http://www.cantrallcreekoutfitters.com/

Cantrall Creek Outfitters, LLC., Cantrall, IL (2026)

04/20/2026

What wasn’t supposed to be…. I freaking love turkey season. I swear if I could go out and listen to birds hammering off the roost and enjoy a cup of coffee every morning, I would be stress free. I rarely do this, but this year I even took some time off work to allow the full season to hunt. I was planning on making some sets until something felt just right. Morning one of second season proved to be gnarly and far from “just right”. Regardless, you could find me in the woods as that was my plan. Hunt until about 0830 because my daughter had a soccer game that I had to be on the road for by 0900. I enjoyed my coffee but that was about all as it was 20mph winds after a brutal storm with a massive temperature drop. As I was leaving I did see some gobblers I could make a move on (which was the most excitement I had that morning), but time didn’t allow for it. Off to soccer we went and Avery scored a goal! So it was well worth the break from hunting. When we returned home I struggled on what to do. It was 1130 and I had until 1 to hunt. Part of me said wait until tomorrow, but something nudged me to get out there and see what’s shaking… so I went out to at least see if there was anything that would be just right. Wouldn’t you know it, a group of toms were in the PERFECT spot. I knew I had a good shot on making a move on them and I just kind of went for it. I no sooner than sat the decoy up when a group of long beards popped up right in my lap as I had hoped they may. They saw the decoy and came running in and the .410 absolutely leveled this bird. I was not fully prepared to be tagged out on a bad-weather day 1, but the timing of everything just absolutely fell into place like it was meant to be. I felt very blessed to get that opportunity. Looking back, I am sure this will sound like my typical “fate” theme, but I was able to attend church the next day because I was tagged out and I was so glad I did. I was so moved at the service that I swear it was like I was meant to be there. Just an unreal feeling. I cannot say it enough, but man am I blessed to do this and get to share the joys with my family. Avery devoured the mushroom and turkey dinner, too. Spring is King!

03/29/2026

Check ✅… I’m not sure if it is just me, but I honestly cannot believe that it is already turkey season. Absolutely NO complaints as the youth turkey hunt is something I always look forward to. This year was no different as it was time for Easton to chase after his first turkey! In typical fashion it was full of lessons, fellowship, lots of laughs, and a truly blessed ending to an incredibly exciting hunt. We came as close as close can possibly get on day one, working one bird for hours and hours. Day two came with new strategy and it clearly paid off in a BIG way. Proud of Easton for overcoming and finding the patience it took to harvest this beautiful bird. He can check this off his list as this was his first turkey and as always, it will be a hunt I will never forget! Congrats, Easton! And I know I say it often, but I am just so blessed to get to share the woods with such amazing people like Dan and his family. These memories are what drives me as an outdoorsman and I am so thankful to get to do this hunt each year!

03/26/2026

These beautiful birds are absolutely sacred and we are incredibly blessed to be able to chase them every spring and fall. They have been a staple to our Illinois hardwoods and I cannot imagine a fresh, warming spring morning without hearing a booming gobble echoing through the valley. I pledge to do my best with conservation efforts to continue to have successful hatches and continue this long standing relationship we have with these incredible animals. I encourage every outdoorsman/woman to do the same because as it has been said before; nobody is going to fight for the American hunting tradition more than the American hunter themselves. It is an odd concept to grasp; the thought of protecting something to preserve the ability to harvest it ourselves or for future generations. But to those who hunt, those who understand the bond and relationship between man and wild, the sheer primal connection of the hunting tradition, it is so important. Good luck this spring to my fellow hunters.

12/15/2025

Eight… I have had a tough time finding the right words to honor this buck. It was such a blessing to be able to even lay eyes on him, let alone pull the trigger. I know I say this on multiple stories, but this hunt was absolutely fate. Fate was getting a muzzleloader tag and really not even knowing why, as I had never even set my muzzleloader up. Fate was waking up an hour before my alarm on an opening morning hunt that I wasn’t even sure I was going to go out on because who the hell kills a mature buck on a morning in December? Fate pushed me out of bed and told me that if there was any chance of killing this buck, I would have to get in there as early as possible. Fate was getting a picture of this buck already getting past my spot and going back to bed at 0430 as I’m getting things ready.. but something pushed me to get into that spot an hour before daylight anyway. Fate was getting into this particular spot without bumping a single deer which is next to impossible on this farm. Fate was having multiple doe circle my downwind side without even lifting their nose. When I thought all hope was gone and that this would be another dead December morning hunt, he stepped out at 0640. I could not believe that that this was happening. Everything fell into place when I believed all odds were against me. He turned broadside in my shooting lane and when the smoke cleared, he was down in his tracks. This is absolutely not a “me” buck. I wouldn’t be behind this buck without the drive and help from my brothers and my family. The calls and texts I shared with them following this hunt were the reason I do what I do. I was so lucky to get to share this moment with Megan and Avery who do nothing but love and support this crazy hunting lifestyle. There is nothing like sharing the joys with the ones who get you there. It had been eight years since I had harvested or even hunted for a buck. Lastly, I will always give glory to God as absolutely none of this is possible without Him. Shoutout to Jake for helping me preserve these memories forever through his photos!

12/03/2025

Stay with it… We had been chasing this big 8 for a majority of the season. We had two different opportunities with this buck but the as they do, the buck came out on top. We had a feeling it was a matter of time, but time was running thin. Enter Nick, who was seeing piles of deer but as they say, “close but no cigar”. As the final evening hunt approached we talked it over and came up with a final game plan. Last hour or so of light, Nick had this buck come right in as we had hoped and Nick absolutely crushed him. Didn’t go 20. Man does it feel good when a plan works exactly the way you imagine! Huge congrats to Nick, who has been hunting his tail off and doing all the things he needs to to kill a buck like this. Earned, not given. Proud!

11/29/2025

Growing as a hunter… If you remember from last season, I gave Brian the green light on a remote farm to harvest any buck he wanted as his first ever buck. This year I told him he had to be selective and use judgement to make sure the buck was mature now that he had already got the first buck under his belt. He told me he early on opening morning that he let a nice 2 year old walk. Damn did that make me proud! Later that day he called and said he had shot a good buck with a swaying neck like we talked about. He made a great shot and JJ went in and recovered it with ease! It is so cool to watch him grow as a hunter. From his first ever buck, stepping up to this great buck with a wild extra point above its eye! Congrats Brian, glad to be a part of your evolving hunting journey!

11/28/2025

“Wide Glide”… Wide Glide got his name from a hunter who was after him earlier this season. That hunter had him at 40 yards but had technical difficulties and the buck lived on. The name was simple and worked well as this buck seemed to glide through seamlessly and was very good at avoiding the cameras. Enter Jered. When Jered went in to this particular area he kept telling me how he could just smell a buck in there. If you’ve ever been in one of those spots, you know you’re in the right place. On day two in this stand he had Wide Glide come through solo at first light and the rest is history. Awesome and easy blood trail with a quick and easy recovery. When we recovered this buck it was clear that this is where that smell was coming from. Those tarsal glands were RIPE! Heckuva hunt and this all happened on the last day of Jereds hunt 🙌🏻🦌 The last day is always the best day to harvest a buck, Jered got the full hunt experience!

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy this beautiful day with family and friends. Whether you’re in the woods or around the table, give thanks and enjoy this day. We are thankful for the wonderful friendships and stories that we get to share with one another every year. We are incredibly blessed and truly thankful to get to share camp with such genuine people. Have a great day, everyone!

11/24/2025

The legend of Titan… What a story and ending. Years ago we spent 3 seasons chasing a buck we called “Titan”. We had him dead to rights on two occasions. One of which was a miss, and one of which he was hit high in his left shoulder and we saw him having no issues that same season. He eventually disappeared. For one whole season I did not see him. Last season, however, I saw this ancient looking buck and thought to myself that he looked familiar but I could not place it. At one point I remember thinking he looks like Titan, but much smaller. I thought to myself that there was no way and kind of brushed him off. I didn’t get much for trail cam pics of him but would see him in one particular field fairly regularly. As this season came about, this buck was not on my radar. I had not had any pictures of really didn’t remember even seeing him in his usual field. Enter Josh. Josh was hunting in that same area and said “there is this 8 point in here that looks absolutely ancient” and out of nowhere, I get a trail camera picture and recognize who it is. I told him if he has the chance, harvest the ancient 8. The next day, the buck makes his way into Josh’s shooting lane and the rest is history. It took me some time to figure it out, but all the guys at camp knew the legend of Titan and we all agreed. This was him. The frame was identical and he had the scar from the shoulder hit years back to help confirm. He had declined so much. His bases were not rubbed up, he was not interested in chasing does and was solo both days. It was as if he wasn’t even able to rut anymore, no testosterone left at all. He lived out one long and incredibly interesting life and I never thought I would ever get a chance to say this, but the Legend of Titan is over. What a truly magnificent deer. This buck will forever be a favorite of mine. I have multiple years of sheds and so many pictures. It was an honor to chase after him. Thank you for the memories, and congrats Josh on taking an old monarch! Added some pictures from his prime in the past to show as well!

11/20/2025

Sometimes there isn’t much of a story. This is that scenario. Chad sat on stand all day and saw 12+ different bucks. When he saw that long bladed 2, he went into kill mode and shot this buck just before dark. We gave it overnight and went in and recovered him the next day exactly where he saw him last. Sometimes the hunt just pans out!

11/18/2025

Emotions.. We wait all year for this. We dream of that perfect hunt and we play scenarios over and over in our heads trying to prepare. We shoot different distances, angles, and positions to plan for the unknown. We live for this. If and when the opportunity presents itself, we are as prepared as we can be. All of this, though, can not prepare you for every single factor. There are more things in the wild that work against us than with us. This was the case for Mike. He shoots religiously and is ready when he gets here. I know this, he knows this. But in this scenario, the buck did what they can do, he took that one extra step as Mike squeezed the trigger. He knew exactly what happened and we knew that this buck was just going to need some extra time to expire. This, as a hunter, is one of the worst feelings in the world. We replay the shot, we wish we could take it back, we wish we would have done x,y,z differently… but at the end of the day, after the shot is released all we can do is wait, and wait as long as it takes. Patience is by far the hardest, but single most important part of recovery. Knowing this, we backed out and had to let those emotions roll as we waited to get back in to examine the next steps. We knew this buck was going to expire and we knew we just had to wait and battle those urges to go in. After a long night we went back in and we were able to recover this buck due to patience and teamwork. This crew is unmatched and we couldn’t be happier to end the hunt for this giant bodied browless buck. It isn’t always the way we draw it up, but it is always a journey that we get through together. Proud of you, Mike. Helluva buck!!

Cantrall Creek Outfitters, LLC.

04/20/2026

03/29/2026

03/26/2026

12/15/2025

12/03/2025

11/29/2025

11/28/2025

11/27/2025

11/24/2025

11/20/2025

11/18/2025

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