I managed to parley 3 weeks off as I had 2 hunts planned out of country foiled by Covid. It was time to use or lose the vacation time so with a little wrangling I pulled off a stretch where I only worked 4 days all month. I had not had a vacation in a year and as a nurse working in this mess I was burnt around the edges. That time off came right on time.
I got a pic of a giant buck on the farm I have permission to hunt Oct 31. I checked the cam on the way to the set I had in an oak nearby. I couldn't believe that buck was there after seeing him last year after I was tagged out. I sat up in the dark and hoped my wind would hold.
At 8 am a nice 3 year old buck came in to a scrape. It being my first day off, November 7th, I just enjoyed the show. Soon 3 more bucks showed up and it became a gun show: posturing and circling each other while maintaining enough distance to not fight. Suddenly every head snapped to attention stage left and that tank on camera walked in. I went from enjoying the show to reaching for my bow in no time flat.
He gave me a good shot within my effective range and I took it. What looked perfect turned into a circus later. I jumped him on the bloodtrail after an hour wait, realizing I had a one lung hit. I backed out immediately and went home, giving him as much time as possible. I came back at 3:30 pm and found blood and 2 beds within 150 yds before dark. I backed out again, not knowing if I should. We have alot of coyotes here. I felt certain he was down but chose to be conservative. Unfortunately it cost me a bunch of meat as the coyotes took nearly every bit of him. I found him 100 yds from last blood.
It's time to declare war on coyotes.
I am happy the dang yotes left a cape at least and I salvaged what I could. He was a heckuva whitetail that will now be in my memory room. As for those yotes, I got plans for them.
I suddenly had a buck tag filled and a doe in the freezer. I have a no doe November rule, but when a forky pushed one to me I had to give it a go. Soon after I loosed the arrow I looked out in the field and saw a ghost. A buck who had been on my small farm a year ago, suddenly reappeared. I knew that no matter what buck I had a chance at, I wanted him the most.
A 5 year old buck is quite a special animal. I killed one on November 7th and now had another I knew well to chase the rest of the year. During the next 2 weeks I would have him inside 30 yds 5 times and never got a shot. I also had several "next years deer" walk all over me. No, it'd be the tall brow buck or nothing.[attachment=1]
Wow! Thats quite a month!!!
And with next year's quarry already in the books!
Good luck, shoot straight and God bless,
Rodd
After all the near misses with that buck I actually had to work a couple days. Our early firearm season is always a melancholy time for me. It is only 3 days but I don't enjoy seeing all the road hunting. Knowing the buck I was after crossed a gravel road more than a mature buck should, I was nervous. I decided to work and pray.
It turned out ok. He must have that 6th sense because no one shot him. I knew he was breeding and vulnerable. He just was a wary old dude though. I hunted him hard until our next gun season, a 4 day affair. I was off then however and spent the mornings glassing for him. The guns were going off all around and I nearly fainted when he trotted over a distant ridge with a doe. They slipped into the bedding cover on my farm and I knew exactly where I might kill him.
I told my wife my plan to set up on the ambush tree, a spruce with finger like branches where a bowhunter could tuck into. I had used this same set up to kill a giant 12 point 4 years ago. If they used that same trail coming out, I had a chance.
Like clockwork at 4 pm the doe walked right past me at 12 yds. He was so close to her rear end I thought I'd miss my chance. Luckily she got nervous like old mature does do and sped up. I used her acceleration to my advantage, drawing and pivoting on my stool. The aim and release felt perfect and the mad dash ended at 100 yards. I was overcome with emotion as I always am and texted my wife "Got him". She asked "him, him?" THE Hombre...the man. It was not long before I had dragging help by way of my son home from college. We had a heck of a celebration but not before I had some quiet time with my buck and with God above.[attachment=1]
Killing a mature whitetail buck is hard. I know I live in a whitetail mecca and don't discount the luck it takes. I am fortunate to have killed 20 bucks now that are just amazing, mature specimens. This one will go down as an epic labor of love. I spent 28 sits, 112 hours total to get my shot at him. He was worth every second of every sit. I'd do it all again and will again come November. Until then I will feed my family well and celebrate the wonderment of a mature whitetail buck.[attachment=1,msg2945603]
Well done Sir!!
What a season! Congrats!
Wow, Mike, that's awesome!!!!!!! I'd gladly give up all the deer I get to shoot down here for one of those bruisers!!!!
Congrats on a great season, my friend!!!
Bisch
Great season! Congratulations!
Are you allowed two archery killed bucks? Just asking cause I'm new here and thought it was only one.
You are allowed 2 bucks total: 1 gun or 1 bow, 2 gun or 2 bow. So long as you have a tag. Up until a few years ago you couldn't bow hunt during gun season but now as long as you have a gun tag (I did) you can bowhunt.
Awesome !!! :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
Thank you, Mike.
So you can kill two bucks during the shotgun seasons? And two bucks during the archery seasons? I did know that one can bowhunt during the shotgun season.
Congrats and thank you for what you do
Two great bucks and effort to have a season like you did. Thanks also for your occupation as our country is in dire need of people like you.
Congrats. Those are some beautiful bucks! That's one heck of a season.
Congratulations. Job well done.
Thank you Tom! I love my job. Sometimes it is hard on the heart.
Kelly: you can kill 2 bucks total. If you have a gun tag and ML tag that's 2 with a gun. I don't gun hunt but have tags to keep bowhunting. It is a bit confusing but basically Illinois is a 2 buck state.
Appreciate the replies. Glad to share my hunt :campfire:
Mike, well done! Now, it's time to get the traps in the ground and thin the coyotes.
Great Story
Congrats on two great buck! I'm glad you got the needed time off, and you sure made the most of it. Thanks for sharing so well
Congratulations what a great year. Thanks for sharing....
Well done Mike. Maybe we will share a camp again soon. I enjoyed our talks in Manitoba. I will never forget coming in to get you and your buddy out of Determination!
D.P.
Kelly, are you messing with Mike? He has said (2) bucks total a season of any given combination whether that be gun, bow, or gun/bow = (2) bucks in total. When you take (2) bucks in a given deer season, you cannot take anymore legally.
Congrats Sir! That's quite a season :thumbsup:
Congrats! Thanks for sharing. For future reference leave a sock or t-shirt out at last blood. I've never lost one to coyotes since.
If you can bait and snare coyotes weed them out. I've shot a few w both bow and rifle. But snaring is the way to go. After I took the trapping course and got a license, my first year I took out 42 coyotes on 4 properties. There's more around than you think.
Congrats Mike, glad to see you had such a fantastic year.
Well done Mike! Congratulations on a great deer.
I appreciated your comment about being alone with God and your buck as well. You certainly put the time in.
Best to you,
Gary
Congrats Mike. You always seem to come through
Quote from: Mighty Big Country on January 04, 2021, 03:33:34 PM
Kelly, are you messing with Mike? He has said (2) bucks total a season of any given combination whether that be gun, bow, or gun/bow = (2) bucks in total. When you take (2) bucks in a given deer season, you cannot take anymore legally.
No Mark, am not messing with Mike. I've only lived here in Illinois for 6 months and am only trying to understand the rules/regulations. When someone says two bucks with the bow or two with the gun I take that literally. I was pretty sure that when I read the rules/regulations it only says one buck with the bow(Archery Season) or one buck with the gun(shotgun/muzzleloader seasons).
Thanks Mike and congrats on your great bucks. Mark, when did you move to SD?
Kelly no offense taken. I sometimes get confused explaining things...ask my patients. For future reference look at the fact sheet from DNR on deer hunting. They will do better than me! Also shoot me a pm! I'd love to connect with another Trad hunter!
Appreciate all the nice replies. I am always happy to share here and so happy to hear from friends from the past and make new ones.
Quote from: Dave Pagel on January 04, 2021, 03:14:05 PM
Well done Mike. Maybe we will share a camp again soon. I enjoyed our talks in Manitoba. I will never forget coming in to get you and your buddy out of Determination!
D.P.
Brother I have missed our talks. What a night on that bait eh? Hope you are well, lefty. Would love to share a campfire again!
Kelly,
Here is a quote from the Illinois DNR website about harvest limits:
"BAG LIMIT:
One deer per legally authorized permit. No hunter, regardless of the quantity or type of permits in his/her possession, may harvest more than 2 antlered deer during a year, including the Youth, Archery, Muzzleloader and Firearm Seasons.
For purposes of this bag limit, deer seasons are considered to be in the same year if their opening dates fall within the same 12-month period that begins July 1. A hunter in possession of an either-sex permit after having harvested 2 antlered deer during a year may only use the permit to harvest an antlerless deer.
Subject to this restriction, an either-sex permit holder is allowed to take a deer with or without antlers during the legal season. An antlerless-only permit holder is allowed to take only a deer without antlers or a deer having antlers less than 3 inches long during the legal season."
I admit it is written in "Illinoisan", or at least Bureaucrat-ese, but I hope that helps clarify things a bit.
Daryl
Outstanding Mike! Congratulations!
Wow! That is absolutely amazing! Congratulations on your fantastic season!
Thank you for your work during this incredibly hard pandemic. Health care workers demand our utmost respect as we struggle during this difficult time.
Bernie
I miss the IN bucks !!!
:coffee: :campfire: :archer2:
Congrats Mike!
Kelly, I moved to SD 8 years ago. When did you leave Wisconsin?
Mark, this past June.