Outdoor Life Newswire

Similar to the bull in the china shop, a young buck in Indiana dropped into a local video store by crashing through a window. After taking a moment to check out the drama section (Deer Hunter, anyone?) the animal turned and high-tailed it through another window.

While in the store, the deer attempted to charge another shopper who was trying to corral the it out the back door. A policeman reported seeing the deer running down a city street.

And now for the biggest "duh" statement of the article, uttered by a local cop:

"It doesn't happen here every day." Really? That ranks up there with, "No one saw this coming," and, "I didn't know it was loaded."

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  Like a good keg party, leave it to the authorities to end a fun time. Pennsylvania hunters had proposed allowing the atlatl to be used during big game hunts. According to a recommendation from the state’s Game Commission, the atlatl isn’t lethal enough to drop a deer in the hands of an “average hunter.”

Are the staffers crazy? Not lethal enough? Last time I checked my caveman history, our hairy, loincloth-laden cousins were taking down mastodons with darts. But maybe the 6-ton wooly mammoth had a soft hide, compared to the thick skin of a whitetail? Hey, I’m trying here. If every state in the union is complaining about an outrageous deer surplus and you’ve got a few guys that want to don bear skins and take to the woods equipped with a spear, at least give them a chance. A deer that falls in the woods, is one less that’s going to play Frogger with cars on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

A little background: The atlatl is considered the oldest modern weapon. It consists of a wooden handle and a dart. The handle helps increase velocity when propelling the dart, which can travel as fast as 80 mph. Historians suspect usage in Pennsylvania goes back at least 8,000 years. 

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Iowa, which has no shortage of huge, jaw-dropping, centerfold-sized whitetails, could address the deer nuisance issue by allowing bowhunting on small property parcels (read: backyards). Currently there is a 200-foot buffer zone around houses, which prevents hunting in suburban neighborhoods. With complaints on the rise, though, officials are running out of ideas for handling the rocketing deer numbers. If this plan passes, I will start a new deer extermination business. Imagine, sitting on a deck in a comfortable rocking chair, waiting for a champion buck to eat some shrubs. Sounds perfect. Read the story here.

Cincinnati Bengal receiver Chad Johnson has impressed fans this season with several signature touchdown celebrations. (My favorite is the Riverdance rip-off) During the team's Christmas Eve game he's promising to one-up his past antics with a truly memorable performance. Rumor is, it will involve a deer. Johnson has been spreading a story that he hit a deer recently and only injured it. Ever since he's been nursing it back to health in his garage and training it to be part of his routine. Is he bluffing? Sounds like it, but here's what he told an ESPN reporter:

"You can look forward to the celebration being part of something that has to do with Christmas. It's going to be fun. I might get in trouble, so I might as well let that out now. I might get in trouble for what I'm going to do, but it's worth it."

If anything, the hype for the stunt should increase viewership. I know I'll be watching, and if his antics do involve wildlife you can be sure that we'll have extensive coverage of PETA's angry reaction.

A gang rivalry is brewing on the mean corn fields of the Midwest. Deer from both sides of the high fence are at war, and this is the first casualty. It's unclear if the man in the photo shot the buck or found it. Either way, the thick bruiser had seen combat with another buck, and that buck left him an early Christmas gift: one large antler jammed in his neck.

Money Quote: "I noticed right away it was missing some plumbing" --Eric Weymiller of Harpers Ferry, Iowa, told a Des Moines Register reporter when describing a doe he shot that had an impressive 14-point rack. Heck, the way my season's going I'd be happy with that. Take a look.

I saw two deer this season. One doe at 400 yards and a small basket-eight that walked a bit too close to the stand. Of course, being trapped in a New York City office, my hunting skills are kept sharp only with occasional visits to my local pub, which has the Big Buck Hunter video game set up in back. Not to mention, my days in a deer stand can be counted on one hand, actually on one finger. But some of you live in the promised land of whitetails and get to hunt everyday. I'm talking about that crescent that starts in Ohio dips into Kentucky and southern Indiana before rising through Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. You fortunate few get to hang real trophies on your wall, instead of inflatable deer heads from a novelty shop. And this year was no exception.

But when big bucks are taken, the rumors start. Maybe you've seen these two? Heck, they're both competing for "centerfold of the year" in the deer hunting world.

The first one is from Wisconsin and supposedly scored 203 typical, though it will have severe deductions for a broken eyeguard. The other is shrouded in mystery. It came from Indiana and was guestimated to score around 220, but deductions will follow. Our buddies at Boone & Crockett keep a close eye on potential records in their Trophy Watch section. Have you heard of other big bruisers killed this season? Let me know.