Steve Bartylla
Bowhunting Performance Outdoors Illinois Day 3
With the wind blowing down the finger and across the creek, I was confident that any buck cruising the area would skirt through the pinch. Doing that, he could use his eyes to scan the creek bottom and his nose to cover the bedding. This would be the most effective way for him to check the area for hot does. About a half hour after first light, the theory proved correct. A young buck slowly worked his way through, scanning the creek bottom while scent checking the bedding. It was at that point that I decided to pull an all day hunt. This sight was all the incentive I needed. Alas, the all day hunt wasn’t to be. No more than a half hour later, I spotted another buck taking the same route as the young one had. At first glance, I misjudged the animal. The relatively short tines of the 9 point confused me into believing he was a smidge under what I wanted. However, as he drew closer, I quickly changed my mind. Not only was his inside spread well over 20 inches, but his chocolate milk colored main beams shot nearly straight up, before wrapping out and around. This was a 3.5 year old buck for sure. Furthermore, though he would be bigger next year, this wasn’t the type of buck that would ever be truly incredible. That’s when I decided to take him. As he approached to within 5 yards, I began drawing my Outback. Unfortunately, I’d forgot that I’d hung Craig’s Rivers Edge stand directly above me. While drawing, I clanked the top wheel of the bow on the bottom of the stand just above my head. As the buck skipped twenty yards away, I still believed that I could make the shot. Steady, light rains have a way of making even the wisest buck doubt his ears and eyes. All his senses had told him was that he’d heard an odd noise, in a woods filled with the sounds of water hitting all around him. At about 30 yards out, I drew the ACC across my Mirage Fall Away rest and settled my knuckle behind my ear. As he now calmly walked straight away, all I needed was him to make a slight turn. Luckily, by the time he reached 35 yards, he had forgotten all about the phantom noise. Coming to a stop, he once again began scanning the creek bottom for does. Turning just a bit as he did, I let the arrow fly. As the Snyper sunk in, the buck took flight for the creek bottom. Just as he neared the bank, he crumpled.
Measuring in at over 138 inches of gross antlers, I had my second P&Y buck of the season. Better still, 2004 had now produced 5 shots at big game animals that resulted in not one of them traveling 100 yards after the shot. That describes in a nutshell exactly why I use the equipment that I do. It consistently produces the results I demand. As odd as it may sound, my only regret was that the hunt ended so quickly. www.performanceoutdoors.com controls incredible land. From both the sign and previous sightings, I know that The Sanctuary farm has several bucks that easily qualify for Boone & Crockett, along with lesser bucks that fall in the solid 160ies. Though I was very pleased with the buck I took, I wish I could have sat some of my other stands on the property. There is always an excitement factor in sitting a stand for the first time. As a consolation, I was able to live through the experiences of the clients that hunted them before and after my hunt. 2004 turned out to be a great year for The Sanctuary Camp! For a fantastic Illinois or Iowa bow
hunt, contact www.performanceoutdoors.com
via the web or at 800 996 0477.
Equipment
Custom Robotic Wildlife RoboCoy Decoy www.wildlifedecoys.com
 For
those looking for every advantage in understanding whitetail deer, Steve
Bartylla's column Becoming
A Student Of Whitetail Deer is a must read. |
