| Wayne Taylor's Winning Bow Hunt to Eagle Outfitters in Illinois |
Wayne Taylor's Winning Bow Hunt to Eagle Outfitters to Illinois started
months before with this new bow!
Co-founder Jim Hanlon presenting Wayne with the new bow and a
complete cover scent kit from Silver Scent.
months before with this new bow!
Co-founder Jim Hanlon presenting Wayne with the new bow and a
complete cover scent kit from Silver Scent.
I was very eager about this trip from the day I won the drawing. My hunting
partner and I drove out to Illinois. We left on Thursday. We saw many deer
on our trip through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The closer we got the more
deer we saw, making us more excited about the trip. We got to Eagle
Outfitters just outside of Mt. Sterling, Illinois early Friday morning. Toby met
us when we got to the lodge, showed us around, and said to make
ourselves at home, food, beverage, etc. Bunk rooms and showers were
great. The lodge was equipped with scent-free washer and dryer and
scent-free detergent was supplied. The lodge had a very roomy kitchen
area supplied with juices, soda, beer, pastries, snack food, etc. Large
trophy room with big screen TV, movies, hunting videos and magazines.
There was a practice archery range behind the lodge with blocks and 3-D
targets. There were over 100 pictures of trophy bucks taken in prior years.
All in all, first-class accommodations.
partner and I drove out to Illinois. We left on Thursday. We saw many deer
on our trip through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The closer we got the more
deer we saw, making us more excited about the trip. We got to Eagle
Outfitters just outside of Mt. Sterling, Illinois early Friday morning. Toby met
us when we got to the lodge, showed us around, and said to make
ourselves at home, food, beverage, etc. Bunk rooms and showers were
great. The lodge was equipped with scent-free washer and dryer and
scent-free detergent was supplied. The lodge had a very roomy kitchen
area supplied with juices, soda, beer, pastries, snack food, etc. Large
trophy room with big screen TV, movies, hunting videos and magazines.
There was a practice archery range behind the lodge with blocks and 3-D
targets. There were over 100 pictures of trophy bucks taken in prior years.
All in all, first-class accommodations.
Friday evening we met our guides for the hunt. My guide’s name was Taylor,
Toby’s brother. We went over the game plan for Saturday’s hunt and
possible stands depending on wind conditions. Tree stands were plentiful
mostly between 20-25 feet high. All easy climbing and very comfortable. We
saw many deer the first day and over the five-day hunt, surprisingly a very
high percentage of which were bucks. Most of them would be shooters
back in NY, but we weren’t in NY now. I saw bucks sparring food plots, huge
bucks crossing fields, but out of range with bow.
Toby’s brother. We went over the game plan for Saturday’s hunt and
possible stands depending on wind conditions. Tree stands were plentiful
mostly between 20-25 feet high. All easy climbing and very comfortable. We
saw many deer the first day and over the five-day hunt, surprisingly a very
high percentage of which were bucks. Most of them would be shooters
back in NY, but we weren’t in NY now. I saw bucks sparring food plots, huge
bucks crossing fields, but out of range with bow.
Early the next evening after a quiet morning hunt , I set up in an alfalfa field. Within a short time the deer started
coming in from everywhere. I had six doe standing less than 30 yards in front of me and young bucks coming in
and out of the alfalfa field all evening. The wind was perfect, blowing into my face at the corner of the field. Now
with four doe still standing in front of me eating clover, I looked up across the alfalfa field and here came the two
biggest bucks I’ve ever seen, one of which had non-typical tines dropping off the bottom of the rack. The first
one was easily in my estimation to be around a 190 class, the one behind it I guessed was around a 170 class non-
typical. It seemed like an hour for them to cross that field when in reality it was only about ten minutes. It all
looked great at that point. I had doe in front of me, the wind was perfect. I was so excited I could hardly catch my
breath. For awhile I thought the bucks would surely hear my heart pounding. Ready and waiting, I watched as the
first buck stopped about 60 yards from me. He suddenly looked to the right into the wind, seeming very alerted by
something. Then the big non-typical buck behind him stopped and did the same thing. In the next ten seconds my
heart was shattered as both bucks sprang into the woods to the left about 60 yards from me. Hearing them run
down the hill behind my tree stand was probably the most depressing moment I’ve ever had in the field. Quite
obviously, they winded something they didn’t like.
On day 2 in the early morning light I was all set up and ready for action. I heard a branch break below me and I
looked down and saw a huge 10pt. right under me. I pulled back to a full draw and aimed right between the
shoulder blades. I could not believe what I was doing, I let the string go back and let the beauty go. I knew the 2
big boys would be back.
The very next day at mid morning I was in the same stand when I caught a movement to my right and spotted a
beautiful 12 pt. buck walking right under my tree stand. Again I pulled back to a full draw and started to release
my arrow and again I stopped and let the string back to home positon. I had just let the biggest buck of my life go
unharmed. Yep, I still knew those 2 big boys we're gonna show up in front of me again. Wrong!!!! I came home with
nada because I simply wanted one of those monster bucks. Looking back I would have had a huge 10pt. or a huge
12 pt., but it made sense to me to wait for one of the big boys to come in to range, it just didn't happen. When I
climbed out of my tree stand that night, I knew I had to come back next year.
All in all, the trip was simply awesome. There were 12 bow hunters there that week and four trophy bucks were
taken between 130-170 inches. Two more big bucks were hit and not found. Everybody at camp had great stories
of the big bucks they had seen.
All the meals at lodge were fantastic. They even had a massage therapist come in at night for the guys who were
tree stand stiff. This truly is a hunt of a lifetime that I would recommend to all serious whitetail hunters with great
guides, food, and lodging, and 6,500 acres of trophy-class bucks. What more could a hunter want? Can't wait to go
back and maybe that 12pt. will come by me again, or one of his big brothers.
I want to thank Jim and Dan of New York Outdoorsman Central and Toby and Tlyler Stay of Eagle Outfitters for
making this a memorable and exciting trip of a lifetime!
Shown below are of the hunters who did take a shot and as you can see they are happy campers all!!!
coming in from everywhere. I had six doe standing less than 30 yards in front of me and young bucks coming in
and out of the alfalfa field all evening. The wind was perfect, blowing into my face at the corner of the field. Now
with four doe still standing in front of me eating clover, I looked up across the alfalfa field and here came the two
biggest bucks I’ve ever seen, one of which had non-typical tines dropping off the bottom of the rack. The first
one was easily in my estimation to be around a 190 class, the one behind it I guessed was around a 170 class non-
typical. It seemed like an hour for them to cross that field when in reality it was only about ten minutes. It all
looked great at that point. I had doe in front of me, the wind was perfect. I was so excited I could hardly catch my
breath. For awhile I thought the bucks would surely hear my heart pounding. Ready and waiting, I watched as the
first buck stopped about 60 yards from me. He suddenly looked to the right into the wind, seeming very alerted by
something. Then the big non-typical buck behind him stopped and did the same thing. In the next ten seconds my
heart was shattered as both bucks sprang into the woods to the left about 60 yards from me. Hearing them run
down the hill behind my tree stand was probably the most depressing moment I’ve ever had in the field. Quite
obviously, they winded something they didn’t like.
On day 2 in the early morning light I was all set up and ready for action. I heard a branch break below me and I
looked down and saw a huge 10pt. right under me. I pulled back to a full draw and aimed right between the
shoulder blades. I could not believe what I was doing, I let the string go back and let the beauty go. I knew the 2
big boys would be back.
The very next day at mid morning I was in the same stand when I caught a movement to my right and spotted a
beautiful 12 pt. buck walking right under my tree stand. Again I pulled back to a full draw and started to release
my arrow and again I stopped and let the string back to home positon. I had just let the biggest buck of my life go
unharmed. Yep, I still knew those 2 big boys we're gonna show up in front of me again. Wrong!!!! I came home with
nada because I simply wanted one of those monster bucks. Looking back I would have had a huge 10pt. or a huge
12 pt., but it made sense to me to wait for one of the big boys to come in to range, it just didn't happen. When I
climbed out of my tree stand that night, I knew I had to come back next year.
All in all, the trip was simply awesome. There were 12 bow hunters there that week and four trophy bucks were
taken between 130-170 inches. Two more big bucks were hit and not found. Everybody at camp had great stories
of the big bucks they had seen.
All the meals at lodge were fantastic. They even had a massage therapist come in at night for the guys who were
tree stand stiff. This truly is a hunt of a lifetime that I would recommend to all serious whitetail hunters with great
guides, food, and lodging, and 6,500 acres of trophy-class bucks. What more could a hunter want? Can't wait to go
back and maybe that 12pt. will come by me again, or one of his big brothers.
I want to thank Jim and Dan of New York Outdoorsman Central and Toby and Tlyler Stay of Eagle Outfitters for
making this a memorable and exciting trip of a lifetime!
Shown below are of the hunters who did take a shot and as you can see they are happy campers all!!!
