Buckmasters

What Buckmasters does

Buckmasters, Ltd. is a privately held, founder-led media and community company headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, focused on whitetail deer hunters across North America. Founded by Jackie Bushman in 1986 as a newsletter, the business evolved into a multi-channel content and records organization built around print and digital magazine (Buckmasters Magazine), the longest-running hunting television show in history (Buckmasters TV), and a podcast (Big Buck Blueprint). In the mid-1990s the company adopted the proprietary Full-Credit Scoring System developed by Russell Thornberry — the only national whitetail scoring methodology that does not deduct for antler asymmetry — and now maintains the Buckmasters Trophy Records (BTR) database, a national network of certified scorers, and the Buckmasters Record Book publication. The scoring system was updated in 2025 to include inside spread as part of the official score.

The company monetizes through a three-tier subscription model (Basic at $29.99/year, Plus at $64.99/year, Legacy at $119.99/year), advertising sales to outdoor brands reaching 325,000+ magazine subscribers plus TV and digital audiences, TV content distribution, the annual Buckmasters Expo, and scorer/records fees. Distribution is fully owned and direct: a website store, phone order line (800-240-3337), television broadcast and streaming partnerships, and an active social presence on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. In January 2025, Buckmasters announced a television production partnership with Sub7 Productions running through 2026 to coincide with the company's 40th anniversary, including a refreshed visual identity and new show opener.

Buckmasters operates 101-250 employees out of 4121 Carmichael Road in Montgomery, with no institutional investors, private equity backing, or parent company identified. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the only recorded capital event is a $150,000 funding round on October 28, 2022. Leadership includes founder/CEO Jackie Bushman and COO & General Counsel Brian Hicks, and the company retains an active volunteer scorer certification program across multiple U.S. states as a community-extension mechanism.

Name

Buckmasters

Legal name

Buckmasters, Ltd.

Website

https://buckmasters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Buckmasters is a privately held, founder-led whitetail deer hunting media and community company based in Montgomery, Alabama, operating a multi-channel platform spanning print and digital magazine, television, podcast, scoring records, and live events for hunters across North America since 1986.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from print and digital magazine subscriptions in three tiers: Basic ($29.99/year), Plus ($64.99/year), and Legacy ($119.99/year).
2. Advertising Revenue: Advertising sales to brands targeting hunters, reaching over 325,000 magazine subscribers plus TV viewers and website visitors across North America.
3. Television Content: Longest-running hunting show in history distributed across broadcast television, streaming, and social platforms.
4. Events and Expo: Buckmasters Expo and other event activations bringing together the hunting community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Buckmasters is a deer hunting media and community organization that sells print and digital magazine subscriptions in three annual tiers and produces hunting-related content across television, podcast, and online channels. It also operates a proprietary whitetail antler scoring system (the Buckmasters Full-Credit Scoring System) and a corresponding trophy records database, supported by a nationwide network of volunteer certified scorers and an annual community expo.

Product overview

Buckmasters operates as a multi-platform deer hunting media and records organization offering a unified ecosystem of products and services. The core offering centers on Buckmasters Magazine (print and digital publications), Buckmasters TV (the longest-running hunting television show), and the Buckmasters Podcast (Big Buck Blueprint). The company also maintains Buckmasters Trophy Records (BTR), a comprehensive records database powered by the proprietary Buckmasters Full-Credit Scoring System, which allows hunters to officially score and register their whitetail harvests. Additional services include the Buckmasters Expo event, Official Buckmasters Scorer Certification program, and the Buckmasters Record Book. Subscription tiers (Basics, Plus, Legacy) provide varying levels of magazine access, member benefits, and exclusive gear.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Buckmasters TV: The longest-running hunting television show in history, broadcast across broadcast television, streaming, and social platforms.
• Buckmasters Magazine
• Buckmasters Podcast (Big Buck Blueprint)
• Buckmasters Expo
• Buckmasters Full-Credit Scoring System (BTR)
• Buckmasters Trophy Records (BTR)

Products and services

• Buckmasters Magazine Flagship print and digital magazine covering deer hunting stories, tips, tactics, gear, and big buck showcases, sold via annual subscription tiers (Basics, Plus, Legacy) to recreational whitetail hunters.
• Buckmasters TV Longest-running whitetail hunting television show in history, delivering hunting content across broadcast television, streaming platforms, and social channels to deer hunting audiences in North America.
• Big Buck Blueprint Podcast Podcast featuring insights from seasoned hunters, rising stars, and outdoor legends on the tactics, stories, and lessons behind their biggest whitetail successes, targeted at new hunters through lifelong woodsmen.
• Buckmasters Expo Annual live event providing an opportunity for Buckmasters members to connect, learn, and celebrate the hunting community alongside vendor activations.
• Buckmasters Full-Credit Scoring System Proprietary whitetail antler scoring system measuring and recording white-tailed deer antlers without deducting for asymmetry, giving credit for the full amount of antler present. Official score now includes inside spread as of 2025.
• Buckmasters Trophy Records (BTR) Official record-keeping system and database for tracking scored whitetail deer across weapon type, scoring classifications, and geographic rankings.
• Official Buckmasters Scorer Certification Volunteer-based certification program that trains and certifies individuals as official Buckmasters scorers, requiring training, testing, and character verification through DNR or wildlife officers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buckmasters reaches more hunters throughout North America than any other advertising buy for the hunting industry

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sub7 ProductionscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Buckmasters announced partnership with Sub7 Productions as the official television production team for Buckmasters TV. The partnership begins in 2025 and continues through 2026, coinciding with Buckmasters' approach to its 40th anniversary. Sub7 Productions is an award-winning production company based in Columbus, Georgia, known for cinematic outdoor storytelling. They will help deliver new content across broadcast television, streaming, and social platforms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ducks Unlimited: The largest waterfowl-hunting conservation organization in North America, with a paid membership model, magazine, TV show, and events. Highly comparable to Buckmasters' membership/association structure and multi-channel content monetization, but focused on waterfowl rather than whitetails.
• North American Whitetail: A long-running whitetail-deer hunting magazine and digital media brand owned by Outdoor Sportsman Group. Closely comparable to Buckmasters Magazine in audience, content focus, and advertiser base, targeting the same whitetail enthusiast demographic.
• MeatEater: Steven Rinella-led hunting, fishing, and outdoor cooking media brand with podcast, Netflix/streaming TV, and subscription products. Directly comparable to Buckmasters as a hunting media company, but digitally native and more multi-species in its content.
• Mossy Oak: Major hunting camo and outdoor brand with extensive media properties (Mossy Oak TV, websites, magazine-style content). Directly comparable to Buckmasters as a hunting lifestyle media brand serving whitetail and broader deer hunters with brand and advertising revenue.
• National Deer Association (formerly QDMA): The leading nonprofit deer-management and whitetail-hunting association in the U.S. Directly comparable to Buckmasters as a deer-focused membership/advocacy organization serving whitetail hunters, with overlapping magazine, research, and convention activities.
• Outdoor Life: Historic U.S. outdoor and hunting media brand with magazine, digital, and TV properties. Closely comparable to Buckmasters in the multi-channel outdoor enthusiast media category, though broader in scope (fishing, gear, big game) than Buckmasters' whitetail focus.
• Field & Stream: Long-established U.S. outdoor and hunting media brand with print, digital, and TV properties. Comparable to Buckmasters as a multi-channel hunting/outdoor media company selling subscriptions, advertising, and brand content to the same North American hunting audience.
• Realtree: Iconic hunting camouflage brand with a major content/media arm (Realtree Road Trips, social channels, website) targeting deer hunters. Comparable as a hunting media ecosystem that monetizes through licensing, advertising, and community content.

Broad incumbents

• Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's: The largest North American outdoor retailer, with media properties (Cabela's Outdoor Podcast, in-store TV, sponsored content) and a hunting customer base. Comparable to Buckmasters as a broad incumbent reaching the same hunting audience, but primarily retail-driven rather than subscription/membership-driven.

Emerging players

• onX Hunt: Premium digital hunting-app/mapping platform with paid subscriptions serving whitetail and big-game hunters. Comparable to Buckmasters as a paid, technology-enabled service for hunters, but focused on mapping/GPS functionality rather than media, scoring, and community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL1syCfBDNPkuLYX6hxl-EEZdLzgSgsd7P
• Facebookfacebook.com/buckmasters
• Instagraminstagram.com/buckmasters
• TikToktiktok.com/@buckmasters
• Xx.com/bmnation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Buckmasters