2017 has been unbelievably generous to me. My season started in May, as me and a good friend went on a 10 day DIY backpacking black bear hunt in the most beautiful mountains that Alaska could offer. While bowhunting this terrain was difficult, the chances were there for me. Luckily, Kyle connected with a rifle on the last night of our hunt. An unbelievable adventure. There is a thread detailing this hunt much more. I had to wait a few more months to get back out, but early September found me in Kentucky on a piece of public ground hunting for a velvet whitetail. On the opening morning, I had a pretty, fully velvet buck come in. At 18 yards I clipped a branch and watched my arrow sail over his back. Fast forward a few days, and on my last afternoon, a beautiful 9 pointer with a split G2 walks into my setup. He gets under 20 yards, but the brush is so thick that I never get a shot on the velvet public ground monarch. I leave Kentucky with my tag still in hand. A week later and Kyle and I are in my truck headed west for a DIY elk hunt in Idaho on a coveted bull tag that I drew in an awesome unit. Over 3 days, we called in 3 shooter bulls, and I was fortunate to get a shot on an 8x6 bull on the afternoon of day 3 at 9 yards. It was truly a dream come true for me. Again, an earlier thread goes into the full story. I return to Illinois and deer season is upon me before I realize it. I don't hunt much in early October, but during the last week a big cold front came and in I went after a buck. On my first afternoon sit, a trail cam visitor came into 15 yards. Before I could even make up my mind to stand up, he smelled me and was gone. I have not tagged a buck for a few years now, and after passing many over that span I said this year my expectations would be lower. On the morning of November 6th, that same buck comes into my stand chasing a doe. I stop him at 41 yards, and he tumbles over 30 yards later after a perfect lung shot. The shakes subside, and I put my hands on him. I'm happy with him for sure, as he is my first buck since 2012. Meanwhile, a familiar face shows up on camera on November 3rd in daylight. I passed this buck last year, but this year he's in trouble. I get this picture and pretty well plan on just hunting him for the rest of the year. I hunt almost every day in November and I pass a really good 8 pointer a few times, but never lay eyes on the big 9 until the last day of the Illinois first firearm season. At 9:00 he came in chasing a doe with another shooter buck. They bob and weave through the honeysuckle brush, but I cannot find a good shot through my scope. Trail cameras showed he survived and I hunt Thanksgiving break for him. No buck, but I do shoot a doe at 19 yards. On the first day of the second gun season, I am back at the farm. I can't find my gun slugs, so I'm out with my blaze orange and my bow. At last light, I look down my food plot "road", and see the big 9 headed my way. He uses his brains to loop around my tree and stays in the brush. Had I brought the slug gun, this buck would have been met with his ending at 35 yards, however he walks by none the wiser as it's too thick for an arrow. Again, trail cameras show he makes it through the weekend. December was busy for me. Catching up on favors for the girlfriend, trying to soak up some OT at work, and just relaxing a little. I had only hunted one afternoon before the 23rd. But on Saturday evening after much debate, I returned to my food plot road stand. At 3:45 I glass up a deer in a brassica plot 250 yards away. It's the big 9. He disappears into the brush, but for the next 30 minutes I see several deer mingling around the 2 food plots by my stand. All is quiet, and at 4:30 I catch the sight every hunter waits for. Antler tips coming through the brush. My binocs show it's him before I ever see his body. I'm standing with bow in hand as he enters the cut corn field. At 38 yards I draw and he sees me. He takes a few steps closer, but turns broadside now standing at 34 yards. I shoot and see my arrow smack him a little high. I think I hear him crash as he runs off but I know I saw a good chunk of my arrow sticking out so no pass through. I opt to back out, and with sub freezing temps and snow on the ground I decide to come back in the morning. At daylight on Christmas Eve, me and a friend are at my stand. We quickly find blood, and shortly later my arrow. I was pleasantly surprised to see about 10 inches of penetration. A good blood trail is only needed for a few more yards as we look up and see the buck laying there not 50 yards from where he was shot. The big 9 was down. The shot was much, much better than I had originally thought as it pierced both lungs. Some high fives and congratulations followed as I wrapped my hands around my 2nd IL buck this year. I was tickled to death with him. A lot of hard work in the offseason undoubtedly led to him finding comfort on our farm, and being out there in the cold and snow led to me finally getting a chance. He'll be well honored on my wall for years to come. 2017 was an amazing year filled with some fun trips, meeting new hunting friends, a full freezer, and a few trophies on the wall. While 2018 is sure to hold some adventures, I can't fathom it being any more successful. Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk
A blessed man for sure. Thanks for sharing your good fortune with the rest of us. Blessings.......Pastorjim
Thank you for the kind words, and best of luck to everyone with their 2018 hunting plans. While I technically still have a buck tag in Kentucky that can be filled this season, the idea of pulling it off late season on public ground 4 hours away seems daunting. I may just spend some time at the farm trying to shoot my first turkey with a bow instead. Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk
Must be nice to hunt in your backyard, I have to travel at least 4 hours every time I hunt. You should join in on the "Live" thread next year dude, share some of that scenery. We have some good fun over there!
Yikes Fred! I'm not sure I could handle not having hunting ground in my backyard! Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk
