Big Buck Down in Illinois! October Bowhunting Success

LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015

As we head into the last 10 days of October I know bowhunters across the US are gearing up for the rut, and from what I’ve seen so far it looks like it’s going to be a good one!  I know that bucks around here are really starting to work the scrapes pretty hard so if you find a good scrape line now is the time to hunt it, or at the very least set up a trail camera over it.  If you’re looking for any last minute bowhunting products from scents to trail cameras make sure to look in the online bowhunting store right here on Bowhunting.com.  We have over 14,000 products most of which ship out the same or next day!

Here in Illinois things have been going very well for me.  As you’ve seen in our bowhunting videos I’ve had several great encounters with some super nice bucks.  One thing that I’ve noticed, along with a lot of the bowhunters I talk to, is that there’s an incredible amount of acorns this year.  I’m sure the great spring we had helped contribute to this.  If you have a good acorn source it seems like the deer are really hitting them hard so that may be another spot to catch a nice buck before the rut really hits.

Acorns are a great food source for Mid to late October hunts.

Across most of the Midwest we’ve had a really dry stretch of weather which means a lot of water has dried up, making water sources another good option.  If we don’t get a lot of rain before November being close to water may really benefit a lot of bowhunters.  Once the bucks start running hard they’re going to need water and if you’ve got a good source you just may catch a nice buck while he’s heading in for a drink!

Water holes are another great spot for October and November hunts.  Especially during dry weather.

Doing as much bowhunting as I do means climbing up and down a LOT of trees, which makes treestand safety one of my top priorities.  I truly hope that everyone out there is wearing their safety harness and if you can afford it I would strongly recommend a life line type product as well.  Being attached to the tree from the ground to the top makes the world of difference when it comes to safety and my confidence while climbing in and out of my stands.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been able to share some really fun hunts with a few of my friends as well.  I think it’s important to remember to have fun while you’re out in the woods and there’s no better way to do that than spending it with good friends or family.

Dr. Ali Shaibani on one of his first bowhunts ever.  He hasn’t gotten a deer yet, but it’s only a matter of time now!

Justin relaxing in a Summit climber during and evening hunt over a soybean plot.

Of course once the fun is over it’s time to get back to hunting!  Last Friday I was fortunate enough to close the deal on the white racked giant that you saw in Bowhunt or Die: Episode 2.  You’ll have to watch this week’s episode, which will be posted tomorrow, for the details but rest assured it was a great hunt!  Once again I was able to prove that you can film yourself harvesting a trophy animal if you work hard at it.

See the full video of me harvesting this buck on tomorrow’s episode of Bowhunt or Die.

When self-filming it’s important to make sure you have all of your camera pieces before you leave the office!  This is my improvised mount after our video editor forgot to put the mount back on my camera.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the latest episode of Bowhunt or Die!  We’ve got our best episode yet with two doe kills and two 150 inch bucks hitting the ground.  You don’t want to miss it!