though I’m always aware of the deer, it's when I actually start scouting that the thoughts of mule deer with antlers as thick as my wrist really take hold. Then the dreams start. Sometimes at night, more often while I am buried in other chores and work, the possibilities of an outsized buck captures my attention.

Non-hunters look at desert land like this and think it absent of anything of real value. We hunters know different. The desert is a wonderful environment for those who prefer independence. It is a demanding mistress, and its dwellers must play by desert rules. But the rewards, though sparse in numbers, can be very good in quality. The dreams it produces still give me the same electric excitement I experienced when I began participating in this ritual nearly four decades ago.

Latest

Gear Lede Image
Gear Lede Image

Junior Hunter Gear: Get Your Kids Into the Field

Looking for ways to get your fields out from behind the screens and into the great outdoors this summer? Check out these great pieces of outdoor kit to help spur the process.

Stealth Cam Adds On-Demand Livestream

Shortly after teasing the launch of its new trail camera functionality at the 2025 SHOT Show, Stealth Cam has announced that On Demand Live Stream is available via the Command Pro app.

#SundayGunday: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 A.I.

On this week's #SundayGunday, Digital Associate Editor David Herman talks with Benelli Vice President Tim Joseph about Benelli's new Super Black Eagle 3 with A.I. barrel technology.

NRA Foundation Awards $13,500 in College Scholarships

The National Rifle Association is proud to announce the Grand Scholarship winners from the 2024 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.)—a group of exceptional students selected for their leadership, initiative, and dedication to advancing NRA programs within their communities.

Recipe: Bacon-Rolled Elk Burgers

Brad Fenson whips up his classic Bacon Rolled Elk Burgers in this week's recipe.

First Look: Chiappa Firearms Rhino Revolver

Chiappa Firearms is expanding its Rhino series by introducing two new revolvers chambered in the powerful, versatile 10mm Auto.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.