Jacob Wilkes' hunt in Illinois on November 18, 2023, demonstrates dedication, perseverance, and the strategic use of REVEAL cell cams. His story is not just about the impressive harvest of a deer with a gross score of 188 inches, but also about the countless hours of preparation, the valuable lessons learned, and the unwavering support from family and friends. In his own words, Jacob shares the behind-the-scenes efforts that culminated in his unforgettable success.

"Words can't describe how thankful and grateful I am to have an opportunity to harvest this deer of a lifetime!  People that don't hunt don't understand what goes on behind the scenes to make this happen. I know for non-hunters it might sound silly doing crazy amounts of work to hopefully have a chance to kill a deer. I can't tell you how many times I've sat in a deer stand for most of the day, only to be disappointed. That's hunting though which makes these days mean even more! This deer has a gross score of 188"! My biggest to date and my first "booner".

Midwest deer hunting is the pinnacle place for whitetails. I was fortunate enough this year to get my own farm there. We've put in weeks and weeks of work this year, more than any other and it paid off today! As soon as I purchased the farm, I put up 10 REVEAL X-Pro cameras. With the help of those cameras, I was able to focus in on when my target buck was in the area. Without these cameras I wouldn’t have been able to kill him. As you can see from the photos, I was able to catch him in velvet early in August and watched him move throughout the property until I harvested him in November. I also learned a valuable lesson about staying in the stand longer than you think. Most hunters like myself like to get out of the stand mid-morning. If I would have done that, I wouldn’t have killed this deer. I had pictures of him coming in after 10am a few days prior. If I didn’t have those, I would have got down too early and not had the chance.  Thank you to Scott Martin, Gary Matherly, and Steve Cornwell. All three of the guys really helped make this harvest a huge success! Thank you to my wife and kids who allow me to be away from them for almost 2 months out of the year!"