bigbuckkilla89

On dec. 2nd It was a cold and kindly windy rainy day. It had been raining all day yesterday and at 2:45 I decide to go crawl in my stand at my foodplot where I took my big 10 point on the shotgun opener on nov.20. I have no rain gear just a heavy coat and a couple layers of pants. So after about 30 minutes of being in the stand I'm wet and cold and Im thinkin maybe this wasnt such a good idea. At about 3:45 I've had almost all i can take and I tell myself if I havent seen a deer by 4:15 im gettin down early. Well at 4:00 on the dot I was watchin 2 squirrels chase each other around the tree and I looked in the field behind me and about 250-300 yards away stands a deer. I knew as soon as I saw the deer that it was a buck , just by the body size. I try to get a look at it through my binos but there all fogged up and all i could make out was it was a buck with a white rack I couldnt tell how big. I grab my buck roar from my pocket on my coat and hit two loud grunts and I see him bring his head up. He looked for a second and then he started trotting my way. The closer he got the better I could see one side of his magnificent rack. He got to the edge of the woods and I still didnt know exactly how big he was. He came in the woods grunting and lookin around tryin to locate the buck that grunted at him. He was grunting aggressive and from his posture and movements I'm pretty sure he was lookin for a fight. When he entered the woods he was only about 55 yards from me and Ive still only seen one side of his rack. I could see It had at least 6 points maybe more I thought he was a small racked buck at first but then when I saw the 6 points and the g2s 3s and 4s were around 10-14 inches i knew he was bigger. As he was going down the ridge to my left he was lookin around and finally he looked toward me.. OMG this buck that i thought was a small racked big bodied deer while he was way out in the field sure fooled me big time im pretty good at field judgin a deer and I guesstimate him to be within the 180s-200s inch range. He had at least three 10-14 inch tines on both sides a matching kicker off his brow tine on both sides that was at least 4-6 inches and his brow tines were around 10 inches. He stuck out past his ears a good ways on both sides and his rack was almost semitrical it looked identical on both sides. He had at LEAST a 20 inch inside spread and he was tall ive never seen a buck that was as wide like him and as tall at the same time. Usually its always one or the other and his mass was unbelievable he was heavy heavy horned I'd say around 6-8 inch bases. He was the total package. Every whitetail hunters dream. The biggest typical buck I've ever seen. And I got him at 50 yards and hes lookin for a fight If i grunt at him theres a good possibilty he'll come in range and give me a shot. But wait I shot a 9 point on the 14th. of nov. with my bow and a 10 point on the 20th with a shotgun. So my two buck tags for the year are filled and Im not a poacher by anymeans. So I sit and watch this buck for a good ten minutes within 50-75 yards and it was actually a humbling experience for me because this is the first year Ive filled both my buck tags and am still hunting for does, and I didnt know if i was going to be able to pass a big buck up if one walked by. Well god tested me with a magnificent huge monster freak of a buck and I cant say I didnt think about hittin the grunt call and tryin to bring him in for the shot because I did, I thought about it hard. But I did the right thing and I didnt even try to get a shot at him I didnt kno if i would pass that test. I had to tell myself you cant shoot or shoot at this deer no matter what. I now know that I have the will and the ability to pass up a big-monster-giant deer even if I may have a chance to get a shot when I dont have the tags or its not legal to shoot. This is the first time Ive ever really been tempted with poaching a deer because I've always had a tag befor. But as I get older and more skilled and experienced as a hunter this is a decesion I may be faced with again if I take 2 bucks in one year and now I know that I can do it. I know that I really shouldnt have even been hunting if I didnt think I could let a big buck pass by when I dont have the tag but thats why I'm sharing this story I wanted to see if anyone else had to do something like this. Having to make the decision about trying to get a shot at this deer made me realize that its choices and decisions that we as hunters make that catagorize us as ethical law abiding hunters or as POACHERS. I kno the post is long but I had to talk about this because I just now realized that I am an ethical hunter and I can make choices to keep it that way and what better place to talk about topics like this than at the hunting forums because to be honest I didnt know for sure if i could let a good deer walk if it came in even with me having no tags. But now I do because today is the 2nd season for shotgtun here in IL and this morning I watched a very nice 8 point(which I would have shot if I still had a tag) chase a doe around the field for about 15 minutes befor I took a shot at the doe and missed her so I've passed bucks 2 times from the same stand all within 18 hours of each other and I'm gonna keep let em go til net year. To everyone here who reads this especially if ur new to hunting or you havent been hunting very long. Be smart while hunting and make the right choices identify and know your target befor you squeeze the trigger and know the game laws for your area because you dont want to be classified as a poacher. I know alot of you who read this may think that I should have made the choice to not poach a long time ago. I always said I would never poach or hunt illegal but you can never make the right or wrong choice until the time comes to do so. Usually Im not good with making the right choice but I care enough about hunting and enjoy it very much enough so that I wouldnt do anything to jepordize my hunting rights or anyone elses. Im kind of rambling on here so im signin off now everyone in IL good luck and hunt smart and safe during 2nd season. Any feedback be negative or positive is appreciated that is if you can read this whole thing cuz i kinda went wacky and jus said what came to mind.

The ruts been rockin here in southern IL since about a week into november. On nov 14th I took a 120-125 inch 9 point with my bow and he was crusin Im pretty sure he was comin to find the buck that grunted and growled with the buck roar (ME) and whoop his but and take his doe. And on the 20th I shot a good one around a 130 inch 10 point on the shotgun opener. He had his head down and was gruntin and carryin on I saw him at the edge of the thicket and shot him at the egde of the ditch in front of my stand. Its about 30 yards from the thicket to the ditch and he grunted probly 15 times in between he was definately lookin for a doe. But around the end of oct. first of nov. I was seein a few small bucks tryin to run does but it wasnt til nov. 9th I saw the first big buck with a doe and after that Ive seen lots of nice-big-monster bucks chasin and pushin does. I bow hunted yesterday evening in the rain and I only saw one deer but It was a 180-190 class gigantic white racked tall tined heavy heavy horned buck. Saw him in the field bout 250 yards away and hit him with 2 loud grunts from the buck roar and he trotted all the way to the woods. He came in bout 50 yards from me and went down the ridge into the thicket he was gruntin tryin to find that buck and from his posture and load aggressive grunts and the way he was acting I believe he wanted a fight. I believe if I would have hit him with the grunt again he wouldve came into range but my tags are filled so i didnt even try.

I had somethin like that happen to me last year. On the last day of first season in IL. I was goin down the levee behind town and I came up to a field I hunt and always see deer. A doe was feeding about 50 yards from this little 3 acre woodlot (an old hog pen) just right outside of town. I put a stalk on her and got about 100 yards and I wanted to meat shoot her so I shot her in the neck I was using a remington model 870 magnum 12 gauge with a bull slug barrell, and i was shooting winchester rifled slugs. I shot her in the neck and she dropped straight down. I start down the levee to her and when i get to the edge of the field she has her head up lookin at me. She turned her head toward the woods and I hit her about an inch from where the first shot hit in the neck. I thought that would be all 4 her but no as soon as I shot her she jumped up and started for the woods I was tryin to stop her and finally I whistled and she turned straight to me and i settled the crosshairs between her eyes and darn near took the whole top of her head off. When I skinned her I took the hide down a bit further and lookin at her neck there was no way she should have even been breathing her windpipe was mangled from both shots.

good story n nice buck congrats

I forgot to shoot my darn gun yesterday, and sure enough between first season and today the scope was knocked off so i missed 2 different does this morning. but i did see a nice young 8 point lookin to get some last minute action with a doe. the bucks are still crusin but i filled my buck tag on openin day of 1st season.. anywyas I came back to town and went and got the ole 12 gauge dialed back in headin back out round 1:00 p.m. if a doe walks in range this evening im gonna put her down. But im kinda hopin to see alot of deer but I really dont want to come in close enough to shoot til sunday cuz then ill b sittin at the house while everyone else is huntin and that always blows..

congrats on a first deer...always good to see the youngins get into huntin I'd bet he'll be hooked 4 life

good buck.. congrats

awsome buck congrats man

congrats.....mmmm backstraps

awesome deer... what a pig!!!

congrats to yall thats a weird rack kinda looks like he was an old buck goin downhill.

congrats bet hes gonna b tasty

congrats thats an awesome 1st deer

I give my season this year a 10 A FREAKING 10....lol...this was the first year that i got a good buck with my bow (a nice 9 point) and with my shotgun (a nice 10 point) all i have left are doe tags and im workin on them....THE FREEZER IS FULL AGAIN... (time to make some jerky)

I got this buck this morning on the illinois shotgun opener I kno this is the bowhuntin room but im still putin it in here cause I was on this deer for 2 weeks during bow season. I had him within 50 yards 2 different times and seen him 6 defferent times. He came out of the thicket in the wrong place (for him) this mornin cause at 60 yards he felt the boom stick he went about 50 yards and piled up im jus so pumped I took a nice 9 point on nov.14th with my bow and this stud of a 10 point with a gun I couldnt be more happy.

6:50 this morning this buck came in 60 yard shot put him down. Gotta love illinois opening day shotgun season.

Holy cow thats a pig!!!!

you kno I thought i was gonna switch from muzzy to rage 2 blade and after shooting a deer earlier in the year and hittin it in the shoulder and not breakin through the bone and losing the deer I went back to my muzzys

nice buck congrats

congrats on a nice buck

ty for putin the pic up i didnt kno how to do it

Shot this buck this morning at 8:55...I went to my foodplot stand and at 6:45 I called in a basket rack 8 point and I shot right over top of him. I got down at 8:00 and got my arrow. I decided to move stands because I saw 8 deer leave the small woods I was hunting. I moved to a stand about a half mile away in a larger set of woods that I hunt and see good bucks regularly. I was about 60 yards from my stand when I saw a monster white racked buck and another buck I couldnt really tell much about. They were both within bow range of the stand i was going to hunt.They had already spotted me so i jus stood there and watched as they fled (not really spooked) they didnt blow or anything i jus kinda bumped em out of there. I hung some golden estrous sent about 15 yards from the stand. when i got settled in the stand it was 8:40. I was watchin a squirrel behind me when I heard a stick pop. I looked up and this buck was about 50 to 60 yards in front of me headin my way. I saw his rack and knew he was a shooter. It took what seemed like an eternity for him to move closer and get in front of me for a perfect 25 yard broadside shot. I saw the arrow hit directly in the shoulder and he buck jumped and kicked the arrow n broke it and it flew about 15 foot. I watched him run away and I didnt see him bleeding or anything he disappeared behind a tree and i lost sight of him. I looked at the time it was 8:55 I had only been in the stand 15 minutes. I waited til 9:45 and got down. I couldnt find my arrow and i couldnt find any blood. I started toward where i saw him last and when i got to the tree where he disappeard he was layin 15 yards from me. I've been on big deer for the past 3 weeks and it finally happened not the biggest ive seen but hes a trophy to me:)........http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=377339073&albumID=892494&imageID=24397802

found 1 scrape and 1 big rub along a field edge and called in a little basket rack 6 point with the buck growl i grunted at him 4 times and he didnt seem to interested then I hit the snort weeze and he came right in to me i drew back on him but decided to let him walk cuz ive been seein a really good buck from that stand

It cost me 13.50$ for my hunting license and habitat stamp and it cost me 26.00$ for either sex and antlerless only archery tags. and 30$ for either sex and antlerless only shotgun tags but if i dont kill a buck with a shotgun I can take 2 bucks with a bow and In illinois u can harvest as many does as you want with a bow u just have to buy the tags. For me to hunt in KY it would cost me rite at 200$ I hunted in KY up until i turned 16 then it got to expensive

This will be my first hunt in over a week and im goin out to my favorite stand this mornin ive got a nice plot of evolved harvest throw n gro. It came up really good n the deer been eatin it good. Im anxious to see if theres any rutting activity goin on yet here in southern IL.. Im gonna try and grunt a couple times this morning maybe do some light rattling with a set of smaller antlers that ive got. Ill let everyone kno how it went when i get home im headed out rite now. Has anyone been seein any good rutting activity goin on anywhere yet?????