December 12 - Jerry Wilson

Hunter: Jerry Wilson
Animal: 162" Whitetail
Location: Illinois
Weapon: Thompson Center Encore Muzzleloader

Well, dad was back at in Illinois this past weekend for the Illinois second gun season. Saturday was a beautiful day and as dad headed for a standing bean field for the Saturday evening hunt I just had a feeling that something good was going to happen. Just before dark dad noticed a giant deer walk into the food plot. Dad took aim and fired. The big deer ran off like nothing happened and dad thought he had missed the 90 yard shot across the bean field. After looking for blood with no luck dad joined me at the lodge and told the story. Keith and I looked at each other and at the same time said, "You didn't miss."

We elected to wait until the next morning to go look for blood. We assumed he hit the deer but if he did we had know idea where. Keith and I were right, dad did not miss. The next morning we were on the blood trail fast but from the sign the shot looked back. We followed the trail for several hundred yards before the blood dried up.

We elected to call in the deer tracking dogs and were not disappointed. After a short 30 minute search we recovered dads deer. What a great buck. An old warrior that had gone by the name "the big nine" for the last several years. This year the buck had gone backward on one side and was a 5 X 3. Still, with a 23" inside spread and 162" of antler it was another impressive buck for my 77 year old father.

For any of you that follow the journal you know this is nothing new for my dad, this being the sixth 160 plus whitetail that dad has taken in the last five seasons with three gross booners in the bunch. Next year I have decided that dad is going to sit with me for good luck.