Ben Spencer finally ended his long campaign for the Sunflower State slammer at the end of last month. Here’s the full story of his hunt
Author: Scott Bestul
Scott Bestul
Trained as a high school English teacher and coach, Scott Bestul left that lucrative field to pursue another—as a full-time freelance writer in 1990. He sold his first story to Field & Stream a few years later and has been contributing to the brand ever since. Highlights Education Bestul graduated from Winona State University in 1985, with a B.S. in English (writing emphasis) and a coaching certificate. Experience Bestul has been the F&S whitetails columnist for more than a decade and has written dozens of articles and contributed to many feature packages since joining the brand. Additionally, he’s contributed to many national and regional outdoor magazines and newspapers. Bestul paired with F&S Executive Editor, Dave Hurteau, to write the The Total Deer Hunter Manual and The Total Bowhunting Manual. Bestul also co-authored The Last River Rat with Wisconsin resident Kenny Salwey in 2001. He was awarded the Quality Deer Management Association’s “Signpost Communicator of the Year” in 2013, and has given seminars at deer expos and sportsman’s shows across the country. Bestul will enjoy his 50th deer season this fall, and has been turkey hunting since the 1980s. He’s been an avid upland hunter and fisherman since boyhood. F&S Lightning Round Favorite Place to Fish: Driftless region trout streams in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa,Favorite Critter to Hunt: Whitetail deer in the woods behind his home,Bucket List Adventure: Float trip for archery moose in Alaska or the Yukon,Most Prized Piece of Gear: Recurve bow I helped build,All-Time Favorite F&S Story: “The Quicksand” by Bill Heavey Notable Work
The giant buck came running to the rattling antlers. But Chad Chambers had to wait for the monster to stop licking one of his climbing sticks before he could make a perfect shot
The rut gets all the hype, but one of your best chances to take a true giant comes when the breeding frenzy is over. Follow these 10 expert tips to cash in
Deer are chattier than most hunters think. Here’s a breakdown of 9 key deer vocalizations, what they mean, and how to imitate them to fill your tag
Is this buck sign really worth hunting over? The answer is a definite “sometimes.” Here’s when and how you can intercept a great buck along a rub line
Ohio is pumping out 200-inch whitetails this fall, and Tommy Allen’s gross-216-inch giant is the latest. Check out the full story of his hunt
Celebrate a banner year for big deer with our final season-long roundup of top whitetails taken by hunters in 2024, including nearly 20 200-plus-inch giants
Here are the country’s top spots for putting your tag on a record-book whitetail buck, according to B&C and P&Y data
After a three-year campaign, Evan Proctor put his tag on the giant nontypical on September 22nd
Deer seek out and scarf up the best-tasting acorn from the first day of the season to the last. Here’s how to scout an oak stand, pick the right tree, and tag that nut-eating buck
