My Top 5 Favorite TV Deer Slayers

Perfection is a thing of beauty. When it requires a skill to pull it off, even better. In basketball, I would define it as watching Giannis Antetokounmpo do anything. In baseball, it would be Christian Yelich’s swing. And, in football, none other than Aaron Rodgers drop a dime to the back-corner of the end zone.

What about in bowhunting? I’ve written about this topic before here on this blog space, and I think my thoughts on perfection haven’t changed when it comes to perfect shot placement on deer.

Granted, there are literally hundreds of men AND women who are incredible bowhunters, especially when it’s “go” time and the deer is in shooting range. However, the following 5 hunters are as good as it gets when it comes to not only having ice water in their veins at the moment of truth, but also putting that arrow CONSISTENTLY in the “10 ring” when that jittery whitetail stops just long enough for a shot opportunity.

So … here is that Top 5 list (in no particular order):

Lee Lakosky is one heck of a bowhunter when the pressure is on.

5. Lee Lakosky, Iowa.

I first met Lee when he was an engineer and an aspiring outdoor writer. I knew then that he was something special when it came to hunting and shooting big bucks. I did not foresee him starting The Crush with his now-wife Tiffany and basically redefining how big deer are shot on video.

Lee has killed so many big bucks over the years, and I’m going to safely say 99.9% of them have been on film (video). Go search for yourself and let me know how many “bad” shots you find. I’m going to again safely assume something here: You won’t find many if any. His ability to hit the kill zone on deer is uncanny.

Mark Drury’s shot placement is almost always textbook. Plus, he doesn’t shoot a ton of draw weight, either.

4. Mark Drury, Missouri.

Another longtime industry friend, Mark and his brother Terry have educated several generations of hunters on not only how to hunt, but also how to record their hunts on video. Both of the Drury boys are outstanding hunters and spot-on shooters. Mark’s exploits are legendary. Yes, he gets unglued AFTER the shot as good as anyone (yours truly included), but his ability to zip an arrow through the exact spot it needs to be is a thing of beauty. Check out this shot on an Iowa monster.

Of all the people on this list, Mark is one of the top students of whitetail biology. His knowledge of deer anatomy is something every young hunter should study.

Michael Waddell puts it right on the money.

3. Michael Waddell, Georgia.

The D&DH team has known Michael since his days of schlepping a camera around and filming other hunters. Boy, oh boy, did he show everyone when it was time for him to step in front of the camera. His predator skills are unbelievable, and there isn’t a deer alive that can get past him when he’s in the zone.

Michael is producing outstanding videos and shows today for Bone Collector, but some of his best work is obviously all of those incredible hunts he took while filming the Road Trips series for Realtree Outdoors. If there’s such a thing as your go-to free-throw guy (aka Stephen Curry) in whitetail bowhunting, it would be Michael.

Pat Reeve has killed so many big-game animals with precise shots like this while bowhunting.

2. Pat Reeve, Minnesota.

I can never speak highly enough of Pat Reeve. He is the real deal through and through. Another self-taught video guy, he cut his bowhunting teeth while hunting the big bucks of Buffalo County, Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota.

Pat has branched out over the years. If you really want to see some incredible, spot-on shot placements, search for his moose and red stag hunting videos. He seldom has to bloodtrail an animal very far.

When Ted Nugent lets the arrow fly, something’s going to die — and fast. He is the master at shot placement and knowledge of deer anatomy.

1. Ted Nugent, Michigan and Texas.

The granddaddy of ‘em all. Friendships aside, Ted is the true alpha hunter when it comes to simple efficiency and shot placement. Every. Single. Arrow. Just look at them. Thwack! Double lung. Thwack! Center heart. Thwack. Perfect quartering away. I’ve had to have watched a thousand or more of his successful kills on video over the year. It’s mind-boggling. His decisions are machine-like. And his bloodtrails are the shortest you’ll ever see, because he insists on scary-sharpness.

OK, enough gushing. One thing I will add here is that EVERY one of the guys has had their share of failures, mishaps, bad shots and downright goof-ups. That’s why it’s called bowhunting and not bow killing. Several of these men, in fact, have told me they have had periods in their lives when they sincerely thought they had “lost it” when it came to precise arrow placement. It’s something almost every bowhunter will go through in their life, and it’s called “target panic.”

But that’s the topic for another day.