[blockquote]
Was able to reach a goal this year taking two good bucks on public land with my IL tags this year, regardless this 2nd was with muzzleloader. Bummer as I could have easily taken with my bow. First buck was archery though.
Looked this guy over real good before shooting. Liked the mass, beam lengh and spread, regardless of short tines. I think he's pretty unique looking. Just 8 points but none broken, which was a problem where I was!
Was an interesting Saturday morning. Got lost in the woods running out to my stand late. Saw nothing until 9 AM when an old timer walked 30 yards in front of me, climbed over a fence, and set up to hunt off the ground 70 yards from me. Hmmmmm. No matter, this is Illinois during the rut, right? At 10 AM a doe wanders under my stand and I stupidly look back, see no buck, so pull out my camera to take some pics of her for my g/f. Dumb! No need to tell me. Anyway the doe wanders in front of me, catches my scent, and nervously jumps away to my left. Well I peeked back and saw antlers turn and run away. He was hidden in the timber about 50 yards back. Bummer. At 10:30 AM I have another buck come in, jump the fence and walk under me. This was a former 10 pointer who is now a 5 pointer! Yikes! Right G2, G3, G4, Left G3, G4 all broken off to below 1". His remaining left G2 was 11-12" long! Wow. Would have been a nice one.
At 11 AM I turn and see another doe coming in from the same direction as the first, with the same buck following. I waited and they came right in, buck grunting. Hunt over. Pretty cool to get a 2nd chance on a blown setup like that. Gotta love the rut.
The evening before I passed on a beautiful former 10 pointer (probably) with his entire right side broken off. Heard a big fight that evening as well. Beaten each other up around me. Glad the one I found had enough mass to survive! Haha. He is scarred up pretty bad though.

[/blockquote]

Here's a pic of that first one I took during bow season.

A great season for me. Got to take one early season, still enjoy the rut with my second tag. Now activity should be tapering down anyway.

Also bagged a 3rd trophy with my new bowhunting girlfriend. Wow, what a year! When I told her she was my 3rd trophy, she called me a bas****. Haha!

This weekend was very interesting for me. Friday 6:20am 2 does come in, I shoot @ 60 yd, nothing, 10 min. later 2 more does still miss. Didn't see anything the rest of the day. Saturday, same stand, 6:25 am 1 doe comes out in the same location as on friday, missed again, saw a nice 8 pt. at noon sent checking a tree line. Sunday, same tree, 6am something runs in from over the hill, 6:15 I see its a buck with a doe, he gets up on her and does his thing 25yd in front of me (x-rated nature show), didn't shoot, shooting time was 6:20 and it was still very dark. 10 min later 2 does run in shot the first at 40yd clean in the head. The hunt was over, I was very happy, but might want to invest in a scope for those earlly morning shots ( shot the gun in the afternoon and was perfect at 60 yd)

Wow im really glad most of you had a great season,Although I couldnt hunt.
haha.
Sunday i went out all day and helped my buddy hunt(deer dogging and everything like that).
But before all that we got in a stand at about 5:30,
At 6:45 Two does enter a feild to the left about 60 yards away.
BAM!..
She looked hit but when i checked mos of the day i found nothing.
Still had fun though.

I was able to harvest a nice 9 pointer around 9:00 on Sunday. He came in from my left around 50 yards out andI put the cross hairs on him and waited for him to clear the bsush and I took the shot, he was able to get up and staggered for about 20 yards and that was about it. Hit him in the shoulder, which wasn't a bad shot as he was not standind still when I shot. He field dressed at 163 lbs. The pressure is off after I passed on a nice buck on Friday.Just can't seem to get the pictures to upload. Spent some time at it last night with no avail...

2 bucks from my club in Wayne and Clay County. Both shot Saturday morning. We seen some real pigs guys just not in the right spot.

#2

I got this guy Saturday at 9:30 AM after seeing nothing else. This was in Douglas County IL.

Unfortunately I didn't see anything I wanted to shoot. Seen a few small bucks with does. I was holding out for a good one. Zim...was that you I met in the lot of the R.B. Lodge?

Shot a doe yesterday with my Omega in Henry Co. Got on stand at 2:05 pm and she came in with another doe at about 2:30 and I shot her at 25 yards. Well, at least I still have second season to get a buck. I never even saw one the first season.