Ralph's Illinois 10 - Illinois
Ralph with his Pike County 10-pointer
Hunter: Ralph Cianciarulo
Cameraperson: Vicki Cianciarulo
Where do I start, I guess we would have to go all the way back to last season when Z and I were covered up with bucks in the late season down with Ted & Tina at Eagle Lakes Outfitters in Pike county. It was cold, we had some snow, and we had over 20 different bucks coming out to our Evolved food plots eating turnips first and then venturing up to the beans and then corn. Yes Ted had a smorgasbord of things planted for his deer and we were right in the thick of it. Everything was perfect—it was late December, early January, and the only thing the deer had on their minds was FOOD! The only problem was I wasn’t ready. I shot and missed a buck we later would name as LUCKY, wonder why that is? The season came to an end, but in that time we filmed a really heavy 10 pt and he almost gave me a shot.
During the season Ted & Tina would be filming and I got a call that Tina had an opportunity at the heavy buck we saw last year, not LUCKY but the other heavy buck from last season once again became an almost this year as Tina missed him, now they say cats have 9 lives, but no one ever mentioned deer too! It was muzzleloader season here in IL and Vicki & I headed back down to Eagle Lakes, we had to hunt in blaze orange and I don’t know about you, but when we have to do this, we feel like we stick out like sore thumbs and everything in the woods can see us!
With the late season flooding, the plots were pretty destroyed but we still had activity coming out. Vicki and I sat in our favorite Skyscraper ladder stand and had a few does & yearlings come out and then I spotted a buck down to the south and as he walked out, I noticed he was the heavy buck we filmed last season. This year he was a 6X4, had a little busted off, but he was the same buck Tina had in on her. He fed out in our plot and slowly worked to the north.
I ranged him at 50 yards broadside and in the total open with hardly any wind, I knew it was my time. I drew back my new Hoyt Alphamax set at 61 pounds, my Beman was tipped with a new Spitfire MAXX 100, yes a new Spitfire with 1-¾ cutting diameter. As the buck turned slightly, quartering away, I moved my Rangerover single-pin sight up to my 50 yard mark, held on the back ribs, and released. I am not sure what all happened right then, except the buck kicked his hind legs way up and took off. I was in the zone and Vicki was rolling the camera right behind me. It was sweet to make the perfect shot in our corner that last year kicked my butt at the same distance. My new Spitfire MAXX passed completely thru and I still have not found the arrow, he ran about 70 yards and piled up.
We waited our few minutes, slowly got down, walked over to where I shot, tried to find my arrow, and found blood right off the bat. It wasn’t hard to follow since the Spitfire put a huge entrance and exit on this big buck. We got to the edge of the timber, made a couple of steps in, and there he lay. We were both so pumped, you know I love filming with all our guys, but I have to admit is very special for Vicki & I to share our hunts with each other, and we thank God for the many opportunities He has given us to do so. Now I have great memories to last forever and the haunting of knowing that LUCKY is still out there, and I will be back to find him to put an end to his lucky streak...I am ready!