Baby-G
PMA Member
I was very fortunate to fill my IL bow tag before the heat wave killed daylight deer movement..
So it was my first trip to hunt Illinois this year. I started by hunting Saturday morning where a 175” ten point had came thru three mornings straight. I saw him cross the road heading into the black of woods i would be hunting about 1.5 hours before light. I worked my way to the back and had high hopes…. Saw quite a few but he never showed.. lots of young bucks chasing, but big ones were in scrape and cruise mode.
Sunday was great for mature buck movement. Saw 3 no doubt Booners…. None would respond to my calling…. No shot opportunity…
I had planned hunting for 5 days but temperatures weren’t looking good for Tuesday and Wednesday. I elected to hunt a farm that i had a high success rate on and that was perfect for a south or southwest wind. Monday morning i had movement at first light with 4 different bucks in 5 or 10 minutes but all little guys…. Good news they we’re getting bigger as they came..
I heard to thick rack bucks get in a shoving match in the thick holler to my north west about 150 to 200 yards away.
Movement stopped for about 45 minutes…. So i decided to push my luck and crack the antlers a little…. 3 cracks and i had to put them up a 3.5 yr old nine point came running in…. He went back where he came from and i waited 10 minutes and cracked the antlers againg for about 15 seconds with a few grunts. About 5 minutes later he came out same spot looking to work the north edge, he hit the Maniac 150 scent stream and turned hard right towards the drag rag…. I had grabbed my bow as soon as he came out, which means he was a no doubter for me. I shot him at 6 to 8 yards slight quartering towards. He went down about 60 yards away and i watched him expire…. What a rush!!!
Not a Booner, but a 163” gross with a bow makes me very happy…. Its gonna get good again by Friday. Hopefully put the boy on a good one at home in Ky for gun opener! Hope you all are blessed as much or more than i am!!! Stay safe, concentrate on a spot and smoke’m!!! God bless!!!
So it was my first trip to hunt Illinois this year. I started by hunting Saturday morning where a 175” ten point had came thru three mornings straight. I saw him cross the road heading into the black of woods i would be hunting about 1.5 hours before light. I worked my way to the back and had high hopes…. Saw quite a few but he never showed.. lots of young bucks chasing, but big ones were in scrape and cruise mode.
Sunday was great for mature buck movement. Saw 3 no doubt Booners…. None would respond to my calling…. No shot opportunity…
I had planned hunting for 5 days but temperatures weren’t looking good for Tuesday and Wednesday. I elected to hunt a farm that i had a high success rate on and that was perfect for a south or southwest wind. Monday morning i had movement at first light with 4 different bucks in 5 or 10 minutes but all little guys…. Good news they we’re getting bigger as they came..
I heard to thick rack bucks get in a shoving match in the thick holler to my north west about 150 to 200 yards away.
Movement stopped for about 45 minutes…. So i decided to push my luck and crack the antlers a little…. 3 cracks and i had to put them up a 3.5 yr old nine point came running in…. He went back where he came from and i waited 10 minutes and cracked the antlers againg for about 15 seconds with a few grunts. About 5 minutes later he came out same spot looking to work the north edge, he hit the Maniac 150 scent stream and turned hard right towards the drag rag…. I had grabbed my bow as soon as he came out, which means he was a no doubter for me. I shot him at 6 to 8 yards slight quartering towards. He went down about 60 yards away and i watched him expire…. What a rush!!!
Not a Booner, but a 163” gross with a bow makes me very happy…. Its gonna get good again by Friday. Hopefully put the boy on a good one at home in Ky for gun opener! Hope you all are blessed as much or more than i am!!! Stay safe, concentrate on a spot and smoke’m!!! God bless!!!
