One of my fondest memories of photographing whitetails occurred in 1989 when I traveled to Texas and visited three incredible ranches. While there, I had the opportunity to meet and interview Al Brothers, one of whitetail management’s true icons. I had known of Brothers since 1975 when I purchased the book “Producing Quality Whitetails,” which he co-authored with Murphy Ray.
After reading the book, I wondered if it was possible to produce quality bucks on our nondescript farm in western New York. Frankly, I had my doubts it could be done because of our area’s small property sizes and the intense hunting pressure we receive during our firearms season. However, after spending time with Brothers, I believed it might be possible to raise bigger and better deer on our farm.
When several local landowners and I began chasing the QDM dream in the early 1990s, we strongly believed that if we passed up yearlings and 2½-year-old bucks, we’d soon be up to our ears in 4½-to 6½-year-olds.
That didn’t happen.
However, we’ve held on to the dream for more than 17 years. The ride has surely had its ups and downs.
From my
