Hunting

Field & Stream's 25 Best Big Game Reader Photos of 2009

January 6, 2010

My Son Jed Age 11, our friend Chris and me with our 715 lbs, 37 1/2 inch spread bull moose shot in October 2009 on the Black Branch of the Nulhegan.

On a recent elk hunt in Canada I harvested this 7x7 with my Mathews Mustang bow. This bull came in and my Pink Muzzy found it's mark at 20 yards. I stood on the bank of a waterhole and watched this monster expire only 20 yards from where I took the shot. I never celebrate the harvest until I have my hands on the animal and what a rush to lay my hands on this big guy that measured 387 6/8!!!

Filled my tag 1/2 hour into the season!!!! Predator called it into 25 yards!!! Nice female!!!

A nice fat caribou that my friend got this fall.

My dogs started this bear off the box and 2 hours later it thought it had found a safe place to get away from them, I reached in and snapped a picture to see what they had, after tieing the dogs back and banging on the log it came out and the race was on it treed quick, I Took some more pictures and left it to run again.

This pic came to me in an email. It's not my pic. I don't know the details except the young girl shot this supposedly record bear in Alaska. I posted it because it is an interesting photo.

Beautifully sunny day until we hiked beneath the clouds. Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Taken from the Molalla Tree Farm in Molalla, Oregon. Visit the website www.quality-service-inc.com for further information.

my biggest bull to date.

his biggest bull with me

Hunt of a Lifetime this was. I was lucky enough to draw a Colorado Moose tag for 2009. I spent 2 days in the woods and harvested this trophy of a lifetime on the evening of the 2nd day. I spent some great time with friends that helped my get this guy back to camp. Was a hunt I will never forget. Ended up being 43" spread with a 26" beard.

A cat that ended up in the trail ahead of me on a spot and stalk bear hunt last spring. The lion was following my buddy who had gone ahead of me on the trail, and it didn't hear me come up behind it due to the noise of the swollen creek below. It made for a nerve racking photo shoot from about 10 yards, and yes my S&W; was unsnapped and slid foward in its holster.

I (Danny Blowers) harvasted this bull opening day of hunting season 2009. Its a 6X6 that scored 356 and by the way its a public land hunt.

I think it is super important to show that there are women out there who love to hunt and in many ways out perfrom their male counterparts... My wife Erin got her first Bull on a guided hunt in Idaho this past November. The bull measured out to 385 and weighed out at nearly 1000 lbs!

Four wild mule deer bucks grazing in an open field lined up shoulder to shoulder for this shot. This scene was not staged in any way. The deer lined up on their own volition. All I did was snort and stomp my feet to get them to look up and pose for this shot. Each of the four bucks in this photo is at least a "5 by". Canon EOS 50D w/ Canon L-series 100-400 IS USM lens.

Spotted this elk the day before killing him. After hiking for an hour in the downpour got to where he was and couldn't get him to bugle back to me. The next morning I made the hike back into the area. Never heard a thing until 8:00 am at which time he answered me and was right on top of me. Bugles one more time and he came running into 20 yards. The only went 50 yards before dyeing.

37" ram taken after hard climb in the Teocali Mountains of the western Alaska Range. 10 days before my 56th birthday. I would not have been able to do it without the encouragement of my hunting partner Bill.

My first elk taken with a "special permit" tag in Wa. We saw this particular elk on 2 separate occasions and passed on him both times. We went back to this spot, where we had seen the most bulls, and there he stood. We decided this was the 1. I didn't find out until later that night, that this elk was the same elk I had passed up 2 other times!I KNOW third times a charm!

I was driving through Rocky Mountain National Park when I saw this great photo opportunity of a lone buck roaming the hillside.

My name is Robin Newlen and I live in Bakersfield, Ca. I was drawn for this late season Kern River buck hunt (G6). This hunt is a do-it-yourself hunt on public land. I was hunting with my husband and 2 small boys. The second day of hunting this is what I was able to harvest. He's a heavy 6x6, nice eyeguards, 28 1/8" wide, and unofficially scored at 187.

My friend and I went on a ten day unguided float trip north of Fairbanks in September. On the fifth day of the trip we had stopped and called for an extended period of time where there was good moose sign. After getting no response we continued floating and went around a bend about 100 yards downstream and this magnificent bull presented me with an 80 yard shot.

You sent us more than 8,000 photos in 2009. These are our editors' picks for the 25 best shots of big game animals. Do you have a great hunting, fishing, or outdoor photo? Enter it into our Trophy Room today!

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