"Late Season at Sugar Creek Outfitters Nets 1 Big Buck"
Well, after getting skunked by that big buck earlier on in the season at Sugar Creek, Pat and I decided to head back and see if we couldn’t get a 2nd chance and let’s just say we got it done! The first night we headed out and saw our deer friend "Darryl" (no pun intended!) He was the first buck we had seen when we hunted earlier in the season and the 1st one again this trip (kinda spooky)! We had a few other smaller bucks and does come through that night but no big bucks!!! Night one, Pat=0 Deer=1.
Now day 2 ended a little different! The morning of, Pat and I decided to take a little drive around the property to see if we could spot any big bucks. We spotted two big bucks feeding in an Antler King food plot and saw where they went in, so what did we do?? We headed back to camp, grabbed our Lone Wolf tree stands and back out to put up a set where we saw the bucks go into the woods. That night Pat and I were up in the tree getting ready and I looked down and there was a 135 inch 10 pointer standing 40 yards browsing around. Pat elected to pass the buck, knowing that 2 big bucks were in this same area. We had quite a few does and fawns with smaller bucks coming through and then we spotted a nice buck coming right up the trail! He walked right into our shooting lane but a big tree was covering him from the camera so Pat couldn’t shoot, then he must have winded us, so he ran back about 20 yards and Pat took the shot and he got a deflection! We wanted to make sure he missed the deer completely so he got down out of the tree and went to get his arrow. He did miss it completely and just as he was getting back into the tree, he spots ANOTHER big buck coming down the same trail! It was a big 8 pointer that Chad had Cuddeback pictures and video of! He starts down the trail and all of a sudden stops in his tracks at 35 yards behind a tree, he caught Pat’s boot trail! He turns around and starts walking back down the trail, Pat stopped him at 40 yards and he takes a shot getting another deflection! We thought it just wasn’t meant to be, Pat was absolutely sick! By that time, it was dark so we headed back to camp! Night 2: Pat-0 Deer-3
Over the next couple of days we had to hunt a different stand set because we didn’t have the right winds to sit our other stand. That next night we set a stand in a narrow gap where the deer were feeding through the Antler King food plot into the corn and beans. We had close to 30 deer feed through the gap with no problem and then we spotted two big bucks following behind. Pat got his bow up and ready and what do the deer do, well we just couldn’t believe it! They were walking right up to us about 70 yards and all of a sudden they cut into the woods on the other side and walked parallel to us and popped back out of the woods and started feeding!! We couldn’t believe our eyes, this just wasn’t looking good for ol’ Patrick at all! Pat-0 Deer-5
That next night we headed back to what we named the “Redemption stand” because now we had the right wind and everything was perfect! We had seen a ton of does, fawns and small bucks filing through the woods out to the Antler King food plot when we spotted him! The big 8 was following along the same trail Pat had just missed him 4 nights before! Here we go again, it’s game time! He stepped out into the field giving Pat a 20 yard shot! After he shot, we just couldn’t believe it another chance and he got it done this time! The “Redemption buck” gross scored 150 inches. Way to go Pat! Hey, it’s not over till it’s over because Pat got it done late season in Illinois! Now I still have 1 IL tag left and we are headed back to Spring Valley Outfitters to try and fill my tag next week!! Wish me luck!!
Good luck hunting,
Pat & Nicole