AUSTIN CHANDLER
SADDLE GEAR: Tethrd Mantis
LOCATION: Illinois
The fall of 2018 was one of highs and lows for me. It was an unforgettable season. The previous spring I picked up the largest set of sheds I had ever found. A 200 inch nontypical with matching 9 inch droptines! I knew that I would be devoting most of my time to this buck.
When I received my Tethrd Mantis saddle I was anxious to put it to work. On November 2nd I was hanging in my saddle for the first time and had my first encounter with the huge buck! He stayed just out of range and did so two more times in November. I was able to harvest this deer during muzzle loader season and he was my largest buck grossing 192 inches!
With another buck tag in my pocket I was determined to kill a deer out of my saddle. In late December my cell cam sent a picture of a big eight point that I had a few pictures of in November. After getting situated in my saddle I saw a group of deer moving towards me about an hour before dark. A coyote was pushing them towards me and the large eight pointer was there! After they calmed down a doe entered the cut cornfield and the big buck followed. To my surprise, he turned and walked right towards me! About 25 yards from me he stopped and worked a scrape (in late December). I drew and had no problem putting an arrow through my first saddle buck! This mobile style of hunting is super quiet and no doubt effective. I look forward to harvesting many more Illinois bucks out of my saddle. Thank you for making a quality product and for making my 2018 season a memorable one!
