jkratz5
Well-Known Member
Had a great 4 day hunt on our farm in Illinois. My brother called me Friday 11/8 and said get over here it is “on”. That was all I needed and packed my gear and headed toward the farm.
Saturday morning was a little slow, but from that point Forward it was certainly on! For the next 2.5 days it was continuous deer movement, morning, midday and evening. A couple of close encounters Saturday and Sunday evening with shooters but couldn’t close the deal.
Monday morning I woke to 25mph winds, sleet and snow and decide I was headed for a stand that would be wind protected. Again for 4 hours I saw deer and several nice 3 year olds and 1 old warrior past his prime. At 10:00 I took a couple pics of my situation in the tree and decided I needed to warm up.
Me after 4 hours in the blizzard
my sight for the 3rd time that morning!!!
I hurried back to the cabin, got dried off and some food and headed back to the stand. At 1:30 I got a alert on my phone of a pic on a wireless cam. It was a shooter buck, just was 800-900yds away, maybe I was in the wrong spot. Deer movement started around me at 2:00 and again continuous deer for the entire afternoon. At 3:45 I glanced over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of a doe heading down from a bedding area, followed by a small grunt. 10 seconds later a giant grunt erupts from the bedding area and out comes a shooter buck to scent check the doe. He was very intent on staying by her side so I grabbed the grunt call and made a loud grunt behind me and away from his direction. His Head snapped toward the grunt and for the next few minutes he scanned the timber trying to find a buck. He then proceeded back toward the doe and I ripped off another grunt in the opposite direction of him. Head snaps again and another long stare into the timber. Back to the doe he went. I figured he was intent at being with her but 1 more shot, I snort wheezed and he made his way down the ridge toward me and onto a logging road. He stepped out 70yds away with the doe 20yds to his right. Luckily for me he was more interested in a fight and came toward me on a string! At 23yds I let the Vertix eat and punched his heart. Short, easy track in the Illinois Tundra that had been laid down all day! When I picked him up I realized it was the same buck that I had gotten the pick of 2 hours ago on the other side of the farm!
Fun couple of days for sure and looking forward to getting after it in Indiana now!
Saturday morning was a little slow, but from that point Forward it was certainly on! For the next 2.5 days it was continuous deer movement, morning, midday and evening. A couple of close encounters Saturday and Sunday evening with shooters but couldn’t close the deal.
Monday morning I woke to 25mph winds, sleet and snow and decide I was headed for a stand that would be wind protected. Again for 4 hours I saw deer and several nice 3 year olds and 1 old warrior past his prime. At 10:00 I took a couple pics of my situation in the tree and decided I needed to warm up.
Me after 4 hours in the blizzard
my sight for the 3rd time that morning!!!
I hurried back to the cabin, got dried off and some food and headed back to the stand. At 1:30 I got a alert on my phone of a pic on a wireless cam. It was a shooter buck, just was 800-900yds away, maybe I was in the wrong spot. Deer movement started around me at 2:00 and again continuous deer for the entire afternoon. At 3:45 I glanced over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of a doe heading down from a bedding area, followed by a small grunt. 10 seconds later a giant grunt erupts from the bedding area and out comes a shooter buck to scent check the doe. He was very intent on staying by her side so I grabbed the grunt call and made a loud grunt behind me and away from his direction. His Head snapped toward the grunt and for the next few minutes he scanned the timber trying to find a buck. He then proceeded back toward the doe and I ripped off another grunt in the opposite direction of him. Head snaps again and another long stare into the timber. Back to the doe he went. I figured he was intent at being with her but 1 more shot, I snort wheezed and he made his way down the ridge toward me and onto a logging road. He stepped out 70yds away with the doe 20yds to his right. Luckily for me he was more interested in a fight and came toward me on a string! At 23yds I let the Vertix eat and punched his heart. Short, easy track in the Illinois Tundra that had been laid down all day! When I picked him up I realized it was the same buck that I had gotten the pick of 2 hours ago on the other side of the farm!
Fun couple of days for sure and looking forward to getting after it in Indiana now!
