So I was hitting it pretty hard the last few days of the season here in Southern Illinois. Monday night I went out and scoped out this field to see if deer would be going for the corn since it was getting really cold the next few days. Saw a couple does out there. Tuesday night I went out and sat in Spot #1 (on the ground) and saw 3 deer to the west of me in the cornfield. Then had 5 coming from the East of me from the refuge. The first one was almost in my shooting lane when she winded me and they all went back to the refuge. Sat in the same spot Wednesday night and had 3 come from the refuge and winded me again. There was a NW wind so I wasn’t surprised.
So Thursday night (last day for bowseason) I moved up to Spot #2 where I could see the road. I also set up so I could shoot much more towards the East. I got out there at 4:00. I sat there a while and then felt a little exposed so I got up and grabbed a big limb, laid it down in front of me, then went out in the cornfield and grabbed some downed stalks to throw on it. Got that done and sat back down. Used my range finder to give me some idea of yardage at a couple different spots. It was 4:20 by now. Sat a little bit longer and at 4:45 I saw antlers on the other side of the road. He was in the ditch and getting ready to cross the road into the cornfield. I stayed sitting down. He crossed the road and was just trotting over towards me. Once he touched foot into the cornfield I drew back. He slowed down and when he stepped into my shooting lane I gave him a quick MEH!! He halted at 20 yards and I put the pin on him and let it fly. He turned and went back across the road into the refuge. His other side was blood-soaked (thanks to Rage 3-blade) already so I knew he was going down. I jumped out into the cornfield and was jumping around and pumping my fist as a car creeped down the road after seeing a bloody deer run across the road.
It was my first buck with a bow and it couldn’t have been better.
13-pointer with a 21-1/4” inside spread off of public ground.
