Hunter: Sue Protheroe
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Crisp
Season: 2024-2025
Hunt Story
For the first time in 12 years since we bought our property, my husband Tom and I decided to try to “grow bigger bucks” and invested in 6 additional gravity feeders. We started feeding protein (AntlerExtreme) beginning in February 2024 and also got 4 cell cameras (in addition to many others) so we could see what deer we had on the property. With daily photo feed we started to identify our target bucks. During the early rut in the first week of November, I had a great morning hunt with bucks moving back and forth through the woods but not presenting any shot. Then from behind and to my right comes a doe running full tilt with a beast behind her! I named him the HULK because he was huge and very wide! We didn’t have this buck on camera at the time and no one else had laid eyes on him. I kept hunting that area when the wind was right, but, no luck. On Saturday night around 10pm he showed up at the feeder and we caught him on camera! The HULK is still alive! On Monday, I decided to hunt a tall tower blind just up the hill from where we got him on camera. At 5:25, a doe came to the feeder and I wanted to wait until another deer came in to make sure I wasn’t shooting a yearling. Next thing I see are antlers so I throw up my binos and identify the HULK! I grabbed my gun and waited for him to clear the doe and shot him broadside at 100 yards. He dropped in his tracks! He has a 21” outside spread. And that was the successful end of my 2024 buck season, having harvested another nice 10 point 6 weeks prior.
