With the IL opening day fast approaching I have many things to be thankful for. One is the fact our deer season is long and our DNR is bowhunting friendly. Luckily we have only 10 days for bucks to be hunted with guns which I think is super. I am also thankful to have a little farm that is all mine. If a buck makes it to 4 1/2 then I hunt him...plain and simple. Forget the score, forget the numbers. It is not something everyone does and I'd like to just say to each their own. Trophy hunting is a personal choice, so my trophy is a deer that reaches 4 1/2. If I thought I could wait intil they are 5 1/2 I would, but I wouldn't get to kill many    Here's the buck I will hunt very hard.


*Year 1 1/2. He came in for a rattling bag, and I got the whole show. Rubbing, Scraping, even a little wheeze. Smiled for the camera, too.

*At 2 1/2 he is thicker, less leggy and growing some bone. I passed him many times and watched him start to bully some younger bucks.

*At 3 1/2 he was so hard to pass. I had him at 10 yards the last day of our bow season and had to sit on my hands. I knew I loved this buck and was glad to find his shed this spring.

*At 4 1/2 he is a thick, narrow beast of a deer. Much taller and heavier now with a body of a tank. I can't wait to hunt him.

Good luck my friends! Fall is the best and I have permagrin something awful!

Cool and good luck !

Mike,
I have a buck on my farm here in KY that matches him to a tee.  A buck that up till now has been at the bottom of my "kill" list.  This season he turned 4-1/2 and is a stud instead of the dud he's been.LOL

Best of luck w/ him...WAY cool buck!

That is really cool! Thanks for sharing your pics of him. Best of luck to you!

Good luck on him Bud! I hope one of the other beasts don't show in front of you before you get a crack at him  

Thanks everyone...Lowebow let's kill them and compare. They say everyone has a twin    Good luck on your beasts there.

Steadman, the great thing about this is state is the 2 buck rule. I have an appointment with "The Booggieman" as well. We shall see    

Good luck Mike....  4.5 is a good age class...

I am glad you know you place and its deers that well.Good luck!

Very cool to do!

Good deer Mike !   That 4 1/2  will take the edge off so you will be ready for his daddy.

I'm in!

Very cool Mike, can't wait for the progress reports!

Nice "bucks in the field" pic.

Best of luck  

You'll get him Mike!

Anyone who has met or knows Mike knows he's one deadly dude.

Good luck buddy....Ryan

This may be a stupid question, but here goes.

How do you know that he is the same buck year after year?

I know some bucks have certain characteristics that make them more identifiable, like a drop tine or a certain kicker point that grows every year, but I can't tell that there is anything on that deer that distinguishes him from any other buck. Maybe you have better picks of him that we don't see that makes him stick out from the others.    

During the rut, I see bucks that I've never seen before.

I think that is a great question! Year one this buck lived in a certain thicket and he has never left. It was fairly easy to find him that first year. He was all over my farm and rarely left. Years 2 and 3 he was pretty obviously the same buck because he was the only super narrow buck on that farm. He made the biggest leap from year 3 to 4 but same narrow rack. Of coarse he could have a twin with same genetics and they pull the switch on me. But I have seen this buck at least 5 times each year and there is no mistake...it's him or at least I think so  

neat pics best of luck

WOW!!! What a brute! Good luck hunting this deer, and hope to have a good story and pics of this guy in your hands soon.

John  

Very cool to be able to follow the life cycle of a deer like that.  But I agree - it's time for the show down.  Go get him Mike!