Illinois Live Hunt: Big Buck Down!

Wow, what a whirlwind day! I've barely had time to catch my breath. We got out late this morning due to yet more heavy rain, but despite stiff winds, the bucks were moving. Around 10 a.m., this mature 12-pointer responded to some rattling and I was able to make a 15-yard shot. As is often the case, the entire encounter lasted 30 seconds. I've still got some things to take care of, so I'll come back with details a little later. But for now, I just wanted to get a couple images up. This buck has 12 scoreable points - 8 on the left and four on the right - and I'm guessing he'll gross out around 160 with the good mass. This was definitely a mature buck, the kind of Illinois giant out-of-state hunters flock here for, and I couldn't be happier.