Everything is bigger in Texas, right? That theory definitely rings true when it comes to whitetails. Texas has an estimated 3-4 million whitetail deer and the state sells more than 1 million licenses each year. But how about age? What is the oldest deer you’ve tagged?

Derrick Ratliff, President and Founder of Horizon Firearms is familiar with the Texas whitetail scene and joins us this week to talk about tagging a buck that has been years in the making! For 10 years, Derrick has been hunting South Texas. A few years back Derrick says a 7-year-old buck went on his hit list. With 18 points, it was estimated the buck would score in the 170’s. The thing about hunting old deer though, Derrick says, is that they are reclusive and more challenging to hunt and that was the case for this whitetail as well. For three years, Derrick has been chasing this same buck, spotting him usually just once a season. When this year came around, he knew the buck would be 9 years old and he questioned if it was even alive still. However, when they caught him on a trail camera, although he appeared blind in one eye, he was still very much alive. That set the stage for this fall where Derrick finally got to close the book on this multi-year quest.

It’s bigger than big, and huger than huge! It’s all your favorite things wrapped up into one sweet prize package. It’s Jim and Trav's Holiday Outdoor Trav-el Pack Giveaway presented by Ranch Hand.

Okay, here’s the scoop! We’ve teamed up with our good friends over at Ranch Hand to offer all of you the chance to win a one-of-a-kind, awesome prize package valued at more than $1800. Not only do you have the chance to win a Ranch Hand Legend Grille Guard like the one on the front of my truck, but some of our other amazing partners have joined in with fantastic prizes, too!

The only way to curb the decline in hunters across the country is to get youth involved in the outdoor lifestyle and bring new or former adult outdoorsmen and women into the fold, as well. The statistics are very revealing, it’s estimated that only 5% of the population across the country hunts. Even more amazing is the fact that those 5% of people contribute nearly 60 percent of the funding for wildlife agencies across the country with their purchases of licenses, ammunition, firearms and more. A thriving hunting culture and population is important, not just to keep the lifestyle alive, but also to take care of natural resources – the wildlife and the great outdoors we all love.

It’s been a big year at Yamaha! Among a hefty list of other new releases, Yamaha debuted their 2019 Grizzly, Wolverine X2 and Adventure Pro GPS System. Plus, 2018 marked the 10th anniversary of the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative. Joining us this week with a wrap up of 2018 Yamaha happenings is Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV and Side-by-Side Marketing Manager.