Back from Kansas with some bone
Just got back from one of the toughest years ever in Kansas.
We scouted for days just trying to find a good deer. Went on a couple of good unsuccessful stalks. Got in pretty close a couple of times, but no shots fired. Fast forward to the morning of day six, and that is when the stars lined up. We were headed to town for breakfast and to get some gas.
We were driving through an area where we had been seeing a few good deer. As we were passing a field of nothing but wheat stubble, we saw what looked to be a really nice deer bedded in the middle of the field. He was with a doe and a young buck. We drove past them a few hundred yards to get out of their sight. We made a quick plan( My buddy Scott Hausman and my self ) He offered to be my decoy and range finder man, and I took him up on the offer. I tell you that boy knows how to fool them deer! We moved in slow and started working our way to them. First we had to sneak past the young buck to our left, hoping not to spook him. We got past him and had 130-150 yards to the buck and the doe that were bedded. The wind was blowing and gusting, covering our noise as we were moving towards them. We would sneak just a few yards at a time, both of us huddled behind Scotts decoy. We would move when the doe wouldn't look our way. We finally closed it up to 53 yards and the buck sure didn't like us being there. That was as close as we would get. If you hunt out west, you know you have nasty cross winds to contend with when hunting. And yes I missed at 53 yards, wind blew it out in front of him. Same thing at 70, and again at 90. NOT LOOKING TO GET INTO AN EFFECTIVE RANGE DEBATE! Just read the story and appreciate the story, or just move on and read something else. So, we are setting there, ( me thinking that this would be my only opportunity this year in Kansas) and then the doe stops again and starts feeding. We let them get comfortable , then we start to move in on them. We would slowly go 5-10 yards at a time sneaking closer and closer. This time 70 yards would be as close as they would let us get. We would close the distance and they would move up. So Scott ranged 73 yards, I drew, allowing for the wind, I touched it off, but the arrow missed him. After that the doe had had enough, she decided to come around us to get our wind. They were moving directly down wind. And they stopped directly down wind, Scott said this is your last chance and that I had better make it count. ( It was my last arrow ) He ranged him at 82 yards, he said you are shooting with the wind and to put it right on him. I Drew and settled the pin, touched it off and the arrow found its mark! As we watched the deer doing his death run we could see blood just pouring out. I knew we had got him. The high fives , hand shakes and a big old hug ensued. We both were elated, and exhausted. He is a BIG old heavy horned with a bladed kicker. This turned out to be one of the greatest hunts I have ever experienced. I made some great memories with my long time hunting buddy Scott. I'm positive it wouldn't have happened with out his uncanny deer cense and experience! BIG THANK YOU TO MY HUNTING PARTNER SCOTT HAUSMAN!!
We scouted for days just trying to find a good deer. Went on a couple of good unsuccessful stalks. Got in pretty close a couple of times, but no shots fired. Fast forward to the morning of day six, and that is when the stars lined up. We were headed to town for breakfast and to get some gas.
We were driving through an area where we had been seeing a few good deer. As we were passing a field of nothing but wheat stubble, we saw what looked to be a really nice deer bedded in the middle of the field. He was with a doe and a young buck. We drove past them a few hundred yards to get out of their sight. We made a quick plan( My buddy Scott Hausman and my self ) He offered to be my decoy and range finder man, and I took him up on the offer. I tell you that boy knows how to fool them deer! We moved in slow and started working our way to them. First we had to sneak past the young buck to our left, hoping not to spook him. We got past him and had 130-150 yards to the buck and the doe that were bedded. The wind was blowing and gusting, covering our noise as we were moving towards them. We would sneak just a few yards at a time, both of us huddled behind Scotts decoy. We would move when the doe wouldn't look our way. We finally closed it up to 53 yards and the buck sure didn't like us being there. That was as close as we would get. If you hunt out west, you know you have nasty cross winds to contend with when hunting. And yes I missed at 53 yards, wind blew it out in front of him. Same thing at 70, and again at 90. NOT LOOKING TO GET INTO AN EFFECTIVE RANGE DEBATE! Just read the story and appreciate the story, or just move on and read something else. So, we are setting there, ( me thinking that this would be my only opportunity this year in Kansas) and then the doe stops again and starts feeding. We let them get comfortable , then we start to move in on them. We would slowly go 5-10 yards at a time sneaking closer and closer. This time 70 yards would be as close as they would let us get. We would close the distance and they would move up. So Scott ranged 73 yards, I drew, allowing for the wind, I touched it off, but the arrow missed him. After that the doe had had enough, she decided to come around us to get our wind. They were moving directly down wind. And they stopped directly down wind, Scott said this is your last chance and that I had better make it count. ( It was my last arrow ) He ranged him at 82 yards, he said you are shooting with the wind and to put it right on him. I Drew and settled the pin, touched it off and the arrow found its mark! As we watched the deer doing his death run we could see blood just pouring out. I knew we had got him. The high fives , hand shakes and a big old hug ensued. We both were elated, and exhausted. He is a BIG old heavy horned with a bladed kicker. This turned out to be one of the greatest hunts I have ever experienced. I made some great memories with my long time hunting buddy Scott. I'm positive it wouldn't have happened with out his uncanny deer cense and experience! BIG THANK YOU TO MY HUNTING PARTNER SCOTT HAUSMAN!!
Comment