Annual Illinois Trip Started Off Bad, Ended Well !!!!
 

Well my friend and I drove out to our lease the day after election day, when we got there the temps where in the mid 70s, so we hung some more stands, then I got a flat tire, then my cell phone broke, nearest Verizon Wireless Store was 1.5 hours away, then I had a family emergency so I drove home, it was a false alarm thank GOD!!!!! I drove back and the next day I was in my stand, I had a 125" 8 pointer come in but I allowed him to walk, the next day I saw very little movement, then I got sick so I didn't hunt on the 3rd day, then the rains came over 5" of rain, all my primary stands are on the other side of a creek, no way I could cross it. A few friends went out and they saw deer, two monsters where seen one was 160" plus the other was bigger.

So on opening day of the shotgun season I was on another one of our farms that I don't normally hunt, so I made up a ground blind the day before. On opening day morning I saw 8 deer ( no shooters) then around 9am I here walking in the hollow blow me, 4 huge does are sneaking thru, they stop and look behind them and I see the horns, I took the 80 yard shot with the my H&R Ultra Deluxe 20ga., the only shot I had was in the neck, he ran roughly 20 yards, 10 pointer, 130" plus, dressed out at 170lbs.

Great Buck! Nice and Heavy. Looks like you went through a lot to get him. Do you drive in from NJ every year to hunt? Seems like you put in a lot of work to get your deer. Thats one heck of a drive. Congrats!

thank you very much

Yes we drive from NJ at least twice a year: August to hang stands, then November to hunt. roughly 16 hour trip!!!!!

Congrats Joe, awesome buck!! Great pic. Glad you guys had a good time, as always, in-spite of the warm weather and rain. Welcome back. :biggrin:

Wooo now thats a deer congratulations

Gongrats on the Great Buck !!!!!!!!!!!!!:barmy:
Did you make it to the Brown County Deer Classic this year ???
Deb

Deb,

Yes we made it to the Classic, not as many deer this year as in the past, starting next year we are going to pass on going

Nice buck...congratulations! Where do you hunt in Illinois? I hunted my in-laws farm in Calhoun county. It rained from the sunday I arrived until the day before the opener, then as you know, the next 3 days were very warm. I seen a total of 7 deer. A very small buck and 2 does on friday, skunked on saturday and a real nice buck and 3 does right before dark, about 400 yards in the neighbors field sunday evening. I might have to hunt with my brother-in-law in Greene county next year. His son got a 10 point in the 120's sunday morning.

Bow-4-it, we hunt in Brown County, we have a small semi-guided lodge with over 2000 acres, we have more land for 2010 in Brown, Pike, and maybe some in Schuyler Counties.

Greene County is excellent as well !!!