Here’s our Top 20 stories of the past 12 months
Happy New Year everyone! With 2020 behind us, we’d like to share our Top 20 most-read stories from the past 12 months. Click the link on each title to read the full story.
1. Giant buck from Randolph County
Our No. 1 most-read story of 2020 is from November, and is entitled “Asheboro hunter kills giant Randolph County buck.” The story features Tommy Daniel and how a flock of geese led to him killing a huge buck that green-scored 169 5/8 inches.
2. Guilford County Goliath
The second most-read story in our Top 20 “Guilford County hunter downs Goliath 14-point buck,” is about Hunter Pegg’s gigantic buck he killed while archery hunting in November. This deer green-scored 182 4/8 inches, and was set to be a big hit at the 2021 Dixie Deer Classic before it was canceled.
3. Record catfish from Lake Gaston worth $10,000
Our third most-read story of the year is from July. It’s a big fish tale. “Lake Gaston angler catches new N.C. state record blue catfish” tells the story of Joey Baird catching the biggest blue catfish to come from North Carolina waters. The 121.9-pound catch earned the angler $10,000 from Catch the Fever, a North Carolina-based fishing rod company.
4. Big tarpon surprises Fort Fisher surf angler
A saltwater fishing story made it to No. 4 on our list. “NC surf fishermen catch huge tarpon” is about Jared Beard’s big catch from the beach at Fort Fisher in August. He was shark fishing with some family members when the surprise giant fish hit during slack tide on a big chunk of king mackerel.
5. Tragic hunting accident takes hunter’s life
The year 2020 has been a tough one on many levels. Such was the case in August during a South Carolina lowcountry hunting incident that killed 42-year-old Jay Allen Howard of Goose Creek. The story, “Deer hunter shot, killed by another hunter” came from an SCDNR news release.
6. Outdoorsmen urged to comply with COVID-19 guidelines
Spring fishing season and turkey hunting trips were cranking up in the spring when “NCWRC urges compliance with COVID-19 restrictions” was the hot topic in this article from April.
7. The 26-pound gobbler
“N.C. woman kills enormous 26-pound gobbler” is another article from April. It’s about Kasey Miller of Morganton shooting a huge wild turkey in Burke County. The bird’s 10+ inch beard was impressive enough, but that wasn’t even the real story.
8. N.C. flounder season is announced
This story, “N.C. will open flounder season this summer,” ran in February just after the NCDMF announced the six-week long season, which opened in August. North Carolina’s recreational flounder fishery had recently been closed, and anglers were eager to find out when it would open again. This article was a big boost of morale for Old North State anglers, who weren’t sure before then when they’d get to target flounder again.
9. Two-year-old Boone Miller’s fake hunt draws in a turkey
This story from April is related to story No. 7. “Two-year-old’s pretend turkey hunt takes a twist” is about Boone Miller, son of Kasey Miller who killed the 26-pound gobbler. Well, Boone decided he wanted to go on his own pretend hunt. Decked out in camo and carrying an unloaded gun, he makes some pretend calls — but a wild turkey didn’t know it was all for pretend. Check out the video for some heart-warming fun.
10. South Carolina migratory bird seasons listed
“SCDNR lists migratory bird season dates for 2020-21” was a big hit for hunters in the Palmetto State. This press release from SCDNR ran in July, and made the Top 20 list by giving hunters a glimmer of hope to help them make it through the dog days of summer.
11. 9-year-old kills massive buck
You know a story is hot when it makes the Top 20 most-read stories of the year even though it wasn’t published until December. Such was the case with “9-year-old kills massive Anson County buck.” This tale is of youth hunter Kreed Tyson taking down an Anson County giant. His buck green-scored more than 155 inches, and as the story shows, it was anything but beginner’s luck. We would say this kid is a bright spot in the future of Carolina hunting, but the truth is, he’s already a bright spot.
12. Public land hunt yields 13-point trophy buck
This October story features Julian Ridings and the huge 13-point buck he killed on public land he’s been hunting since he was a kid. Ridings felt like it was an epic hunt as he could feel the presence of his deceased granddad, who first introduced him to hunting Smith Mountains Game Land many years ago. He tells his story in “Shelby hunter kills huge public land 13-point buck.”
13. Small boat wins big tournament — and big money
What Top 20 list is complete without a good-ole David and Goliath story? “Pelagic Hunter II wins 62nd Big Rock” is one for the ages. This story from June recaps the unlikely victory of an outboard-powered boat winning the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament — the first time it’s ever happened in the history of the decades-long tournament. Their 495.2-pound blue marlin earned them a nice payday of $275,750.
14. Giant Santee gator gives up the ghost to Florence hunters
Santee’s waterways, always full of gators, were also full of gator hunters in September. That’s when Florence, S.C. friends Josh Davidson, Casey Stevens, Dillan White, and Cody Bacot killed an 800-pounder during a night hunt there. Read all about it in “Florence hunters kill massive Santee gator.”
15. NCWRC votes to ban some deer urine attractants
This controversial story “NCWRC bans commercial deer urine attractants” garnered a lot of attention when it ran in March. The decision was made in an effort to keep North Carolina’s deer herd free of Chronic Wasting Disease. Like most such decisions, it brought up a heated debate from hunters in favor of, as well as hunters against, the decision.
16. Lake James angler catches giant smallmouth bass
The story is also from March. “N.C. angler lands enormous smallmouth bass” tells the tale of Ken Whitesides of Connelly Springs. Whitesides thought he had hooked a log with his jerkbait — but when the log started swimming away, he knew he had something special on the line. And he sure did. The giant fish made the angler nervous when it was time to land it, with no net in the boat!
17. Person County nontypical, velvet-shedding trophy buck
Wesley Thomas of Hillsborough killed a gnarly buck in Person County in late September. With shards of velvet hanging loosely from it’s 169+ inch rack, the big buck was the final piece of a puzzle Thomas got his first clue about when finding one shed antler from the brute during a rabbit hunt in the spring. Check out “Hillsborough hunter tags huge Person County buck” for the full story.
18. OBX angler breaks N.C. sea mullet state record
This article, “Potential world record sea mullet caught at OBX” from May tells the story of Jeanine Davidson Botkin and her 3-pound, 5-ounce sea mullet a/k/a whiting, that she caught while fishing from the surf near Ramp 38 in Avon. These little fish get a lot of attention in this area, and Botkin’s story did too.
19. Pine snakes, anyone?
The NCWRC issued this press release, “Have you seen any pine snakes in N.C. recently?” in April. These snakes, which are large and non-venomous, spend much of their lives underground. But they venture out a little more than usual during the spring. The agency is hoping to learn more about the mysterious snake, and reports from the public are one way they go about doing so.
20. Full velvet 10-pointer
During the heat of August, hunters who brave the South Carolina swelter can find unique rewards in full velvet bucks. Such was the case for Tyler Pearson of Gilbert when he downed a 180-pound buck with its antlers still fully covered. “Gilbert bowhunter kills big Lexington County 10-pointer” recaps the hunt.
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Enjoying the trip down memory lane? Go back even further with this look at our top stories from 2019.
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