Big Bucks at Crooked Cut ‘25

Season 19Season 25
Written By RJ Cianciarulo

Season ‘25 | Episode 12

RJ and Ralph Cianciarulo kick off the whitetail season with Jake Smith at Crooked Cut Outfitters in Oklahoma, hunting for big whitetial with their Hoyts!

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  • Location: Oklahoma

    Species (Harvested): Whitetail Deer

    Sex: Male (Buck)

    Average Size (Mature)

    • Buck Weight: 150-200+ lbs

    • Doe Weight: 100+ lbs

    Behavior by Season

    • Pre-Rut: Late October | Bucks increase daylight activity, checking scrapes

    • Peak-Rut: Early to Mid-November | Rattling and calling tend to work well during peak rut in open country and timber edges.

    • Post-Rut: Late November - Early December | Cautios Mature bucks can still be moving

    Trail Camera Timing

    • Velvet Bucks: July-August

    • Patternable Feeding: Early September to October

    • Scrape Activity: Late October

    • All-Day Movement: November (Depending on weather)

    • Late-Season Food Sources: December through January

    Quick Hunt Tips

    • Don’t overlook windy days, Oklahoma bucks still move in thick cover

    • Hunt transitions between timber and ag fields in the evening

    • Scrape lines and terrain funnels = high-percentage archery setups!

    • Rifle pressure can be high in areas, plan for weekday sits or backcountry pushes if so.

Recipe

Garlic Butter Whitetail Deer Steaks

Pan-Seared, Juicy, Fast, and Wildly Good!

Prep: 10 Minutes | Cook: 8-10 Minutes | Rest Time: 5 Minutes | Total Time: ~20 Minutes

Servings: 2-4 People

Ingredients:

For the Moose

  • 1-1.5 lbs Whitetail Deer Steaks (Backstrap or Tenderloin Preferred)

  • Salt & Black Pepper

  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder

  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil or Beef Tallow

  • 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter

  • 3 Garlic Cloves, Smashed

  • Optional: A few sprigs of fresh thyme or parsley

  • Optional: Lemon wedge or dash of Qorcestershire sauce at the end

Directions:

1. Season the Steaks

  • Pat steaks dry with paper towel

  • Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder

  • Let sit at room temp white the pan heats

2. Sear Hot & Fast

  • Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high until it just starts to smoke

  • Add oil or tallow

  • Lay in steaks and don’t move them for 2-3 minutes to develop a crust. Flip and repeat

3. Butter Baste

  • Drop in butter, smashed garlic, and optional herbs

  • Tilt the pan and spoon the melted garlic butter over the steaks for 1-2 minutes

  • Remove at ~125ºF internal temp for medium-rare

4. Rest & Serve

  • Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing

  • Serve with the garlic butter spooned over top

Chef Tips

  • Backstrap cooks fast… don’t walk away once it hits the pan

  • Toom temp meat = more even cooking and better sear

  • Want a smokier flacor? Add a splash of Worcestershire or a dab of stone-ground mustard to the butter

Additional Serving Ideas

  • With mashed potatoes or skillet-fried potatoes

  • Over wild rice or egg noodles

  • Topped iwth fried onions or crispy mushrooms

  • Next to a campfire with nothing but a fork

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RJ Cianciarulo
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Bull Moose & Brownings ‘25
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Utah Muleys at Round Valley ‘25