Well here is my Kansas buck that I got with an outfitter. He is an old fighter but I thrilled I got him. A friend and I flew to wichita and then a two hour drive put us at the outfitters place.
The next day I was hunting a strip of cedars between two fields. At first light some does wandered through and i was amazed that they didn't look up once. Being from Long iland NY the deer walk through the woods checking out the trees. Around 10:30 when i was going to meet from friend to drive back to the house we were staying at along comes a 130 class 10 pointer down a trail that wound through the cedars. The only shot i had was a quartering to shot since he followed a doe before he could give me a broadside shot. He was beautiful and really had me excited. Once again he never looked up once. The next few days all i saw was bucks smaller than the 130 class minimum we were allowed to shoot.
The outfitter decided to move me to a place that was what I only dreamed of before. There was a 100 yard strip of woods with a stream through it and fields on one side a plum thickets and prairie on the other. There was rubs and scrapes all over the place, same as my first spot. But this spot was what I always dreamed what great whitetail habitat would look like. Sure enough I spotted a monster chasing a doe the first morning but I couldn't rattle him in. I did rattle in 3 120 to 125 class bucks that day and saw all kinds of deer that day. I was thrilled to say the least.
The next morning it was 18 degrees and knew it would be a great day. The guide had told me there were two big six pointers that were mature and wouldn't score higher so i could take either one if I wanted along with any other deer scoring better than 130 or 4 1/2 years old. Come first light a 125 class buck comes cruising through with frost on his back. It was great. Then a 1/2 hour later I heard bucks fighting and it seems the bucks were waiting for the does to come across the plum thickets to the woods and were waiting by an old deer trail. I see the big six fighting with a big ten point and was speechless watching them from 70 yards away. The ten must have won because here he comes chasing a doe on a trail that will parrellel my stand.
But it was not to be, I called and tried to stop him but it was the chase phase and he wasn't stopping. This happenned three more times but he was just moving to fast in the brush for me. Then the six came through but i didn't have a clear shot at him either. About a 1/2 hour later here come my buck up from behind me, I take a quick look and I thought he was the big ten. As he passes by my stand at 10 yards I draw and then realize that is not the buck i thought, i hesitate a little bit, hit my achor and shoot him to far back. I was crushed making a bad shot so close! He is gut shot and my arrow is sticking out both sides while he stands aboutthirty yards away but brush is in the way. He walks off a little bit and then beds down. I figure well i have a plenty of time maybe he will expire right there or I'll get another shot.
About 15 minutes later in come a 125 class 8 and gets my buck up and scares him off. I waited about a 1/2 hour and then sneak out to the fiels quietly. As i getto the trail where the deer were fighting here comes that big six and big ten point. I crouch down and each one walks by me at 15 yards giving me perfect shots.
I leave the vehicle for my friend that is hunting about 700 yards away from me and decide to walk back to the house very disgusted with myself. Well we give the buck 6 hours and go outto see if we can find anything afraid of coyotes finding him that night. The guide tells me they lose 50% left overnightto coyotes. Well we find some blood and trail the deer to the creek and a bed under a cedar but then after another 50 yards the trail dries up. It is starting to get dark so we mark last blood and head back. The outfitter gives me a 20% chance of finding the deer and suggest I get up at first light with my binoculars and plant myself in the field to see if I spot blood faced coyotes leaving the plum thickets to go back to there dens in the woods and he will meet me a little later to take up the trail. First light I'm glassing and don't see any coyotes but see a nice buck chasing a doe. The guide shows up so we walk the couple of hundred yards to go to last blood and as I am entering the woods I call the guide back and tell him " I smell a gut shot deer" , the guide says well the wind is coming from that direction and sure enough there is my arrow sticking up ....and my deer. He had circled around and ended up dying next to his blood trail. I swear he took pity on my and knew what i was going through so he decided he would die so i could find him. I thanked him, God and the guide. He might be beat up with a bunch of broken points and not as big as the other one I saw but to me this buck will always be very special and humbling.
Topic: 2008 Kansas success thread......with pics. (Read 817 times)
