Most HuntStand users are focused solely on using its many helpful features to increase hunting success, but Tennesee’s Ross Cortese, 35, doesn’t stop there. Turns out Cortese and family also use HuntStand to help their cattle ranching business run smoothly, and for sending in photos and story of a beautiful Tennessee 11-point that also called the family ranch home—bagged on Oct. 2—Cortese is the Week 3 winner in the 2021 HuntStand Big Buck ALERT contest. The win earns Cortese a sweet hunt pack from ALPS OutdoorZ: the versatile Covert pack (see below). The weekly win also makes Cortese eligible for our Grand Prize drawing in November (more on that below).
We’re still looking for seven more weekly winners so enter today!
“We’ve been HuntStand users for a few years now, we have the Pro version,” Cortese wrote. “We operate a cattle ranch and HuntStand Pro has many benefits for our operation, and of course we can also use it as we hunt. Pretty awesome for us!“The first trail camera image I got of this buck (shown above) was taken July 25, and on Saturday, Oct. 2, I was heading to a stand that we have planted in clover. It’s a mix of annual and perennial. I had a camera in this field for five days, and I checked it on Friday, Oct. 1; I was on my way back from checking cows (we were calving at the time). I found that this buck had been cruising this plot (see images below) every morning since the camera was put out.
“I knew this particular buck was bedding close to the field, and I used the HuntStand HuntZone wind feature to find out I was about to be experiencing a perfect wind for the stand in question. It was not only a good wind to hunt, but the perfect wind to enter without bumping the buck, if he was bedded nearby, as I guessed. Once on stand this buck came in right on time, and I made a 30-yard, double-lung shot. Game over.
“We use the HuntStand app almost daily on the farm for measuring things like: lines for fencing, area measurements for planting plots, and to calculate pasture management (how much fertilizer, lime, herbicide, hay, etc, etc). We use it a lot!“Our property is large (about 1,500 acres); I don’t say that to brag but we run the entire operation with just six people, and we need organization and the ability to quickly gather info about our property, and for this HuntStand has been invaluable. We need to be able to quickly show and discuss a specific area of the property, and consider particular areas, and for this we’ve also tapped into HuntStand’s custom printed maps service. Bottom line, is that HuntStand has been a very useful tool for us.”
To enter the HuntStand 2021 Big Buck ALERT contest, simply send us a few clear, high-res. digital photos (three to five) of your 2021 buck bagged after Aug. 20 (Entries accepted NOW THROUGH NOV. 24). Be sure to include the following:
A. A brief story of your hunt that explains how the HuntStand app played a part.
B. Be sure to tell us if your buck was known to you or a newcomer, then describe the area where your stand sits, or where the encounter took place.
C. Include the fateful day’s wind and weather conditions, and of course, the blow-by-blow account of the exciting action as it unfolded.
D. Also include your full name, age, successful hunt date and state, weapon used, and your mailing address. Your e-mail subject line should read: Big Buck Alert! Send your photo(s) and requested info to: [email protected]Team HuntStand will choose 10 weekly winners that we will share with the extensive HuntStand community; EACH weekly winner will receive the versatile Covert Pack (valued at $59.99) from ALPS OutdoorZ (see above). This unique compact design will take you from deer season to waterfowling and everything in between. It’s ideal for hunters who want to pack light but still carry essential gear. For cold-weather comfort, deploy the pack in front of your torso, and utilize the integrated hand warmer channel between the belt and main compartment. You’ll also find a clear smartphone pocket on the main compartment lid that offers safe storage of your mobile device.
In addition, at the end of the 10 weeks, all weekly winners will be placed in a drawing for our Grand Prize: an ALPS OutdoorZ Impulse Pack (valued at $199.99; image above). This ultra-quiet design won’t betray your presence when your next trophy is closing in, thanks to ALPS’ new Deadquiet fabric; it features outer fleece with a polyester backing and incorporates a membrane between the two fabrics to help keep out moisture. The zipper-less main compartment allows you to access items quietly and easily; a series of magnets and an aluminum hook secures the top lid when needed. Ideal for ground blinds or treestands, the flat-bottom structure allows the pack to stand up independently. Included are an ambidextrous quiver holder, two deep side pockets, a drop-down pocket to carry your gun or bow, a two-piece adjustable waist belt with pockets, and a hydration pocket with two side ports.
Good luck out there this fall from all of us here at Team HuntStand, and let us know when (and how) you score with HuntStand!

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