Dec. 7 was a dark, windy, 35-degree overcast day in northwest Illinois. However when Teddy Robbins departed the funeral house the place he works, he headed proper to the woods.
“I had a spot in a small 18-acre woods on a pal’s farm that I may hunt for just a few hours earlier than darkish,” Robbins tells Out of doors Life.
He knew a few well-used path that crossed a creek on the small property, so he grabbed a garden chair (it occurred to be vibrant blue) and headed to the spot at about 2:45 p.m.”
Robbins picked a tree to take a seat subsequent to and settled comfortably in his garden chair about 50 yards from the creek crossing. He cradled a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun (no sights) loaded with copper slugs, and deliberate to shoot the primary buck he noticed, regardless of how massive.
“I didn’t sit there lengthy, and at 3:30 p.m. I noticed a deer with antlers,” says the 24-year-old hunter from Rock Falls. “He was headed to the creek crossing, and after I grunted to him, he turned towards me.”
The buck was initially dealing with Robbins however he stepped towards a bush, providing a broadside shot at 50 yards. Robbins raised his shotgun fired, and the buck took off instantly towards the creek, crossed it and disappeared.
“I didn’t know if I hit him as a result of I needed to shoot between two timber when his shoulder was uncovered in that opening,” Robbins says. “He took off quick.”
Robbins backed out and known as his uncle, Seth Nelson, who joined him an hour later, alongside along with his son, Oliver. They introduced two monitoring canine, a beagle named Ruger and a German shepherd named Maverick.
“I sat in my truck ready for my uncle, and thought of what had simply occurred,” Robbins says. “When my uncle received there we went proper to the creek. We discovered good blood there, and only a few yards past the creek my buck was laying there lifeless.”
They hadn’t wanted the monitoring canine in spite of everything, although it was good (if brief) coaching for them. Robbins’ slug had struck the buck neatly behind the shoulder.
The boys used a drag sled to haul the buck throughout the creek and again to the truck. The buck had misplaced weight from the rut and clocked in at 183 kilos earlier than field-dressing. Its rack sported 17 whole factors and a inexperienced rating of 184 7/8 inches. Robbins plans to hold the shoulder mount by his entrance door.
“I had no clue that buck was wherever close by,” Robbins says. “I discovered from neighbors afterward that they’d seen the buck and had path digital camera photographs of it solely per week earlier. That buck was cruising, searching for does.”
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After his shot, Robbins observed a 6-point that had been behind his buck. If that smaller buck had appeared earlier than the bigger deer, Robbins says he would’ve shot it.
“I’m a really fortunate man,” he stated. “I’m simply glad the large one was the primary one I noticed.”
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