One Of Illinois Finer Monster Bucks

by Jeremy Mette
(Illinois)

12 Pt

178"
205 lbs
19 3/4 Inside Spread

Sitting first season shotgun, saw what I thought was a 150" about 75 yards through the brush and then took off towards the field edge. Passing up the shot because it was not ethical at all, sitting there waiting it was no where in sight.

Waited and 30 minutes later on the other side of the field edge saw a very nice rack. Wasn't sure if it was the same buck or not but it was working a scrape. Came into the woods and walked slowly. Picked an opening ahead of him and just patiently waited, which seemed like a year. Shot and he ran off 30 yards and then started walking again. Was wondering what had happened I fed in another shell and fired off another one. The buck then took off running again 20 more yards and stopped and turned back around and looked towards my location. Slowly turned away and walked off like nothing had happened.

Patiently waiting I couldn't take it anymore. I figured I'd just walk where I shot because it was only 115 yards from my tree and the last place I saw him was over 250 yards away, so with the wind in my face I knew I wouldn't bump him, just looking if I had hit him. Walked over and by finding the tree I marked where he was near I couldn't find any blood. I kept looking, nothing at all. Then walked to where I shot the 2nd time. Nothing, nothing at all. Saw 7 does on the south side of the woods running so I was going to sneak down there with about 30 minutes of light left and go get a doe for the day. I took off towards the field edge looking around and if I would not believe my eyes I found fresh bright red blood! I couldn't believe it. I almost gave up because I couldn't find any. I followed it for about 30 yards and decided to back out and wait for my buddy to get done hunting. I had hit him on the first shot, that's where I found the blood.

So I was waiting back at the truck, we talked it over about if we were going to wait for a couple hours or what we were going to do. Being that all you hear about is people bumping their deer and never finding it and the hole closing up on them I wasn't going to risk it. We went back for the night and tried getting a good night sleep but all I could think about was a monster buck that was in the woods. We woke up before light and drove out there and went hunting the same spot that we hunted the night before. Figuring getting in a couple hours of the best hunting time we'd use it up and then get out. Sitting in the tree all I could do was replay what happened and where this deer would have gone. Sat for a couple hours and text my buddy and we got out and met at the truck.

We got back to where I shot him and started blood trailing him. With our GPS and tracking our steps, we ended up tracking him for 3/4 of a mile. We ended up finding 6 beds w/blood in everyone of them. We found a mesh wire fence about 3-1/2' tall that he couldn't even clear and blood all over it. We then kept going and lost a trail going up a huge hill. We went back to the bottom and found where he backtracked and went to a huge brier thicket. There he was piled up in the middle of it and to my surprise was an absolute monster.

Thinking he was in the 150's (150 class buck) from the distance that I shot him it was shocking to see he would gross in the high 170's. We rough gross scored him at 178" netting Boone And Crockett around 169. Goes to show though that passing up on those shots that are ethical and even though its extremely hard when its a very nice deer sometimes it will turn out for the better as it did for me! Hope you enjoyed and may be more for this year to follow! :)