Rut-cation Recap: Illinois Public Land Pain and Pleasure (two times)!

The Southern Game & Tackle Podcast

If you've followed the SG+T crew for long, you know that November has a special place in their heart, as it does for most deer hunters across the country. November brings dreams of rut action...big bucks chasing does everywhere, telephone pole sized trees shredded, big scrapes everywhere you look. But sometimes, those dreams are not the reality of the rut. While we expect those dream hunts to happen with every climbed tree in November, the truth is, it can be a grind with those "dream moments" coming few and far between.
Last year's rut-cation was one for the ages and the boys spent all year planning and working towards their return trip to Illinois. Based on that experience from last year, the plan felt bulletproof and the excitement for the 2022 rut was off the charts. But this trip proves the old adage that even the best laid plans don't always work out. With Dex finding out last minute that he couldn't go, Rick and a few others head north in late October. The high hopes slowly started to wither as hunting pressure was crazy high, and deer movement was crazy low. While they did taste success, Rick felt defeated and decided to go back for one more shot.
Rick and Dex recap the pain and pleasure of hunting public land, hunting pre-rut conditions, and how Rick worked to overcome those. This is a great conversation about the reality of tough hunts and all that goes into them.
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