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Outdoor Life’s archive has republished “Buckskin Bonanza,” a 1961 account of a mule deer hunt at Utah’s Range Valley Ranch on the West Tavaputs Plateau. The story reports that a camp of 23 hunters took 46 deer, including a buck described as a record-book animal; the supplied excerpt does not give the buck’s measurements or establish the record category.
Outdoor Life has republished a 1961 account of a mule deer hunt on Utah’s West Tavaputs Plateau, reporting that 23 hunters took 46 deer at a camp run by the Wilcox family’s Range Valley Ranch. The story also describes a buck as a record-book animal, though the available excerpt does not provide its score, measurements, or the record category.
The archive story, titled “Buckskin Bonanza,” first appeared in the September 1961 issue of Outdoor Life. The magazine republished it on October 14, 2026. Its opening account follows the writer scouting the plateau before the season, where he says he found a group of large bucks. He did not shoot: the season was due to open two days later.
The writer says his visit followed a tip from Jim Hurst, a bush pilot familiar with the area, who called it excellent deer country. Hurst introduced him to Ray “Budge” Wilcox, a rancher whose family operated the Range Valley Ranch with lodging, meals, transportation, and guide services for hunters. The ranch was co-owned by Wilcox, his son Don, and younger son Waldo.
The headline’s 23 hunters and 46 deer are the account’s reported camp totals. The supplied portion of the original report gives no individual hunter breakdown, dates for the hunt, or details that would independently verify the tally. It also does not include enough information to identify which buck was considered record-book quality or how that assessment was made.
A Snapshot of Utah Deer Hunting
The report offers a historical account of a hunting camp built around a working ranch in a remote part of Utah. Its reported harvest of 46 deer by 23 hunters gives readers a concrete sense of the scale of the operation as described in the 1961 story, while the scouting narrative shows how the writer sought out deer before opening day.
The account also documents a model of access in which ranchers provided guides, lodging, meals, and transport to visiting hunters. That arrangement connected private land operations with outdoor recreation in a sparsely settled region. The old story is a historical record, not a current guide to deer abundance, regulations, access, prices, or hunting conditions.
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From Scout Trip to Ranch Camp
The writer says he began looking into Utah after reading that the state had recorded a 128,000-deer harvest in 1959, a figure he described as the largest in the nation at that time. That historical figure and the story’s assessment of trophy potential are claims in the 1961 report; they should not be read as present-day statistics or conditions.
After meeting Hurst while exploring the Green River country, the writer was invited by Wilcox to arrive about a week before the season. He traveled to Dragerton, where Wilcox and his son met him, then drove about 30 miles across rugged terrain to the ranch. The excerpt describes a winter ranch in a canyon near Range Creek, at roughly 8,000 feet, but does not provide the full account of the camp or its reported harvest.
““That’s great deer country. The best I’ve ever found anywhere.””
— Jim Hurst, bush pilot, as quoted in the 1961 Outdoor Life story
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The Buck’s Record Is Unspecified
The supplied excerpt does not state the record-book buck’s antler score, measurements, name, or record classification, nor does it make clear whether the buck was taken by the writer or another member of the party. The reported camp total of 46 deer is presented in the supplied headline, but the excerpt does not describe how the number was counted or provide a separate tally.
The historical report’s claims about Utah’s 1959 harvest and the plateau’s abundance are not independently documented in the supplied material. They are attributed here to the original account and do not establish current wildlife numbers or hunting conditions.
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The Archive Story’s Full Account
The next useful step for readers seeking the camp’s full details is to consult Outdoor Life’s complete archive report, which may explain the harvest, the record-book buck, and what happened during the season. The supplied excerpt does not identify a forthcoming update, new record confirmation, or current follow-up from the magazine.
Any assessment of the buck’s record status would require the story’s specific measurements and the relevant record-book criteria. The 1961 account can provide historical context, but present-day hunting decisions require current rules and information from Utah wildlife authorities.
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Key Questions
What is the news development?
Outdoor Life republished its September 1961 hunting story, “Buckskin Bonanza,” on October 14, 2026. The account is about a mule deer camp on Utah’s West Tavaputs Plateau.
How many hunters and deer did the story report?
The headline reports that 23 hunters took 46 deer. The supplied excerpt does not include a detailed harvest ledger or explain the counting method.
Where was the camp?
The story places the camp at the Range Valley Ranch on Utah’s West Tavaputs Plateau. The ranch was operated by Ray “Budge” Wilcox and his sons Don and Waldo.
What is known about the record-book buck?
The supplied material refers to a record-book buck, but it does not provide the animal’s score, measurements, record category, or the identity of the hunter who took it.
Does the story describe current hunting conditions?
No. It is a historical account from 1961, republished in 2026. Its descriptions and statistics should not be treated as current information about deer populations, regulations, access, or costs.
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