Ilbowman

Here is my opinion coming from an illinois boy.. If they were to extend gun season than the state should allow bowhutning during the gun seasons. They currently allow bow hunting during muzzleloader season so why not during the first two gun seasons? I know the gun only hunters will say the bowhunters have more time to get it done before the gun seasons but in all seriousness there is no reason bowhunters could'nt hunt during all gun seasons as well. The gun season should only be extended if they move the season back a week or two. Meaning that it should be the last weekend or week in november and the first week or weekend in december. They could also just make the muzzloader season a any gun season as well... Now I know that the state would not make the extra money for the muzzleloader tags but if they extend the season to any gun than they would get a third season and could make alot more money that way.. Ryan

Thanks guys!! Your right but thank goodness I can come here and vent to hunters cause the wife just does'nt listen too well this time of year!! lol I have three days to get it done before the boom sticks go off, but on the bright side a cold front is supposed to move in on thursday and bring some rain(its real dry here) and cool off alot by saturday and sunday! Good luck to everyone as the 2 weeks should be rockin!! Ryan

So yesterday I thought was going to be a good morning to hunt and I was right, but of course something had to buger it.. Right at daylight a 2 yr old 8 pt which I have seen just about every sit in 4 differant stands walks right under the stand go's out in the field and gets run off by a shooter who decides to chase a doe instead of coming in the timber. Then a fawn and two does walk in off the cornfield and the fawn decides to go on a track meet around the timber.. she ran and jumped all over the place. Had a button buck and the same fawn right under the stand and he smelled,licked and lip curled my pull up rope. After about a half hour went by I looked behind me in the clover next to the corn and here was finally a mature doe all by itself(so I thought). she was just feeding but I could tell she was skiddish. Well behinder about 30yds was a buck in the creek. All I could see was his right side and it was real good. So I waited for the doe to step into the timber and he creeped a little closer. As she made here way in a darn coyote creeped in and made his way to my vacinity. once the doe caught wind of the yote she went on full alert and started stomping!!! Well the buck turned tail and ran and the yote got to ten yards and I let him have it!! We have been covered up in coyotes this year and that is the second one out of the same stand this season. Hopefull by thursday the timber has calmed down and that big boy makes his way back!!! (sorry for the rant!)

After speaking with randys mom before the kimmel show was aired she told me he did it on the third shot, but for some reason I kept on the edge of my seat during each shot thinking he would do it!!! Way to go buddy!! Ryan

Todd, I noticed that you were from ne missouri... Mike takes his deer to a taxidermist near Hannibal, Mo and when he called and told him he a big one for him the taxidermist told " I bet its not as big as the one that just got droped off" and when mike asked how big the guy said "oh I dont know around 211 rough scored!!!!! :jaw: So you guys have some giants running round over there too. I also have another friend from NE Missouri that shot a 15 pt 190!! The pic of that one is hard to tell if its a 190 but its still a giant with a ton of mass. I bet the bases are 10 inches around!! Good luck over there on the fenced in side of the river!! lol j/k

Monstorbuck48, I may not be jealous of you being deployed to japan but i sure am proud that service men and women like you work your tail off protecting our country and freedom!! So I the next deer I kill will be dedicated to all service men and women!!! So I hope its soon!! Hopefully your tour ends soon and you can get home to ohio and hop in a stand and kill a giant but until then THANK YOU!!! Ryan

Todd, Sure did! a 160 and a 180 out of the same stand back to back days!! He is the luckiest hunter I know! I will say the property he killed this buck atleast 3 or 4 more bucks on it that will just as nice if not better. If you have heard of the golden triangle here in West Central Illinois than you will understand when I say the "best area in the state" and he is right in the middle of it!! I have hunted this property with him before and although I have not killed a giant out there I have seen a bunch at a distance that are chokers. it has everything you need to grow big bucks. Big cedar thicket for bedding, corn, beans, clover, water(creek and 2 ponds) big oak flats with acorns and rolling hills thru it.. Its a dream property. Ryan

Congrats Mike!! That looks like the ghost of the buck I hit with my car!! lol I guess Holloween ghosts can travel from state to state pretty fast!!!! Awesome buck man! Ryan

When he first called me after he shot it and said it made his 180 look small I thought he was joking!! Sometimes score doesn't mean everthing and in this case everybody is right on!! His 180 was not even as impressive as this buck because of the character of the main beams and the split brows. Good luck to everyone as this next few weeks should be the best of the year!! Ryan

I think your right... I will get some nice cold beverages if I win the bet!! lol :cell:

I would like to say I killed a giant but its also nice to share a pic of one your good friends kills! My buddy Mike has to be the luckiest hunter the last 2 seasons!! Last year he killed a 160 and a 180 out of the same stand on back to back days! Well even though this buck you are about to see is not a 180, he still is a giant 8 with both brows split!! So once again Mike and his lucky golden horseshoe that is stuck way up u know where strikes again!!!!! We have little bet that I say the buck wont go over 155 and he thinks it will score 165.. This buck is huge by all means but its really hard to get a main frame 8 to score in the 150's or 160's, but you never know!!! Ryan

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone!! Im so thankful that my kids were not hurt in any way and steveb your right cause having no one hurt is all that matters!! Buckee, I probably wont even see a deer that big this year!! lol Ruttinbuc, they sure can. and for some reason I must have a deer magnet in my pocket cause the other night Randy and his dad came out to the farm to help me hook up some appliances at my farm house and after we got done he took me for a ride in his new toyota tundra. about halfway down the black top 2 doe's poped up out of the ditch and randy slamed on his breaks and I think the squeel of the tires scared the deer back down in the ditch!! I had just told him to watch for the deer not 5 seconds before this!! I would have hated to see such a nice truck get deer damaged already!! Ryan

Even though the deer looks salvagable in the pick he was not. He was all mushy on the side that he was hit. Thanks!

I have not been on here for a while due to the craziness of selling a house, remodeling our farm house after renters did a number on it and working like mad. Well last tuesday while taking my daughter to the bus stop a deer jumped a ditch and hit the front fender, fliped up and landed in the windshield. Not only did I have my ten year old daughter with me but my 13 month old son was in the back seat drinking his bottle when the deer came out of no where! I am very vigilant this time of year because the deer are starting to really move with pretty much all the crops out and cooler morning temps getting them on their feet. By the grace of God nobody was hurt one bit but as you can see in the pic we were very lucky! If anything I should have been hurt but luckily I was not. I just so happened to ne hit by a nice 8 pt buck. His rack was not the biggest but he had to weigh atleast 200lbs! So that evening I went hunting to get a little revenge on the deer herd and I managed to take a good doe!! unfortunately my car is pretty much totaled! I hope everyone has a safe hunting and driving season as things are only going to heat up more and the deer will be moving all day long real soon!!Ryan

Since I started this post I guess I should post a memory of mine as well. I have been lucky enough to hunt with Randy and his dad for a while so I have quite a few good memories but I think I will post one of the first ones where I got to see Randy in action with his fans. Randy invited my daughter and I to go to Columbia, Mo for a deer classic where Randy was performing and also speaking at a banquet/auction to help raise money for under privelleged kids. After one of his sessions Randy told the crowd that if anybody wanted to shoot one of his bows they could.. Randy had just received the new Mathews Apex 7 in red, white and blue and man was it sweet! Randy had never fired a single shot out of this bow and had a loop and sight on it and not much else. The bow was on his bow tree with all of his other bows that are apart of his show. Now comes the funny/ heart sinking part. This one gentlemen from the crowd took Randy up on shooting the bows, and would'nt u know that he would pick the new apex 7. I was standing right there and watched as the guy drew the bow, released and whack the bow drops out of his hand and the top limb hits the concrete floor and bounces back up. The look on Randys face was priceless and the guy just stood there in shock. The guy told randy he was sorry alot and said he had never shot a bow without a wrist sling!! Randy took it all in stride and was a true pro about the situation..(Me on the other hand almost freaked out at the guy lol) I believe that its actually the same bow that is in the pic with Ruth. Randy gave the guy a realtree hat and told him no problem. After the show Randy spoke at the banquet and my daughter won a bb gun in a give away. It was funny cause Randy's sister Tiffany(she was only 11 at the time) would not go up in the group of kids for the give away cause the bb gun was in mossy oak camo!! lol even his sister new what realtree was about at the age of 11! This is just one the times I seen Randy out do himself with fans and the public. Ryan