Matt Ressler

USA – Godfrey, IL

My name is Austin Ressler. I am 16 years old. The summer of 2010, I got a Craze Mission Bow by Mathews. I am shooting Goldtip arrows and Muzzy broadheads. On October 22, I killed my first deer. It was a Doe. Then, the morning of 11-11-11, I went out to my stand at about 6 a.m. Around 6:30, I saw a little doe about 20 yards away and a little six-point was right behind her, but I let them walk. Then, at 7, I saw six does and two bucks, but they walked off in the opposite direction. About 7:20, I heard a buck grunting to my right, about 50 yards away. I grunted at the deer, and this 150 inch, eight-pointer came within 20 feet of my stand. He walked off, so around 7:45, I started rattling to see if I could get a buck to come in. The next thing I know, I saw a big body deer coming through the brush about 30 yards away from me. He stepped out to where I could see him. It was a huge buck. He started to go up the hill in the opposite direction so I grunted at him. The buck turned around, crossed the creek, went up a hill, and I lost sight of it. About 8:30, a doe came down the hill and crossed the creek. Out of nowhere, the buck came back down the hill on the same trail as the doe. It was 30 yards from my stand. I drew my bow but the deer was quarting away from me. I put my sight a little farther back and let the arrow fly. I saw the deer kick his back legs up. I watched the deer run less than 10 yards and drop. I did not realize how big this deer was until I got my hands on it. The deer was a 17-pionter. It dressed out at 225 pounds. The rough score was 190 ½. They say the deer will score over 200. We will be getting the official score in the next few weeks.