SANCTUARY STRATEGIES
On the surface, everything was against me. Illinois’ second shotgun season had just ended. The early December temperatures were in the 70s, with winds gusting to more than 30 mph. Further, the bucks were almost in hibernation, recovering from the rut. All that rarely adds up to a winning hand.
Still, family commitments left only three days for me to fill my Illinois bow tag. I had to make it work. Thankfully, trail-camera pictures revealed a good buck consistently hitting a clover plot at the edge of a large sanctuary.
Between the high winds and lack of stout trees, I knew I’d need a ladder stand. I’d invited Deer & Deer Hunting’s Brad Rucks down to hunt, and although I didn’t like bringing the extra bodies into
