5 Stories from America's Back Roads

Monster Snake Repeat: Weeks Apart, Farmer Kills Two 6’-plus Timber Rattlers

Jim Bowen carries a scar from a cottonmouth bite, but when he crossed paths with two leviathan-size timber rattlers, the prospect was almost more than he could handle.

Skeleton in the Walls: Mysterious Arkansas Farmhouse Hides Civil War History

A peculiar southeast Arkansas farmhouse conceals an obscure treasure of agriculture, grit and ingenuity behind its walls—a 19th century steamboat.

In the Blood: Hunting Deer Antlers with a Legendary Shed Whisperer

For Jimmy Cassell, the shed drop window generally is heaviest from Feb. 1 to March 15. “I get excited to see the first one. Then I get sparked and start looking every day,” he says.

Frozen Dinosaur: Farmer Finds Huge Alligator Snapping Turtle Under Ice

Across a clear sheet of frozen water, Robbie Polk walked toward a meeting with a giant. Layered in camo, shotgun over his shoulder and headlamp angled downward, he stumbled as his light beam illuminated a stunning sight. He was staring at a dinosaur beneath the ice.