Opening morning. Two stands to consider. When HuntStand helps choose, another Weekly Winner is crowned.
Can the HuntStand app give you an edge when dealing with a cagey mature buck that’s been giving you the slip for several years running? For that answer we turn to Pulaski, Tennessee’s James Rose, and the amazing story of his 2018 Illinois buck, a deer he had been watching since 2014. For his efforts Rose scores an ALPS OutdoorZ Bino Harness X with Vital X rangefinder pocket; the weekly win in our Big Buck ALERT contest also makes him eligible for our Grand Prize Drawing: A choice of either a sweet new binocular, OR a cutting-edge riflescope, from hunting optics specialist Leupold (contest details below).
Here’s the exciting story as told by James Rose:
“On opening day of the 2018 Illinois firearm season, with some critical help from the HuntStand app, I finally connected with a giant buck I had been watching since 2014,” James wrote.
“Our lease had a bedding area that had been holding this deer for several years, but from what we could tell via game cam surveillance, this deer was almost totally nocturnal. Over the past four years he had appeared on just a single daylight game cam photo, in 2017.
“This past fall I had passed on several nice deer during bow season, knowing my target deer could be in the area. And then, on Nov. 12 at 2:30 a.m., he appeared once again on game cam (see image above), to that point our only photo for 2018.
“I had a stand set up on the north side of the farm, an area we knew he had favored in the past, but on opening day of firearm season the HuntSTand Hunting app said the wind was wrong for that stand. So, rolling with the punches, I slipped around to the back side of the bedding area where the wind was right. At about 7:30 a.m. he came out following a hot doe, and the rest is history. 
“He’s my best buck to date, an estimated 7 ½-year-old with a green score of 170 6/8. Thanks HuntStand! Without the app I would have hunted a stand where we had captured several photos, and probably would have blown him out.”
To enter the ScoutLook 2018 Big Buck ALERT contest, simply send us a few clear, high-res. digital photos (three to five) of your 2018 buck along with a brief story of your hunt that explains how the HuntStand app played a part.
Be sure to tell us if your buck was known to you or a newcomer, then describe the area where your stand sits, or where the encounter took place, as well as the fateful day’s wind and weather conditions, and of course, the blow-by-blow account of the exciting action as it unfolded. Include your full name, age, successful hunt date and state, weapon used, and also be sure to include your mailing address. Your e-mail subject line should read: Big Buck Alert! Send your photo(s) and requested info to: [email protected]
Team ScoutLook will choose 12 weekly winners that we will share with the extensive HuntStand community; EACH weekly winner will receive BOTH the Bino Harness X (valued at $49.99) AND Vital X rangefinder pocket (valued at $19.99) from ALPS OutdoorZ (see above).
In addition, at the end of the 12 weeks, all weekly winners will be placed in a drawing for our Grand Prize. The Winner will GET THEIR CHOICE of a Leupold BX-2 Tioga HD 8X42 binocular (shown above, a $389.99 value) OR a Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9×40 CDS riflescope (see below), a $389.99 value. 
Still hunting the late season? Good luck out there from all of us here at Team HuntStand, and let us know when (and how) you score!
