10/17: Buck of the Week
BY DALE BOWMAN outdoordb@sbcglobal.net October 16, 2012 8:10PM
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Updated: November 18, 2012 7:02AM
The tale of Robert Johnston’s 10-point buck begins 22 years ago, when his late father won a bow from an outdoors radio show.
Buck of the Week, the weekly celebration of big bucks in season, opens for 2012-13 with an
improbable first buck.
‘‘This is the first year I ever bought [an archery] license,’’ said Johnston, 33, a drywall contractor from Hinckley.
His dad had shot the bow three times, then stored it. Johnston brought it out and had it tuned by Indian Creek Archery.
An older farmer, whom he had helped, gave Johnston permission to hunt in Kane County. In preseason scouting and on trail cams, all he saw were year-old bucks.
He didn’t see his buck until
Oct. 2, when he took 10 minutes from work to make a quick check and ‘‘almost stepped on this buck bedded down.’’
On Oct. 5, he was in the stand again and watched does in the distance.
‘‘Squirrels were wrestling with their nuts,’’ he said. ‘‘I am
ignoring all the sounds. I never saw him coming.’’
He was 11 yards from the base of the tree when Johnston shot.
‘‘The fact I didn’t have to see him come in was a gift,’’ Johnston said. ‘‘I didn’t have time to get my adrenaline up. I can’t think of any way better I can start out. At least I didn’t fall out of the tree.’’
He found the deer down only
50 yards away. It took five guys
to load it onto his pickup. The head will be mounted at Cliff’s Taxidermy in Plainfield.
