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John's Journal... Entry 174, Day 1

JIM CRUMLEY'S BIG DEER

Crumley Sets Up To Take The Big Deer

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Crumley, founder of Trebark camouflage in Roanoke, Virginia, talks about his hunt at Heartland Outfitters in Illinois where he took a monster buck.

QUESTION: How many days did you hunt at Heartland Outfitters near Quincy, Illinois, before you took your big buck?
CRUMLEY: I took my buck on the fourth morning of the hunt.

QUESTION: Had you seen any big deer on the previous days of the hunt?
CRUMLEY: I'd spotted this deer chasing a doe up on a ridge on the first morning of my hunt. I saw him broadside, and that picture was imprinted in my mind.

QUESTION: How far away from him were you when you first saw him?
CRUMLEY: I saw him probably 150-yards away in early light. I only got fleeting glimpses of him a couple of times that morning. But on Tuesday morning in that same stand, I saw him again running does on top of a ridge above me. After that, my guide James Woodley said if I wanted to go up on the ridge and put a tree stand up there, I could. I agreed to do that. So Wednesday at lunchtime, we put a stand up there where I'd spotted that deer. We left it alone Wednesday evening. Then Thursday morning, I sat in that stand for the first time.

QUESTION: How did you decide where to put the stand?
CRUMLEY: Once Woodley and I got up there and looked at the place where I had seen the buck, I spotted a nice trail that the does used to come out to this field. This buck waited back in the woods for the does to come out of the clover field after feeding. I had to come up a steep hill to get to the stand. The stand was right at the crest of this steep hill, and I had to go in the back way to get in the stand. It was about 5:30 in the morning.

QUESTION: James, had you seen this buck here before?
WOODLEY: I can't say for sure if it was one of the deer that had been seen around the area. I know there are good-sized deer up here. We went up there during the morning hunt and checked out the area. I was pretty confident that if he got in there, and if the wind was right, Jim would have a good chance at this deer.

QUESTION: What kind of stand did you put up?
WOODLEY: I put up a Baby Gorilla with silver back made by Gorilla Tree Stands.

To learn more about Trebark camouflage, call 1-800-843-2266 or visit www.trebark.com. For more information about Heartland Lodge, write RR #1 Box 8A Nebo, IL 62355, call 1-800-717-4868, or visit www.heartlandlodge.com.

TOMORROW: CRUMLEY TAKES A SHOT AT A MONSTER BUCK

 

 

Check back each day this week for more about JIM CRUMLEY'S BIG DEER ...

Day 1 - Crumley Sets Up To Take The Big Deer
Day 2 - Crumley Takes A Shot At A Monster Buck
Day 3 - Hit Or Miss?
Day 4 - Crumley Gets The Best Of The Guides
Day 5 - Crumley's Preferred Equipment


John's Journal