Big Buck 411 Blog

The Do-over

The Do-over

By Mike Handley

Adam Cartright heard about the top-heavy Illinois deer he wound up shooting in 2017 long before he saw it.

In addition to grapevine gossip, a friend photographed the deer from a parked combine, pictures of the buck in a Clay County soybean field were shared on Facebook, and one of Adam’s trail cameras captured several images.

He named the deer Superstar even before he caught a glimpse of him in velvet. He was far more impressive on the hoof than he was in blurry photos.

When Adam headed afield earlier than usual on Nov. 6, he was prepared to hunt all day. All of the mountable bucks he’d ever shot had fallen in November.

Within an hour of settling into his stand, he saw Superstar.

“I grabbed my rattling antlers and gave them a few quick smacks,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it when the deer began coming my way.”

Adam took the shot when the deer stepped into the clear at a pre-ranged 40 yards, but the arrow deflected off an unseen limb.

“After that, I decided to let the farm rest for a spell. My hunting buddies encouraged me, saying: ‘It's just the story being written,’” he said.

Later in the month, Adam returned with a coworker who’d offered to film the hunt. They were in different trees, side by side, when the Most Wanted buck appeared on a trail that brought him to within 20 yards.

It was an incredible sight. About 8 feet of barbed wire was wound around his rack!

No deflection that time. Adam’s arrow found the crease behind the deer’s shoulder. He ran about 100 yards before collapsing in a draw.

The antlers tallied a whopping 241 7/8 inches.

— Read Recent Blog! From Bust to Boom: Brandon Myers slipped an arrow through this drop-tined buck just nine hours after it walked past his trail camera.

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