I'm alittle behind on pics and everything else, it was a long night friday night and saturday taking care of this hog! I know everyone has been waiting for pics and I apologize for that. I went into this season with very high expectations for myself like no other season before. I my main goal this season was to go after my biggest whitetail to date, his name "Mr. T." This buck is number one on my hitlists this season after having an encounter with him last november and finding his sheds in early march, I knew I was onto a great start pinpointing his travel and home range. In the middle of Augusts I ventured out to northwestern illinois to check my trailcam, and low and behold guess who is posing on it, none other than Mr. T himself giving me over 20 pics at every angle possible, making me drool in my sleep and he is all I think about getting a crack at! Last winter after picking up his sheds he grossed around the mid 170's as a typical 5x5 frame with a little deduction on his right g-2, alittle sticker point. This year he is still sporting a 5x5 frame, but no sticker on his g-2, he now has a sticker or split brow on left side. He should gross this season close to 180 or better. Time will only tell if I get a chance at him or not? Friday on the bow opener I was pumped just to get back in the stand like everyone else. The weather was cooler than usuall and with a cold front pushing in for the weekend, I knew something good was going to happen, it was a matter of time. I got off work around noon and headed home to grab the rest of my gear and head for the mississippi. There were still alot of standing crops, but I wasn't going to let that get me bumbed out. This would be my first night ever filming myself and getting footage, so as soon as I got settled in I started messing with my camera and camera arm to get more use to it, which was around 3:00 in the afternoon. Around 4 I had a spiked 4 pt. coming in and munching on acorns which were dropping like crazy all over the place, a few pelting me on my ballcap. around an hour later a nice doe came in with her yearling buck, and they too were likikng the acorns. Seen a couple squirrels as I'm sure everyone does, one in particular I wish I had a blow gun, he was squaking at me like crazy. As the sun started to dial down and start dropping down below the horizon I knew in my particular setup I had a chance to see a nice buck. Around 6:45pm I turned to my south and caught movement of a stud walking my way. With trying to get the camera arm swiveled around to my left hip, he was licking a branch around 22 yards from me, he then turned broadside, and I only had this one shot opportunity, and didn't have enough time to position my camera without him possibly busting me or him walking behind thick cover and not get a shot. As much as I wanted to get the shot on film, I knew this would be the biggest buck I ever harvested with bow and I didn't want to miss out. So I let my carbon express 250 hunter w/ nocturnal green nock fly, looking like a green laser show following my arrow, my 2 blade NAP bloodrunner blew right through his right shoulder into his heart. He took off crashing through the timber, making the woods seem alive and with one last crash, which sounded like a huge oak tree falling over, he expired only 40 yards from where I shot him. It was a hunting experience I will never forget! I never would have guessed I would have shot a 164 1/8 inch monster on the opener. My bar is set for the season with now hopes of harvesting Mr. T! I have picks on my team thread as well as the official scorecard.
Congrats! Looks like a stud! Was this near a standing cornfield (you mentioned the standing crops which is why I ask)?
Great story Ryan. It is one thing seeing a deer like that on stand, it is another being able to harvest that deer. Job well done. Congrats on your biggest buck to date with archery equipment. Best of luck with Mr. T.
Heck of a way to start the season Ryan! again what an awesome buck, now I hope you get a shot at Mr. T ..what a year that would be!
Hey Ryan you spoke of the licking branch with your big 164..buck.. How are your BF scrapes going and did you have one set up on this hunt? Is Mr. T hitting them?
What a stud! One of these days I will make my way out by your place and can't wait to see him in person!
Troy, I checked my trailcam that night after shooting this guy and low and behold the deer are all over that stuff, I now have another 10 point pushing 150 class, all the does and smaller bucks have their noses in the dirt; I made 5 or 6 scrapes in a semi circle around me, but have one cam on the scrape closest to my treestand. I haven't any other picks of Mr T yet, but thanks for telling me about this product, this stuff is amazing with the results and curiosity of the deer.
