November

Matt Fowle
Illinois
11 pointer
Bow: Mathews Outback
Broadhead: Muzzy MX-3
Scott Mongoose Release

After 7 frustrating days of seeing only a few does and one 4 pointer, I finally had an evening that Illinois is known for.Armand and I went and hung a stand on a fence-line near a hayfield. A friend of ours had seen a large buck walking down this fence a few days earlier so we figured we had nothing to lose. We hung the stand at about 1pm. At 2:45pm I got into the stand and as soon as I stepped on the platform, I noticed movement behind me When I turned, there stood the largest deer I had ever seen out of a treestand. He was a huge 10 point but he was not coming to me, he was skirting the cover avoiding the open area. So I hit him with the grunt tube and he got really nervous. Then I noticed a tall tined 8 point coming from the same direction. He looked at the big 10 point, his hair stood up and ears went back and he charged after that 10 pointer. When he did, that big buck took off like a scared kid. I was in shock and figured my night was done. About 20 minutes later I saw a doe running towards me from the right, and on right behind her was a beautiful 11 pointer. For about 30 minutes, the doe stood there trying to get my wind, she knew something was not quite right, but just couldn't figure it out.(Once again, thank Goodness for Scent Blocker and Scent Shield.) The buck stood in the brush waiting for her move. Finally, right at last legal light, she came down near the fence and he came right behind her stopping at 3 yards in front of me. A shot through one lung and liver, and 120 yards later, I found the my best buck to date. A beauty 10 with a split G3. Not a bad hunt considering it was 73 degrees when I got into my stand. Just proof that you never give up because it only takes one hot doe to change it all.