2014 - Larva bags 13-point, 209-pound buck

November 25, 2014 • Voyageur Press

Matt Larva has been hunting since he was 13 years old, but his approach to the sport has evolved over the years. This season, that evolution paid off with the biggest whitetail buck of his life — a 209-pound, 13-point trophy harvested Monday, November 17.

“For many years I was an ‘if it’s brown, it’s down’ guy,” Lava shared. “But about five years ago, I wanted a change, so I started to hunt the big boys.”

Since making that decision, Lava has harvested a couple of 10-point bucks and a nice eight-pointer, all weighing approximately 185 pounds.

“This year I was out to one-up myself,” he said. “And I did on Monday (November 17). It is the biggest buck of my life!”

Lava admits he isn't typically a stand hunter. In fact, all of his previous bucks had been harvested while he was hunting from the ground. However, with this year's bucks-only season, he decided to try something different and learn the art of calling deer.

He purchased a buck grunt call and brought along two antler sheds he had found near his home to use for rattling.

“I set off to rattle a big boy in — always wanting to do it, but never really feeling confident calling,” he explained.

Determined to give the technique a chance, Lava rattled during approximately 10 hunts without seeing any deer. At one point, he considered leaving his spot and moving to another location.

“I looked at the antlers and said in my mind, ‘This is useless,’ but I said I might as well give it a try.”

That final attempt changed everything, bringing in the biggest buck of his hunting career.

Despite the impressive harvest, Lava says his success means more than simply bringing home a trophy.



“All said and done, I just really feel blessed by God. A lot of my success in the woods has to do with my faith in Christ!”

Cameron Richards Celebrates First Deer

Ten-year-old Cameron Blaze Richards recently experienced a memorable milestone when he harvested his first deer.

A fourth-grade student at Isle School, Cameron was hunting in Wright with his father, Jeff Bulson, on land belonging to his great-uncle, John Richards.

Cameron followed the advice his father had shared with him during the hunt, and when he successfully harvested his first deer, he knew exactly who he wanted to call.

“I listened to the advice my dad gave me,” Cameron said. “After I shot my deer, I called my grandpa (Les Richards) and asked him if he had his knife ready because I got one!”

It was an exciting moment for Cameron, who was proud of his accomplishment. His grandfather was equally proud of the young hunter.

“My grandpa was also very proud of me,” Cameron said.