I started hunting whitetails 17 years ago when I was 14 years old. At that time, I also started reading North American Whitetail. Like many other deer hunters, I always dreamed of being in the magazine with a monster buck, but I thought that was a far-fetched dream. However, my 2008-2009 bow season finally made it come true!

Joel's timing was perfect. On the day he shot his awesome non-typical (November 12), the rut was in full swing and bucks were chasing does all around him.

I hunted the firearms season during my first few years of deer hunting. Then, when I was 19, my dad bought me my first bow for my birthday. After only a few weeks of hunting the archery season, I became totally obsessed with bowhunting. That obsession has gotten worse every year since. During my first five years of bowhunting, I pretty much shot every deer that walked by. After I finally got that out of my system, I was ready to raise my standards and start looking for some mature bucks.

I hunt mainly around my hometown of Coal City, Illinois, located in Grundy County.

Although it's not a well-known big-buck county, quite a few trophy bucks are taken in this area every year. And even though the gun-hunting pressure is fairly heavy in Grundy County, I've managed to be pretty successful with my bow. My biggest buck before the 2008 season was a 150-inch 10-pointer. I've also taken several other mature bucks.

FINDING THE 'RIGHT' SPOT
The ground I hunt in Grundy County consists mainly of long strips of woods located along the Mazon River. I have access to a large tract of woods that is about 400 acres.

The land was once strip-mined. Because of this, it's sometimes difficult to hunt because of the swirling winds. In the past, I've often found spots that look awesome, but they can't be hunted effectively because there are no trees that I can get high enough up in to beat the wind. That problem has always frustrated me, but I have managed to find some good spots where I can hunt a consistent wind.

Several years ago, I found a great stand location while doing some post-season scouting.

Little did I know that this would be the same stand location from which I would shoot my biggest buck ever during the 2008 season. As soon as I walked into this area, I had a gut feeling that it would be a real hotspot. That turned out to be an understatement!

The area is a natural funnel where several trails intersected. I knew immediately that it was the type of terrain where bucks would be cruising for does. I found an "almost perfect" tree on top of a ridge that would give me a good shot at the intersection, but there was one big drawback. In order to use the tree effectively, I would have to climb up about 35 feet.

I wasn't very crazy about that idea, but if it meant getting a chance at a real monster, I was willing to try it. After putting some artificial cover around my Gorilla Silverback stand, I was hidden pretty well. I planned on saving this stand until November. I don't usually hunt these woods until the rut, and when I do, I try to hunt all day. I usually take a week off work at the beginning of the month (at least two weeks before the gun season starts), and even though the woods I hunt are designated as "bowhunting only," the deer in the area are still fairly skittish.

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