I’m in the box blind today, opener of rifle here. Going to be warmer than I would like but with the corn off and all the commotion around, hopefully they are moving throughout the day. Dark to dark sit today, but it’s not bad in the heated blind.
Just the rifle, we messed up when making the blinds and made the windows too short to shoot a bow out of. We’ve always talked about fixing that but never get around to it. I did just hit one of our better bucks running around. Gotta try and get permission from the neighbors to track it looks like.
Crazy good hunting this morning. Recovered my buck, he’s hanging in the barn with some ice in his chest cavity now. After I shot him there was another nice 8 point out in the field for a bit before chasing a doe off. Then a huge buck came out of the corn and gave me a nice 75 yard shot, just with my camera. All out of buck tags now. Would have really liked to have one for this guy, but I couldn’t be happier with the two bucks I have this year! Just going to observe the woods the now, I’ll probably head back home after the morning hunt Friday. With both buck tags used up, I might sit with the bow over Thanksgiving depending on the weather to try and fill my doe tag.
I'm going to try to get out tomorrow morning and evening, Saturday is the start or firearms season. My plan is to take the kids out then and i will be hunting late season with crossbow.
Just got out to the farm for first Illinois firearm season. I brought my bow. We can archery hunt with a gun tag here. If a buck comes in close enough for a bow shot I’ll take it. Otherwise it’ll be the boom stick. Wife and son stayed home this trip. I’m out here camping on the property instead of staying with the in-laws. It’s harder being away from them than I thought it would be. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
My last couple of hunts have been great but alas still no buck for me. I did an all day sit a few days ago and made a mid day move of about 80 yards, I moved to right up against the thick stuff and at 1:30 I had a doe with a Huge 13pt / 160- 170 inch buck come in the thick stuff. He had her pinned in there and he was making a rub. She finally came my way and he was only 25 yards but to thick for a shot and at 10 yards the doe turned and ran off taking him with her and no shot for me. I got to hunt one of my favorite dates during rut Nov 15 and as always it didnt dissapoint. I sat a ridge top near the river for my morning hunt. It was warm and nothing seen till roughly 9am when the woods exploded with a doe in heat came running up the ridge with no less than 8 bucks chasing her. Funny thing was after the bucks ran by then 2 more does and some fawns were running after them. There were 2 shooter bucks. The largest buck ran passed me in the wide open at 10 yards, I came to full draw and bleated at him and he wouldnt stop so I literally yelled HAY and he still wouldnt stop ... So no shot. The 2nd biggest buck came back by me behind my tree at 4 yards but a limb was in the way on my tree so I had to at full draw completly turn around and then he turned and walked straight away offering my vital shot. I also bleated to try and stop and turn him but he was on a mission and wouldnt stop. The big buck came back to 35 yards but was in a thick spot offering no shot. So I had deer running everywhere around me and never got a shot off. So they made there way back the way they came and then all went silent and still again except for a spike and a young buck came by. So for the afternoon it was in the 60's hot and I didnt feel like carrying the climber so I ground hunted next to the river and as I was walking in once again at 130 in the afternoon the same bucks showed up chasing each other around on the rivers edge with the big buck roaring at them and trying to run them off but now they were on the other side of the river where I dont have permission to hunt. so I had to just watch them. I had a blast hunting and it was nice not to see another hunter on the public land just lots of deer, a bald eagle and a lone turkey. Just a bit of the small bucks being ran off that day Today starts our 3 day firearm season so I wont be hunting for 3 days but my husband will be out rifle hunting the same public land I hunt today ... I pray he has a great time and gets a good one.
I’ll be out tonight and all weekend. I might take gun and bow Saturday and Sunday, depending on what stand I choose. With the 30/06, if the trigger is pulled, they die and don’t go far, so that’s nice, but I reeeeaaallyyy want a nice bow buck on the wall
Good luck to everyone getting out this weekend. We have rain moving in at 4pm I need to pick a spot so hopefully I can catch them feeding before. Should be in one of my spots by 1.
Hunted from the ground down wind of a scrape and where I thought they’d be crossing the ravine. Last light, 3 does came barreling in from across the road I guess. I turned around and the made a sweeping 180 at about 7 yards. I don’t think they would’ve ran me over had I not turned around but it was close.
M1903 surplus rifle made for Springfield by Smith-Corona in 1942, put into this stock in the 70s. Ain’t pretty but sure does hammer. May pull the trigger on a doe tomorrow
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!! May you all eat lots of turkey and kill a big buck this weekend!!!!!
