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I'm really considering purchasing a larger chest freezer for the garage Al. Much of the venison goes to my family, as I'm the only one that consistently harvests a deer each year. This doe weighed 120 pounds field dressed which would make her about 150 pounds live weight. That's a good size doe even for IL.

For 15 years I have applied to hunt a 500 acre island in the middle of a lake roughly 30 minutes from my house. This year would be the first year my application was selected. I scouted the island the week prior to my 7 day hunt. I set up a couple stands (one in a swamp and the other looking over a 200 acre winter wheat field). The island is a popular destination for hikers and dog walkers as a nice 3 mile loop trail goes around the perimeter of the island. Each hunt I would watch as hikers and dog walkers traveled 60 yards from my stand never knowing I was there. Just about every night right around 4:30pm the deer would exit the swampy / wooded areas and enter the winter wheat field to feed for the evening. My stand was set up in a narrow stretch of winter wheat about 60 yards across. This proved to be the golden location as multiple deer filtered through the narrow stretch before entering the larger field. The first couple days I let several deer walk past hoping a big buck was in tow. It was not meant to be. Therefore on the 3rd eve of the hunt I took out this nice big doe with the same bolt and broad-head I have killed 2 other deer and and a pronghorn with. All animals were complete pass through s and none ran more than 150 yards. What a great way to end my season!

Merry Christmas William RT family!

I scouted out the island and have a stand placed in tree overlooking a field of winter wheat. I saw 3 does enter the field near the location of my stand. I'll be hunting each evening next week trying to fill my last archery buck and doe tag. I will not be picky.

Awesome to know you made the right call.

Nicely done!

That's a beauty William! Congratulations!

Yes, thanks William. Keeps me coming back every year!

Well, not much happening lately. Had one evening where I saw a really nice buck fighting with a 3.5 year old 8 point. Happened at last light and was no where near my crossbow range. That was a couple days before Thanksgiving, since then everything on camera has been nocturnal. I have a public draw hunt in a few weeks. I have never hunted it before so I'll use the next week to scout it out and see if it is worth my effort. It's a flat island surrounded by marsh and swamp. A 4 mile hiking trail around the perimeter and from what I hear it is used heavily by hikers.

Nice looking buck! Congratulations

Nice work Al! I have a question for you. Seems I remember you stating you hunted from a millennium 360 hand on stand. If so how is it holding up and how do you like it?

Thanks for adding the deer camp pics! Don't get me wrong... I love adding a hanging deer while at deer camp, but it's just icing on the cake.

Thanks everyone!

Deer Camp 7.bmpThis has been a great year for me! To cap off an already great hunting season the good Lord provided a nice healthy doe to add some action to deer camp 2021! This year my father son and I returned to the hills of the Shawnee National Forest! I placed my son in my “secret spot” and he saw 4 deer on opening day. He elected to pass the first 3 as they were smaller does and a spike. He saw a decent 8-point buck at 4pm but it didn’t present the short he was looking for. On day two he wasn’t going to be as picky but did not see a deer. My luck was WORSE! I had a beautiful view but didn’t see a deer on opening day. On day 2, I was about to call it a morning hunt when at 9am a doe cam hustling by. I tried to stop her but the wind was too much and at 60 yards she didn’t hear me. Finally I screamed HEY! As loud as I could and she stopped. Yep, she stopped… behind the largest oak in my view – No shot. She waiting a few seconds then decided to get the heck out of Dodge. As she got to a small clearing at 80 yards a took a trotting quartering away shot with my new Savage 220 loaded with left over accutips for 2 years ago and hit the 10 ring at 80 yards. I don’t boost much, but this was by far the best shot I have ever made. Another year of sharing camp with my dad, and my son. The Lord made me a deer hunter and I thank Him for it. Deer Camp 5.bmp Deer Camp 8.bmp Deer Camp 9.bmp

They sure liked that water puddle! LOL

This is a thread to share your Deer Camp pictures for the 2021 season. This weekend my son, father, and i will once again be headed down to the Shawnee Forest for our traditional deer camp. Pictures will be coming later!

Great job Joe!

Not a deer moving today and conditions were perfect which means we are experiencing lock down. Hunting is really good or really bad the next week.

Good deer movement today. No big ones but a couple 1.5 old bucks and a doe cruising around mid-day. Warming trend coming in Sunday - I predict it will shut things down, but it''s the 2nd week in November which equates to the best week to be in the deer woods.

Nice looking buck Don!

Nice! Looking forward to seeing the one you connect on Al.

Sorry - couldn't get the higher quality video to load.

Simply love the beautiful hardwood colors of the mid-west! This 2.5 year old 8 point made the evening that much better. Called him up with a grunt call. You all may recall I did the same thing from the same stand last year. Young 8 point.mp4

Thanks Al - always love reading your stories - looking forward to the one you'll have here in a few weeks.

That's a great buck Martin! Congratulations!