Whitetail Nation: My Season in Pursuit of the Monster Buck

by Pete Bodo

Every autumn, millions of men and women across the country don their camo, stock up on doe urine, and undertake a quintessential American tradition—deer hunting. The pinnacle of a hunter’s quest is killing a buck with antlers that "score" highly enough to qualify in the Boone and Crockett record book. But in all his seasons on the trail, Pete Bodo, an avid outdoorsman and student of the hunt, had never reached that milestone. Sadly, he had to admit it—he was a nimrod. Whitetail Nation is the uproarious story of the season Pete Bodo set out to kill the big buck. From the rolling hills of upstate New York to the vast and unforgiving land of the Big Sky to the Texas ranches that feature high fences, deer feeders, and money-back guarantees, Bodo traverses deep into the heart of a lively, growing subculture that draws powerfully on durable American values—the love of the frontier, the importance of self reliance, the camaraderie of men in adventure, the quest for sustained youth, and yes, the capitalist’s right to amass every high tech hunting gadget this industry’s exploding commerce has to offer. Gradually, Bodo closes in on his target—that elusive monster buck—and with each day spent perched in a deer stand or crawling stealthily in high grass (praying the rattlesnakes are gone) or shivering through the night in a drafty cabin (flannel, polar fleece and whiskey bedamned), readers are treated with a hilarious and unforgettable tour through a landscape that ranges from the exalted to the absurd. Along the way Bodo deftly captures the spirit and passion of this rich American pursuit, tracing its history back to the days of Lewis and Clark and examining that age old question—"why do men hunt?"

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Joel Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ironically I read this in a deer stand while hunting Whitetail and it was a very enjoyable book. Pete Bodo is very relatable and has great wit and humor sprinkled throughout the book. He chronicles his adventures and mishaps and the fun he had while hunting. His book embodies the spirit of hunting and something every hunter can relate to. We have shared in his suffering through his stories and his spirit is a large part of the modern day hunting culture today. His comments about Cabelas are really funny! Great Book, any hunter out there you need to read this book, its great to read in a tree stand!

13/10

[Tony Fijala · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think its riily good cous its all about hounting. and thats almost my favort thing. its about when he shots the big deer. he teaches you tips of hunting. and it makes you a beder hunter. if you like huntig you should read it. im not verey far but its a good book. it shous you pechers.

[Paige Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable read that I think any hunter would appreciate and any non-hunter could learn from. Pete is a solid writer and his story of the year he determined to kill a trophy buck is one filled with everything that hunting has to offer: highs, lows, heat, cold, ecstasy and torture. I’d definitely recommend it!

Favorite Quote: “Hunting is a solitary pursuit best enjoyed in good company.”

[Mark Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me a worthy quest in the hands of a talented writer and I’m usually right there. Peter Heller (“Kook”), Mark Obmascik (“Halfway to Heaven”) or Steven Rinsella (“American Buffalo”) are all good examples of entertaining wordsmiths who give those of us in the armchairs a chance to go surfing, mountain climbing or buffalo hunting in Alaska. I’d put “Whitetail Nation” right up there with all three of those books, maybe with a little Bill Bryson (“In A Sunburned Country,” for instance) thrown in for good measure. “Whitetail Nation” is Pete Bodo’s season-long personal pursuit of bagging of a world-class trophy-worthy white-tail buck, but it’s as much science and social commentary as anything else.

Not a hunter? Doesn’t matter. This book is interesting, entertaining (Bodo is supremely self-effacing, akin to Obmascik’s wry style) and along the way there are nifty side-trips to the equipment, the history the tactics and the variety of approaches that go into the hunt. Bodo does it all—tree stands, tracking and even a “high fence” hunt in Texas, which he admits at first is nothing but a “canned hunt.” At least, at first. The quandaries around the fenced land hunt are fascinating and Bodo shows his ability to keep an open mind. “Hunting at Masser’s wasn’t really a fair-chase proposition,” he concludes, “but it provided vivid proof of what good management could achieve, and the principles it could export to help improve conditions elsewhere.”

My copy of the book is dog-eared to mark great lines. Look no further than Bodo’s erstwhile glossary for a few gems.

Bodo takes himself to task on many occasions for less-than-savvy moments of skill in the field. But there is also a deep appreciation for the woods and the wilds and Bodo finds many opportunities to describe the emotional-social landscape that drives both the hunt and the hunt for perfect rifle, bow and related gear. “Whitetail Nation” is enjoyable, start to finish.

[Andrew L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whitetail Nation
If you enjoy the outdoors and stories about hunting and the search for the animal, then this is a book for you. The book whitetail Nation is an engaging book and you will not want to stop reading this autobiography written by Pete Bodo, a real life story about him in pressure for an animal that he has been after for a very long time. Along the way he encounter some interesting obstacles.

Over the last few years, Pete wanted to harvest a big deer. Of course along the journey he encounters many obstacles both nature and person vs. person conflict. The people that he meet along the way both do good for him by helping him out but of course just like in real life there are the people that weigh you down. This book in particular does a very good job at explaining what you should do in rough conditions and how you can get through hard times. Throughout the book the author does a very good job of painting pictures inside our head and really describing what is going on at that point and time.

Pete show to everyone that you should not give up even if people say that you can’t or you won’t. That should just push you harder to prove them wrong and prove them that you can do it. I rate this book 5 stars out of 5 because it really show the real life situations that are realistic and not out of this world. The only downside to this book is that sometimes Pete goes to in depth with how he is explaining things that he could totally leave out of the book. Overall Whitetail Nation was a very good book I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes hunting and the outdoors.

[Garrett Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the time I picked up “Whitetail Nation” to the time I finished reading the last paragraph I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. Myself being an avid deer hunter, I love to hear about other hunters’ season and there story of how they killed or didn’t kill a good buck. Pete Bodo’s “Whitetail Nation” tells readers about Pete’s quest to kill his first “wall hanger”; a true monster buck. Pete tells this story from the first person perspective and tells the story as it happens. He talks about everything hunters love about hunting. Little details like birds chirping and flying around to the scurrying of squirrels taking their acorns to secret locations, only to later eat them in the dead of winter. Pete talks about the never ending argument that is, which way of hunting is better? Bow hunting of firearm hunting? He talks about how hunting is an addicting passion because why else would someone get up at 4 a.m. to sit out in 10-40 degree temperatures. He talks about how hunting has progressed over the years from the primative recurve and long bows to today’s compound and crossbows. Pete made me feel as if I was hunting with him. I really hope he writes more books about deer hunting or any type of hunting for that matter because I know they will be good reads.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whitetail Nation is a book about a city guy who likes to hunt. The author Pete Bodo is a hunter who wants to hunt a big buck. He travels to different places like Pennsylvania, New York, and Texas to find the big buck. He tells some sad stories, like the death of his grandson. There are also a lot of funny stories, like the time he goes to Texas and talks about the rattlesnakes.

I enjoyed this book because I could relate to it. I am also a hunter who likes to look for the big buck. The author gives a lot of good hunting tips. Even though I've been hunting for a while I learned somethings I never knew about deer hunting. The author says hunting is like an addiction. I agree and this book is addicting once you start reading it you wont want to put it down.

[Colton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is Whitetail Nation by Pete Bodo. Pete was traveling a lot of different places for deer hunting but then he went to Saskatchewan for bigger and better deer.He was finally seeing bigger deer.He saw a big deer and his goal was to get that deer. As I read I wondered if Pete would get a monster deer. I have connections with Pete because I like to hunt. I have experiences with the book because I know people who look for great spots and shoot monster deer. I recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn or read about hunting

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok. The vintage cover art sucked me in. Then I tried the prologue and am hooked. Though I hunt with a camera, this will offer me a view through the eyes (or scope) of a seasoned sportsman. Then I can ask all my hunting buddies how they do it. A well-done piece of sports/Americana writing that had me fondly remembering the Saturdays listening to Curt Gowdy and watching the American Sportsman on TV. Right before 'Wide World of Sports'(RIP).

[MeriCUH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting and relatable, for I am an avid hunter myself. I gave it 4 stars because it had a nice plot line, but aside from the seriousness of hunting, Pete Bodo gave it a comical touch and improved the story in a big way.

[John Lago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Very well written. Humorous, educational, insightful. Every hunter should read this book!

[Dylan Socolovitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because I enjoy hunting.

[Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read but of interest to city slicker neophytes only. Light on info and, although it tries, it's not that funny. I give the cover 5 stars though!

[Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Descriptive book from a real hunter