MISSOURI LEASE HUNT 2010

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Neat stuff fellas  

[Charlie Lamb]

Why is it that the older I get the longer it takes to recoup from a good time? And like I said earlier... this hunt was a blast!!!

I was the first to arrive and was pleased to meet our host Kenny McKenzie... Kennym to all of you.

You know how sometimes you form an opinion of how someone looks from a picture or sometimes from words and then when you meet them you find out your minds picture is way different?
That's what happened with me.

For whatever reason, I pictured Kenny as a tall, lanky, Lincolnesque kinda guy. WRONG!!!!
Kenny is more an average height kind of guy and not lanky at all. His arms and the gray in his hair speak of a man who's worked hard with his hands all of his life... his firm, caloused handshake only confirm what the eye sees.

I found him easy to like from the very beginning and we spent a few minutes in his shop where I had found him.
For those of you who don't know, Kenny is a sponsor who specializes in precision ground laminations and bow kits. I was impressed by his operation and know where I'll be buying my laminations when I need them in the future.

We sure didn't waste much time getting out and onto the hunting properties. We'd have around 400 acres total on two farms that we'd be hunting and it would prove to be more than ample country for Terry, Randy, Keith and I.

I was feeling a little pressure to remember every detail as Kenny pointed here and there and painted in the details of each spot.

By the end of the tour I was sure of a few of meager facts.... there were lots of coyotes around, an ample supply of bobcats, a few turkeys and the locations of stands that we would start our hunting from.

[Charlie Lamb]

Like much of northern Missouri, the country around Linneus is heavily farmed, with most of the cover being along rugged "ditches" that didn't lend themselves to the plow.
In many cases, fields had been cleared by bulldozer, rimming each timbered draw with impenetrable hedges of dirt and broken trees welded together by the various nasty weeds that are to be found in the fallow areas of the state.
Blackberry canes and wild rose rip the skin and in some cases clothing, while cockle burrs and beggars lice (and a nasty little burr that I don't know the name of) cling to clothing tighter than Velcro.

We would take advantage of the breaks in these borders to access the woods within. That was both a good thing and a bad one. The game used these same gateways in there comings and goings.

We were too late to take advantage the deers fondness of tender green soy beans. They were already brown and hard shelled with the little beans in their husks like little white marbles.

Attention had shifted to the acorns which littered the forest floor in every direction. The plenty of this oak born bounty would make determining feeding areas difficult at best. Food was everywhere.
The scattered white oaks had been vacuumed clean which forced the deer to start on the less desirable but still nutritious red oaks acorns.

My first evening in the woods was spent near the junction of several heavily used trails in a field corner near a mineral lick. Nothing was seen except a riotous gathering of crows which, as it would turn out, really liked that area for their night time roost.

[Whip]

Great stuff gents - keep it coming!  
Of course, I do realize that with Charlie in full story mode patience is going to be a  virtue....

[steadman]

[kennym]

"Kenny is more an average height kind of guy and not lanky at all."


Hey Charlie, most folks just say short and fat!  

[kennym]

I'd like to say these guys have their act together on hunting,specially scent control. Anytime a yote walks in on the same tracks you did,you have it goin on, Bro!!

[FerretWYO]

Wow I am way behind it would appear. That first night I sat in the cottonwood stand. What a beautiful place. I saw one buck early though he did not make his way toward me. At about 5:45 I heard something coming. Slowly turning to see what was approaching, I saw a truly awesome bobcat. I have been in cat country my whole life. My Dad trapped them and I have seen many treed with hounds. This one was exceptional. He sent marked the big cottonwood and lazied around for a long time. Then wandered away.

Dark was fast approaching when again I heard an animal trotting in from behind me. Knowing it was to close for me to be moving I waited for it to pass to see what it was. Hoping for a big buck I got another surprise. A large male coyote was right next to me. I readied for a shot as he trotted by. I drew about half way and squeaked quietly to stop him. Slightly quartering and about 12-14 yards I drew to anchor solid on my spot I released. The arrow when exactly as intended. He was down in less than 20 yards. I had a true Missouri trophy to take back to Wyoming with me on the first day of the hunt.

The nights were filled with stories of the day, and with Charlie telling us of time past and great days gone by. We ate like kings too.

The next morning I returned to the same stand with no sightings. The next few days were spent covering the area looking in all the hiding spots for were to set up.

[FerretWYO]

Throughout the week we seen lots of deer sign. They are just getting a little rutty.

 

I saw some of these for the first time in person. How would you like to run into this in the dark.

 

I seen several deer in the time that I was there I even got to video this one at four yards. Wish I could get the video off my phone.

 

[Charlie Lamb]

I don't remember who was the first to arrive that first evening, but that doesn't matter anyway. It was good to Randy and old friend Terry again.

The evening was spent catching up and pouring over the maps with Kenny who patiently repeated all he'd told me while I added bits and pieces here and there.
It was decided that the next morning I'd return to my spot at the mineral lick while Terry drew the "Gap stand" and Randy got took the "Cemetary stand".

Randy and I had a fairly slow morning while Terry was kept quite busy watching and evaluating different bucks.

Kenny had originally picked the Gap as an observation look out, but boy did it ever produce.

The afternoon was spent doing the requisite shopping and getting settled into the comfy little cabin.

[Charlie Lamb]

That evening things heated up for Randy. I saw nothing again except for a distant deer bounding off into the dark as I made my way out.

I met Terry on the way and as we approached the "Cottonwood stand" Terry was sure he could see Randy dragging something. I couldn't tell a thing in the dark other than Randy walking through the beans.

Sure enough he'd killed a really nice coyote. That young man can shoot! No doubts on my part!!
   
   

[Huntrdfk]

That's pretty cool, great shooting Randy! Can't wait for the rest of this one to play out.........


David

[centaur]

Randy, that's a big coyote. You are going to wear that Ferret out if you don't quit killing stuff!

[Charlie Lamb]

Terry was kind enough to offer the gap stand to me on the second morning. It would offer up more entertainment for this old bowhunter.

I got in there before full light. Hell, it was damn dark out yet!
I settled in to the comfy ladder stand and waited for light.
Somewhere between good shooting light and too damn dark to see I could make out a distant figure standing in the beans. That it was a deer I had no doubt. Soon I could tell that it was walking my way. COOL!!!

It turned out to be a buck. As he came I could just make out his rack against the lighter colored beans. It seemed to be wider than his ears. Immediately he was a candidate for the back strap convention we had planned at the cabin.

Finally he was standing in the gap right in front of the stand. I was standing at the ready, bow in hand and squared away to shoot in his direction.

I was looking desperately to see the points on his rack (Missouri has a 4 point on one side restriction in this area). Try as I might I couldn't tell. I could sure see him good enough to kill him, but not to tell if he was a legal buck.

In a moment of carelessness I let the first finger of my string hand brush against the fletch. The problem was resolved in a hurry.
In the stillness of the pre-dawn the buck came to attention. He didn't like what he'd heard. Didn't like it at all!!! He did an abrupt about face and walked quickly out of my life.

POOP!!!

Along about 8:30 I spotted another buck headed down the hill toward the gap. He was legal in every way and I intended to wrap a tag on his antler if given the chance.

At a mere 15 yards he stopped at a hard quartering to angle. I'd have to wait for him to get more broadside or the shot couldn't happen. He stared across the gap for a moment as if deciding which way to go.
When he made up his mind he turned and walked quickly away from my stand leaving me holding my bow and mumbling unmentionables to nobody in particular.

I spotted one more deer before the morning hunt was over. It was a doe and well out of shooting range. I stood as I do whenever I see a deer.... just in case. But nothing came of it.

Finally with nothing happening I took my seat and contemplated getting down. Probably no more than a few minutes passed when I leaned forward and looked down at the ground directly under my stand.

To my utter amazement a coyote sat there with his hind leg over his head cleaning himself like only a dog can.
Coyotes always see me in trees... ALWAYS!!!! But this one would be different.

I was moving in slow motion try to get my bow into  position to take a shot. It sure wouldn't be straight down, but I had to get ready for something.

Finally the coyote finished his tongue bath and got up, looked around and trotted into the open on my left side.
I knew that if I moved too fast he'd see me and it would be over. At the same time I knew that if I didn't hurry a little he'd simply trot out of my life.

As he approached the 25-30 yard mark I had my bow in position, albeit an awkward one. My lower bow limb was between my legs and my upper torso was twisted as far to the right as I could get it.

He paused for a second and I settled into a very uncomfortable anchor. Thump! The shot was away and  in that time warp instant that we all know, when arrow reaches target I thought I could see it coming together with his middle.

He was suddenly a gray streak headed for the brush and my white fletched arrow was doing a cart wheel in the air.

I sat in disbelief for a few seconds before reaching for my binoculars. Inspection of the arrow showed it to be suspiciously clean. Hmmmm!

When I finally got down I found that it had one drop of blood on it and nothing else. I scouted around in the brush looking for sign or dog but found nothing.

It would make for a good story back at camp anyway.

[rastaman]

[kennym]

It made one @#$% of a story!! You'd have to hear it in person to get the full effect!    

Randy, that is one BIG yote!     I saw another fawnless doe tonite,you are helpin the cause! Can I use one of those pics?

[Terry Green]

As I said earlier, that was the 1st deer I saw, and it was a buck.  He kept looking over his shoulder downhill as if there was another buck...and there was but I didn't see it till it was basically in range of me as it walked quickly out from behind a brush pile.  

He was smaller than the buck still making his way down the hill.  The little forky walked right into the trap and I didn't spring it, and the bigger buck was making his way, and I still wasn't planning on springing it....till I saw that he was a 9 pointer at least.

The buck had 5 on one side and 4 on the other not counting brow tines.  The brow tines never stood out, but that 2nd G4 sure did.  Yep, he had two G4s with the non-typical g4 coming out of the inside spread of the main beam.  All tips were polished ivory on a chocolate rack.

He came right in and gave me time to shoot him a dozen times at 13 yards or so, and that 2nd G4 almost made me draw the bow, but I didn't.  He was a normal height, but not very wide,...15 inches would be my guess....so I let him walk.  After all, this was the 1st hour of the 1st morning, and he was the 1st deer I saw...it just had to get better.....

     

   

   

[Charlie Lamb]

Had to look a second time to see the buck  in the foreground.

During my set the second buck I saw came from over the hill behind the top buck and angled behind tge cedar then down to me.

He left in the direction of the lower buck... around the brush pile which is out of the picture,but to the left of the lower buck.

[Terry Green]

OK....not too bad....1st hour of the 1st morn, and two bucks both inside 15 yards...

Now I hear something closing in behind me...and its getting close...real close, and I know this is not a squirrel.  

There is a big thick cedar behind me, and I slowly turn to see what might be fixing to slip in....but I sure can't see as its too thick.....but soon to my left out pops a doe and a fawn out into the beans and they turn up hill.  Beautiful site always...

Now that's 4 deer, and all 4 in bow range....still looking good!

[Charlie Lamb]

I'll hold off for a little bit so I don't get way ahead of everyone else... never thought I'd be saying that!!