My wife and I strolled in this morning at about 10: am after pulling an all nighter drive. 1266 miles and I'm not sure that I'm happy to be home. I will tell you that I had to come home to work so that I could get some rest
If you read the long story about my trip to Illinois, than you know how incredible my deer season has been and I don't mean that just because I have been succesful at harvesting deer.
I have been able to witness a lot of secretive deer behavior up close and personal and many things for the first time.
It all went a little like this:
My wife and I left out Friday the 11th for Kansas. We were on our way to hunt with Jake Fryberger for a week. Well, I would be hunting and my wife would be videoing.
I was very excited as always when I'm heading out on an adventure. This would be my first trip of many to Kansas and I was riding high on the possibilities.
The drive was long but uneventful and quite honestly seemed to go fast due to my excitement.
About an hour out from our destination, I was forced nearly to a stop as to avoid hitting a mature buck that was chasing a doe. WOW! what a welcoming comittee. And that was just the beginning.
After meeting up with Jake and his familly, my wife and I settled in for a restless night and an early rise around 3:30. Barbara was just too tired to make it out that first morning, so Jake and I went ahead without her.
Jake had a few stands already in place and after some discussion, he suggested one that overlooked many active scrapes and rubs..Who am I to argue with that?
As the morning progressed, the lack of game was making my eyelids heavy. About 9:30 I was brought back to conciousness by a loud crack behind me followed by the footsteps of a trotting doe. I slowly turned to my left to grab my bow from the extended hook that I had screwed in to the tree and was unable to free it. As I would push up on the bow, the arm would bend at the hinge and my bow remained stuck on the rubber hook.
I was frustrated as I didn't want to move too much and alarm the doe. You see, I guess, in Kansas the deer don't look up too much so the stands were set much lower than I'm acustomed too. This gave me an uncomfortable feeling at first and I was reluctant to make the moves I needed to to free my bow.
Unfortunately, as I was struggling with my bow, a very handsome mature 10 point of the 150" variety trotted in behind the doe and by me at 6 yds then out of my life forever. Grunting was heard by all but only felt by me.
Rather than feeling dissapointed, I felt elated. I had only been hunting in Kansas a few hours and 100% of my deer sightings were of what I came for. That same morning, Jake had an 8 pt within range but never presented a shot. He said it was big enough to get him excited. The rest of the day was a little slow, but wonderful just the same.
Come Monday, it was my wife and myself on our own as Jake was unable to get off work until Thursday.
We had a couple of stands set so that Barbara could video over my shoulder and it was working nicely. We saw much action including a nice mule deer buck and many younger deer but nothing I was ready to use my tags on.
That afternoon, we decided to set up on a road crossing that many does used regularly. I cut a small opening between two cedar trees and was very well hidden. Barbara was wearing the Bush N A Bag poncho and nestled into a cedar just behind me. I gave her the nod and began a seeries of rattling, stomping and thrashing that was aparently enough to impress a small buck as he came a runnin to kick my but. Within 5 minutes he showed up at under 12 yds and began to thrash a small tree and kick up some grass. He was safe from me, but I was sure enjoying his display. As he moved around, he spotted me, but didn't know what to think (just like most people when they first meet me). The buck determined that I was OK and started to work his way around us to check wind. As he circled us, he came with in 8 yds of Barbara and she claimed that she could feel him breathe!
The buck was confused and walked off without catching our wind. It was a good thing as I don't think Barb had taken a breath in a minute or two. I assured her that I would defend her if that buck decided to ask her out on a date.
As the evening progressed, I could just feel that something was about to happen. Just then, in the wee hours of remaining light, a cyote rustled his way through the grass and into my shooting lane. I was startled as I could only hear the grass moving and was expecting deer. Knowing how ghostly these vermin can be, I moved quickly and shot with out giving Barbara a chance to video. I connected with the yote at about 22 yds and he ran off to his grave.
I was disapointed to see that one of the mangiest mongrels on the planet. He would not make for a nice mount or hide so I relieved him of his skull and we called it a night.
Fast forward to tuesday morning at about 8:am. Barbara informs me that all of her batteries for her video camera have gone dead. She feels that the cold had sapped them ( and we were now with out video. I explained to her that that could only be a good sign as most of my succeses are preceded by a few mishaps.
Barb was dissapointed in her camera and in an effort to save the day, retrieved her cell phone and proceeded to video me and the surounding area to her's and my satisfaction.
At 10:am, I let out with my best buck fight rendition and the floodgates opened. First a couple of small bucks, then a heard of does. I signalled to her that I was going to take one of the big does and proceded to ready myself for a shot.
The first doe passes and then another. I have my seights set on a great big nannie in the back. As she aproaches, I put pressure on my string and then the thought crosses my mind to check her back trail.
Oh boy! I almost blew it. There he was, about 60 yards out and heading my way. But first, a little rub rub here and then a little rub rub there. Tear up this tree and then that. Stop to pee in a scrape. This is too good. As he comes closer, I feel myself calm (this is normal for me. I tend to fall apart after the shot and fortunatley not before). As he swings to my right, I look at my wife to make sure she is following along. With her nod, I return my focus on to the bucks chest. Just as he raises his head to work the licking branch, I drop string and drive a Big Jim Broadhead through his chest and 12 inches into the dirt beyond.
He jumps from the hit and He and his herim coast to the top of the hill and stop just 50 yards away. Oh Wow, I thought, I'm going to get to watch him fall!
Not so fast, I felt an uneasy sensation as my buck turns and walks back across the field in front of me. He is moving slow and alone, I can sense that he is feeling sickly as am I. He is a mere 35 +- yards out but I can't get a clear shot for a follow up arrow. I grunted to him and he stopped and looked at me but he thought better of it. Making it to a ditch about 60 yards out in front of me, my wounded buck attempts to cross a ditch and collapses. Relieved, we climbed out of our trees and began our recon of the events.
My arrow, firmly burried in the earth was covered with a thick dark coating of blood. More blood than I have ever seen, it appeared as though I may have passed through the liver. I attempted to blood trail but was unable to find even the smallest drop of blood.
Unable to stand it any longer, we converged on my buck laying dead amongst the tangles of fallen limbs at the bottom of the ditch.
Immediately I noticed that he was even bigger than I immagined. His overall size made his rack look smaller when he aproached me.
When Barbara and I chatted on our way to Kansas, I explained to her that no matter what, I had already succedded before we even started. However, If I was so fortunate to do so, that I would like to take a mature Buck not matter what size. Of course, I wouldn't return him for a smaller one either.
Barbara was able to capture most of the action on video via her cell phone and we have several pictures that will have to wait until I can get her post them here.
In additon, there are still a few action packed days left in the hunt.
Thanks for being patient with me, I'm still just soaking it all in.
Bigjim
Topic: Big Jim is back from KANSAS! (Read 1150 times)
