Illinois Hunting Journal 2010

[JFry1969]

Hey Guys,
Just wanted to congratulate 4khorn on his doe. Glad you had a successful hunt. Tried to post last night but had internet problems so Ill catch you up this morning.
I went out yesterday morning, got to my stand at 6:15 and didnt see anything till 8:00. Had 3 does and 7 bucks go by my stand. Action stopped by 9:30, the wind really started kickin it by then. The bucks were anything from a spike to 120 class 8ptr. I tried to play around about 8:30 and do some blind calling with my growler. Thats when a 7 and a fork came in. I dont think they were responding to my calling but just passing thru. I was in a 50yd wide pinch pt between 2 blocks of bigger timber. A little while later is when I saw the 8 following behind a doe and fawn. He wasnt pushin, just followin a few yards behind, but he did run off a 6ptr before he left with her. Istayed til 10, didnt see nothing else.
Last night it was warm, 70degrees, and the wind was blowin steady at 20. I went early,3:00. I didnt want to get caught like the night before. No chance of that, didnt see a deer all night, not even a squirrel. I suppose the warm temps and wind kept them tight, I dont really know but it sucked.
Didnt go this morning. I had my 3 yr old granddaughter stay the night and wanted to play with her before she went back to Indy. We wont see her again til Christmas so I figured the deer could wait. Ill go to church in a few then head out again this evening.
On a side note, my buddy went this morning and got a big 9ptr. I havent seen it yet, but he thought it would go 160. Ill score it for him after church and let you know. I would post a pic but sadly I dont know how to do all that. Maybe I can find someone to help me.
Good luck today and BE SAFE!

[JFry1969]

Went this evening, saw 3 young bucks followin a doe and fawn. 2 8ptrs and a fork. The 2 8ptrs had a short shoving match then went off after the doe. Still no mature bucks. Maybe by next weekend.
the buck my buddy took this morning. Grossed 160, netted 152. He said this deer was followin close behind a doe also. Sorry, cant seem to be able to upload the pic but I'll keep tryin.
Have a good week everyone

[kribbz]

well I went this morning and saw 1 doe.  I had a turkey fly in at 7 and actually shot it right in the boiler maker.  It flipped over onto it's back then flew away onto the neighbors land with my arrow!!!![:@]
 
Last time I buy a turkey tag!  Arrows aren't cheap!

[Quickdraw]

Got out of work early on Friday and headed out to the stand.  Had two small does go by me at 10 yards about 5:00.  At 5:50 a large bodied medium racked buck came in from the right.   I came to full draw, grunted just as he entered my shooting lane, he stoped presenting the most perfect 30 yard broad side shot ever.  I placed my pin on him and at the same time I hit my release he turned into me.   I knew I hit him but not where I wanted it and I was pretty sure i grazed his shoulder.  So I  pulled out went home waited 2 hours and went back in.   I found blood, but not much and tracked him to where he went  back into the woods.  I kicked him up and found where he had bedded, but he had bled very little. So I decided to pull out and come back in the morning. In the morning I found my arrow not alot of blood on it, I proceeded to track were I left off the night before I went another 25 yards no more blood.   I circled, gridded you name it nothing.  Based on the arrow, blood, and tracking it was just a flesh wound.
 
Saturday evening had a fawn doe bedded about 20 yards all evening.  About 5:00 5 does off in the distance in the open bean field being harassed by a young buck.  
 
Sunday morning about 7:30 a 2 y.o. eight pointer came in from behind me grunting ever 10 yards as he got closer.  He came right up to my stand circled it twice and stood straight out in front of me at 20 yards he went into about three grunt snort weeeze sessions but he just was not the one, maybe next year.  I have never heard a deer that vocal before.    And again out in the open bean field another young buck chasing/ harassing a group of does runnig them all around,  what a sight.

[kribbz]

Great night tonight! I had a ton of action. Put the decoy out and had two bucks puff up and approach it. I ended up shooting a doe and a small 8 pointer. He wasn't huge but I'm not going to have alot of time in the woods this year and I wanted a pair of rattling antlers. He was just past the ears and presented a perfect shot. Now comes the bad part.... I shot the doe early and thought I saw her go down. Shot the buck right at dark and for some reason when I got to where he was standing I found the arrow but it only got about 8"s of penetration and was broke clean off???? The buck ran away pretty quickly so I'm hoping the shot didn't creap forward. Looking back I probably should have let him go! Now i'm kicking myself! Anyway I started tracking the doe and she was not where I last saw her and the blood was light so I backed out. I did not want to bump the buck or the doe.... Got a clean pass through on the doe but it was a bit high so not sure why she was not where I thought she would be????


Going to be a sleepless night for sure with two deer laying in the woods!

[kribbz]

REALLY BAD MORNING! Went after the doe first because I figured it would be the quickest/easiest to find..... After tracking her for almost a mile she was still going strong with a drop of blood almost ever 2 or 3 feet. I must have hit the dead spot? I tracked her up until the neighbors property and that is where I had to stop. I don't know them and I don't have permission to go there. I went about 20 feet over the line looked and came back to look for the buck.

Went to the site where my arrow was laying. 3 feet away I found the broadhead with a little bit of fat and hair and the other 6 inches of arrow no blood. I must have hit the sholder clean because the tip of my broadhead was bit into a 90..

[4khorn]

I feel your pain kribbz.  I have been fortunate so far to have only lost one deer, but that one deer happened to be the first buck I ever shot.  I felt sick to my stomach for several days.  Not only because I didn't get my buck, but mostly because I wounded a deer, probably killed it, for no reason.  After that experience I really narrowed down my shot selection and have had every deer since then fall within sight.
 
As for my hunt tonight...nothing to report.  Got skunked.  Not the kind of start to my week of vacation I hoped to have.  Got me kind of discouraged.  Nothing to do but get back at it in the morning. 

[kribbz]

Thanks for the support 4khorn. You know, I shoot REGULARLY, to say the least. I work from home and everytime I'm on the phone I'm shooting in my backyard. I would never attempt a shot on an animal at 40 yards but at a target I'm good at 40. Both these deer were at 20 yards or less. I don't want to come accross as cocky but 20 yards for me is a chip shot! My regret is the buck because it was probably to dark to take the shot but that doe was in daylight and she was broadside. I guess this will haunt me for a few days as I get my head back about me.


Don't get discouraged with the frist day of vacation. The deer are moving and I'm fairly sure you'll get a couple good looks this week! Good Luck!

[4khorn]

Couldn't have asked for better deer weather this morning.  Had them on their feet a bit.  Saw 4 total but the only buck was a spike.  This evening I was hit by some bad luck.  I had a deer either wind me or catch my movement in the tree as I was trading my ball cap in for my stocking hat.  I never knew there was a deer close by until it blew and bolted.  Even then I didn't see the dang thing.  My gut tells me it was a buck tho.  Maybe I'm just assuming the worst.  Back at it again tomorrow morning.  Gonna be good weather again.

[EatDeer]

~Congratulations to all with thier harvests~

 Yesterday evening I harvested a nice mature doe, got some meat for the freezer! 

I arrowed the biggest of the three doe's I saw... luckily I hit the artery right below the spine, so much for "dead space"..... 

I tracked her about 20 yards then seen her piled up about 80 yards away. I think the two underling doe's were still close, I could see thier eyes reflect my light.

I gave the doe about a hour before I started the tracking, just to be sure she didnt run into the brush.

Great to finely get a kill, now for that big buck!!

I'll post pic's later on , I got one from last years gun season I need to post too.

Good luck everyone!