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I am leaving for Kansas!!

I am going to try and update this thread everyday. I am leaving later today and hope to be there by Saturday. I am going to spend a couple days scouting and setting stands. I hope to hunt starting Sunday but just afternoon sits the first few days as I want to get at least 8 stands set on several walk in areas I have in mind. Wish me luck!! Shawn

Good luck and I look forward to following along. Safe travels!

Drive safe and good luck. Bring home a beast!

Good luck out there. Should be prime time for you.

Cool, keep us posted! Drive safe and enjoy.

Josh

Car is packed and I am grabbing a few hours sleep and leaving around 2am. I am not holding out for a giant. I did draw a special hunt and would have a chance at a true giant but it is from Nov. 13th-19th. I will have 12 days of hunting before that so if a big mature buck comes by I am taking him. I am thinking anything 130"s or more is going down unless I am seeing some true monster activity. I am doing this whole hunt with license,gas,room and food for right around $1500!!! If I had just one guy go with me I could of done it about $1250. I will keep posting on here everyday if possible!! Have Fun and I hope you all get into some deer while I am gone!! Thanks guys and Good Luck!! Shawn

Shaken good luck....I will be out the week after next.

I drove right straight through. Took me 23 hrs. I managed to get 2 stands set up today and did some scouting. I am not gonna hunt tomorrow morning. I have not slept in two days. I did take a ride at dusk and man I saw some incredible mule deer. I have no tag for them. I did see several whitetail bucks as well just nothing big. I will say on my way through Illinois last night just as it was getting dark, I saw a true giant about 1/2 hr. outside of Chicago. He was not wide but crazy tall. I would sayhe was all of 160"s. I will post more tomorrow. It is beautiful country unlike anything I have ever seen. Also had a field with both mule deer and whitetail in it this evening. I have met some good people already and have more land than I could hunt in a lifetime. Talk to you all tomorrow! Night! Shawn

Sounds awesome, glad you made it safely! That's a long drive, have done it a couple time out to Colorado and back elk hunting. Sleep is optional, lol. I know, I work midnights and watch my 1 and 2 year old during the day.

Can't wait to hear more!

Following. ..... good luck.

Slept in this morning. I am heading out the door now to hang at least 3 more stands. It is way to warm out here. It is supposed to be close to 80 today and the bucks have stopped making scrapes and the does just are not moving in this heat. I am gonna keep at it. Shawn

Sounds like a lot of fun! Enjoy and best of luck in the Land of the Giants!

Is this an OTC tag on state land that you are hunting?

No, had to draw a tag and hunting walk in areas. There is huge amounts of land where I am. I set two stands in a 2400 acre spot today and while hanging my first stand at 10:30 saw a 140" buck acrossed a milo field from me. I had no bow no calls nothing. He was a shooter for sure. The landowners out here are awesome. I have more land than I could possibly want to hunt. I had breakfast with my new farmer friends two days now and have access to over 10,000 acres of private property. I looked at one piece today that was 3500 acres and will be hanging a couple stands in there tomorrow after my morning sit. I am doing a drag rag and putting out Fred my decoy in the am. I am going to get all 8 stands I have with me and two ground blinds set up by weds. and really hit it hard the next 17 days. It is a whole new world out here and I can already say I am making this trip every year now. The people in the small town I am staying in have been awesome. Got phone numbers in case I get stuck or need help getting a deer out. The roads are the only thing that are freaky. I mean once you are off the mains all the rest are dirt and sand mixture. It dries like cement and when it is wet makes its own unique mud. I will have an actual hunting report tomorrow. I did carry the bow while scouting and could of shot a couple does. I wish I had drawn a mule deer tag as I had a 150" mule deer buck stand up at 15 yards and look at me for 5 minutes. I drew on him and he just looked and stotted off. Pretty cool so far. By the way I am doing this whole hunt for 19 days for under $1700. If I could get someone to come with me and share costs it would be about $1200 a piece. I will be back at it tomorrow! Shawn

I'd be interested in a hunt like that in the future, but 19 days is too long for me. I'm familiar with the logistics as I do DIY elk hunts in Colorado

I wanted to do a long hunt as it is my first time out here. I believe 2 weeks is perfect. I sat this morning and had a very nice 120" 9pt. chase a doe by me at 7:15. I was tempted as he was a non-typical but way to early in my hunt. I saw 4 bucks and 9 does this am and it was an awesome sit. I went back to the car, stripped down and put on my tree stand hanging clothes and boots than hung another stand. I also scouted another area and found a spot with literally hundreds of rubs in a half mile stretch. I will be hanging a stand in there tomorrow I believe. I am not hunting again as I am heading to look at a piece of private ground(3500 acres) very close to where I am staying. Hopefully it looks good, I have to meet the landowner at 5:30, so I am on my way. I will be back for another post later. Shawn

Well, I finally got to the private 3500 acres. There is a creek bottom that runs through it which is awesome. Out of all that land there is probably 2700 acres in praire and crops and the rest is creek bottom. I have to go in and scout it after my morning hunt tomorrow. I think between the 4 properties I am hunting I am set for the next 2.5 weeks. Hopefully I can kill something good and be home by our shotgun opener. I am getting ready for bed as the last 3 days have caught up to me, getting old and having no help to hang stands and cut shooting lanes suck as I had to go up one tree at least 7 times today. I will be back tomorrow! Shawn

good luck!...too bad we couldnt have touched base earlier and we could have shared the ride. that the the only part of this trip i dont enjoy is the 24 hours solo drive one way....

I am heading out Tuesday am. Have a large farm to hunt. Already know where the stand sites are. Couple of great creek bottoms to hunt.

Just checking in I will be back with update. I am going to the local high school football game with some new friends!!(All landowners!!) Shawn P.S. To warm to hunt again this afternoon, but I am done setting stands!!

I was stationed at Ft. Riley for 4yrs. Saw some nice bucks around Milford lake area and on post. Went to hunt in KY with a guy I was stationed with. Big, fat, and solid deer. Saw some of the biggest bucks I've ever seen in my life.

Any luck or updates?

Finally got a little colder. I slept in and went out to a new spot. I walked in about 1/2 mile and found a huge rub line. I than followed it for another 600 yards near what I assumed was bedding. I set up a stand in a little draw only 80 yards wide. I got out of there and ran back to my room and showered and dressed. I went right back to where I just set the stand. It was 1:15. At 4:15 I had 3 does and a small 110" 8pt. come by. It was windy as hell, 25-30mph. Than at 5:45 the wind just stopped I mean dead still. I decided to tickle the horn and grunt. I no sooner hung up the horns and I hear him coming. I had did a drag rag on the way in and he was following it. I admit this is where I blew it. I should of stood immediately as the stand was facing the run, not off to the right side like I normally set them so I can shoot sitting to my left. He came to the scrape I freshened and than tore up a tree. He than walked right past me at 12 yards, when I drew my arm just touched the tree and that was it, he heard it and ran. Maybe 40 yards but that was enough. He than slowly walked out of sight. I am sick, literally sick. He was all of 150" deer and I am being conservative. I just flat out chocked!! I am going to bed and beat myself up probably all night. Back at it tomorrow and hope I get another chance!! Good Night! Shawn

Don't beat yourself up, at least there are 150" deer there. You have lots of time and sounds like countless good sets with decent weather. It'll come together!

Shoot straight

It sounds like he wasn't spooked too bad. I bet you will get another chance at him. Hang in there.

You may wish you had those "windy as hell" conditions next week, when it gets "windier than hell."

Your timing is solid.

Football game...nice!

Yeah football game and I am enjoying the people. I have a group from Michigan and I will be honest. I am not too happy. One of the young guys admitted they saw where 2 of my stands were set and still hung two sets within 50-75 yards. Sorry I hope they read this, as that is just not right. The kid apologized for his friends. Still not right and if they had a clue what they were doing I would not mind but they don't. I guess that is public land. I am hunting private this afternoon, than back to public tomorrow. It is starting as I have seen some bombers riding around enjoying the beauty of this state. Be back later with more. Shawn

Any updates?

Sorry guys, I am exhausted!! I sat all day yesterday and glad I did. I saw 14 bucks, 11 different bucks for sure. I passed on a couple good ones, one 7pt. that was at least 130"s. He was super tall and fairly wide. I had him at 12 yards for 10 minutes and than he bedded 40 yds. away for over two hours. I saw all the bucks but one before 11am. I than saw a very nice ten point, maybe only 2.5 years old at about 400 yds. at 4:30. I decided to rattle at him and he came right in. He was tough to pass but look young as I said. He came to a scrape at 25 yards and worked the overhanging branch and than the scrape. This is tough on me as I would shoot most of these bucks in NY. I had at least 5 NY shooters 25 yards or less yesterday. I decided to move up the draw I was hunting for this mornings sit. I again saw the 10pt. and 4 other bucks. I was gonna sit all day but just could not take it any longer. I climbed down at 11:30 and on my way out bumped into a big buck that I had not seen before. He was a wide dark horned 11 pt. He was definitely a shooter, I got a good look at him as he ran out into the prairie and stopped at 55 yards. He was mid 140's for sure. I should of sat another 15 minutes as I think he was working his way towards me. I went back to my room and decided to just relax. My wife always says don't blow yourself out by getting exhausted. I watched some football and was gonna just relax and not hunt til tomorrow. I could not stand it, so at 345 I got in the shower and threw on just street clothes and grabbed an old coverall and my little quick hunt fanny pack. I went to private property I got permission on right outside of town. 2 miles from my room. I climbed in the tree at 4:15. I have only sat this property twice and I did see 4 bucks there on my first sit. Nothing huge but a couple nice 100" deer. There was a 160" deer killed right on this property where it crosses the road, car got it on Friday and I talked to the locals who cut the horns off, that bummed me out but I figured there had to be others there. I was not on the tree for 2 minutes, just pulled up the bow and did not even have my facemask or release on yet when a doe runs down the creek bed right under me. I immediately got ready. Well I heard him coming, sounded like a freight train. He stopped 50 yards shy of me directly down wind. He stood a few minutes lip curling and licking his nose like mad. He finally just bum rushes the doe. He stops at 15 yards but way below me, maybe 50 ft as I am on a high bank on the high side of the creek and he is on the other side way below me. I would of shot this guy as I know he was an older mature deer. If he had not been busted up I would of shot him. He would of been a 10pt. but one tip of his main beam was broken off and he had 3 other point broken as well. I have a pic I will try and post. He may of scored 130" if he was all there but I did not care as he was a knarly mature buck. He chased her away and I waited about 20 minutes and tickled the horns and he came right back, again giving me an easy shot. I saw 2 more bucks as well but they stayed out in a milo field about 100 yards out. I could of called them in, but they were both small bucks. I will be at it again first thing in the morning but I just cannot sit in one tree all day so I will move mid-day. I will post another update tomorrow night. Hopefully with a pic. of a big guy!!Short update turned out long, Sorry!! Thanks for following along!! Good Night!! Shawn

Awesome, keep at it!

Great hunt..... keep it up!

Not a lot of deer today but the ones I saw were bombers. I got busted by a big 150" 8pt. when I grunted at him he of course circled out into the prairie and caught me, He was with a hot doe and she went into a known bedding area, so I will be back there in the morning! Shawn

I hate public!! Or I should say the rude people who hunt it. I finally had a spot figured out real well. There are two big bucks living on it or using it and since they are not rutting crazy yet, they are still somewhat predictable as too where they bed and how they get to and from feed as well as how they travel to check out the local doe groups. I was slowly working my way in and figured by thursday or friday I would have a shot to kill one of these big guys. Well yesterday a kid(25 maybe)shows up on the piece, I was running a but late and spoke to him quick and told him where I was hunting. Today he is there first thing. I talk to him, nice guy and explain I am hunting this draw and am in quite a ways and that there is bedding up the draw a bit farther from me. I ask him just to stay out of this draw as if you added it all up it may be 150 acres. He agrees and says he will go up the right draw and leave the left to me. Cool and off we go. Well about 9:30 a doe bust out to my right and blows and heads across the prairie. Not 2 minutes later one of the big guys comes out of the bedding area about 200 yards from me and starts stomping and blowing, he than bust out across to parts unknown. I check my wind with a milk weed floater and you guessed it, just fine. I immediately get down and undress and head up towards the bedding. I get up about 150 yards and of course the place is tore up. Trees as big around as my thigh just tore up and scrapes everywhere. I am fuming as I know this kid must be in there. So for the guys who know me, they know I am not shy and I basically shout out, show yourself cause I will find you one way or another. Well of course I was right and out he comes. Tells me the whole story and how he got busted when the wind swirled. Come on folks, what is wrong with people. I know its public but if I were to talk to someone and they told me where they were set up and than I agreed to stay away, guess what? I stay away. I am sorry but that is a lack of respect and I don't care public or not, its just not the right thing to do. We discussed it and although he agreed he was wrong said he was still gonna hunt it. I give up, I try and be decent and look what it gets me. Next time I see him I am gonna go sit on his lap and when he moves I am gonna follow and sit on his lap again and have a puff and a cocktail!! Sorry but what has become of manners and respect. If I did something like that as a kid, hell as an adult my Daddy would of kicked my ass!! So now I am gonna hunt a new spot on private tomorrow and hope for the best. He had the nerve to say "Well if I had access to 3500 acres Private, thats where I would be huntin" well if I knew there was two 150 plus inch bucks on the private I would be too, point is I don't know whats there. I have been told but I have not seen it with my own eyes, on the public, I saw these bucks!! Sorry for the rant, just frustrated and not with the hunting but the other hunters!! No wonder we get a bad rap from some people, if we act like the last 5 guys I met than something is wrong!! Good Luck and Have Fun!! Shawn

Welcome to kansas public hunting. It's like that everywhere. This is a big reason why residents on here aren't very friendly to NRs. Even though the kid was probably a local, most of the problems come from TX, AR and MI. The common person is getting squeezed out of places to hunt because of NR leasing and the public land is the only option to some. Of course you put in a lot of effort and did your homework. You did it the right way. I would suggest be the bigger person in this case. If you haven't noticed the avg ks person is very laid back but will not take kindly to an outspoken NR. This is when you could have problems with people messing with your stuff.

Curious if you have had any problems with people stealing or sitting in your stands yet?

I hope you don't take any of this the wrong way. Good luck with the hunt. With the time you still have you will get a crack at a good one eventually. Looking forward to more updates.

Keep at em Shawn it will all come together !

Great thread! Keep it up. I just returned from Ohio last week and had the same issues on public.

Stay persistent, I know those trips wear on you after a week of hunting hard. Don't lose sight of the goal and possibilities. Look forward to more updates!

Big buck down, I mean he will score I would say in the 160"s. He is non-typical though. He has 8 on the right and 5 on the left with 2 broke on the left but one still counts. He has over 6" bases. I will be back with the story. I am on cloud nine right now!! Shawn

Wrong deer, hang on!! Not him!!

See if this worked!! OK so maybe 150"s!

That pic does not do him justice!! Shawn

Congrats Deerman! Way to persevere! Great Buck!

Good job!, he has a lot of character.

Wow, awesome!!! Glad it paid off for you. Can't wait for the story

Hope this worked with my ugly mug in there this time!

Ok left base is 7.25"s and the right is 6.5"s. They are massive. The right does have 5 just can't see it in pic that well. I am one happy hunter!! I will be back tonight with story. I had to get him to meat locker and do some errands!! Thanks everyone! Shawn

Great job Shawn! I'm really happy for you!

Ok..... I want to hear the story!

Awesome Shawn ! I knew you would get a good one as you are one of the hardest hunters I have ever met. You deserve it man

Thanks guys! Bob, that means a lot coming from you. You put a good NY buck down every year. That is hard to do in our state! I will come back and tell the story. It was insane! Shawn

OK, here we go. As most of you know I am hunting in NW Kansas and have been hunting public and a bit of private. The public was very good but as I said above it came with its headaches. I talked to my Cindy(wife)last night and told her I was discouraged and I was thinking of shooting the first decent buck I saw and heading home. I have been here for 11 days or so. She said thats not you and you know it. Bare down and figure it out. Try the private for the next few days and if you still are bummed, come home. Well I went in this morning and carried in my tinks decoy. He is a blow up. Well guess what? With the cold and wind he was not doing well. So, I carry Fred back to the car and head back to stand. It is still dark when I climb back in and settle in for the morning. I was gonna sit til 10 and than grab a bite to eat and get back at it by 11:30. I am sitting in a creek bottom that is surrounded on all four side by open country. I mean milo to my left, wheat to my right and alfalfa behind me than open prairie for miles the other way. It is a great pinch point as most of the bottom is 100 yards wide at but this point it pinches to about 50 yards wide and the bank drops off 30 ft. to the creek below. At 7:15 I look out ion the mile and about 1200 yards out is a deer. I put binos up and see it is a buck but at that afr hard to tell. About this same time I catch movement and to my right coming down into the creek is a giant doe and 2 fawns. They walk right under me and spend the next 20 minutes feeding below me working their way up the creek away from me. As they disappear I catch movement and its a buck, a good buck maybe 130"s or so. He comrs up the creek to where the does disappeared and he turns up and follows them. I decide I will shoot him given the chance. I grab the horns and tickle them a bit and blow a series of grunts. I watch and here he comes, but is cautious and acting nervous, thats when I look to my right and about 100 yards out in the alfalfa is another buck. This one when you look know he is a shooter immediately. This buck sees the other and snort wheezes 3 times in a row. i look back and the other deer is retreating. All this and I have not reached for my bow. It is about to get insane and I did not know it. Be back soon. I have to eat something! Shawn

I am back and will try and make this brief. I look back away from the big buck to my left in the milo(which has been cut) and there are two does standing about 30 yards out and to my 11 o'clock. They look nervous and than I see why a nice 8pt maybe 125-130"s is heading towards them I grab my bow and get ready. Well he cuts out one doe and starts chasing her dead away from me. The other doe now runs towards me and back to about my 7 o'clock and stand s there just watching the other buck and doe running off. I look back that way and here is another buck coming and he is heading for the doe right by me, maybe 15 yards or so. He comes up to her and I draw the bow, he tries to mount her and she moves away. I decide to try and stop him amd give a big loud uurp, but he keeps moving but is close. I try again and he just keeps circling her and won't stop. This time I literally shout HEY!! As I do this I catch movement coming from the right and it is the buck of my dreams. He is standing 12 yards and looking right at me. I slowly start to swing my bow towards him, when out of no where the buck I originally drew on starts to charge him. Now my buck turns to face him and is perfectly broadside at 12 yards. I settle my pin low and tight to the shoulder and just before they were to meet head on I shoot. The other buck stops and stands and my buck takes two small bounds and stops. I grab my bino's and look and see the hole right behind the shoulder. He stands for maybe 15 seconds and his tail starts to twitch and down he goes. The other buck runs up to him and stands over him a second than blows and takes off. The poor doe just stood there the whole time. I did not wait and immediately got down, left everything in the tree. I walk up to him and am in shock, he is bigger than I thought. As I am standing there, I grab my phone to call my wife. I look up and there is a giant standing 70 yards away just staring at me. I get down and do a little mouth grunt and than snort wheeze. Here he comes, this 170 plus inch buck come right up to 30 ft. and stops and stares me down. I hang up and try and get a picture but I am fumbling things pretty bad and he runs off. Over the next 20 minutes while I am taking pictures I have at least 5 more bucks within 50-70 yards of me and none are acting sane. They are all worked up over this doe group and could care less about me standing in the middle of this 200 acre field. I am still in awe of what happened this morning and will remember this day for the rest of time. I want to Thank everyone for their encouragement and ecsp. my wife Cindy who has stood by me in all my hunting endeavors for the last 33 years. I love you hon!! Thanks guys!! Shawn

Awesome!

I waved at you when we flew over Kansas yesterday, but I guess you were busy! Great hunt! Thanks for sharing. Get some rest before driving home and travel safe. I can't wait to see some pictures.

I will post a bunch when I get home and rested up!! I will post one or two now of where I killed my buck! Shawn

Here is a view from the stand acrossed the creek to my right. This is actually a nice 2.5 year old but he is broken up a bit. Shawn

found this in a draw out there in KS last Sat.

Wow, that must have been a terrible way to die!

I wanted to post a pic. that I think does this deer justice. I will come back and finish the thread with some pics. of the stand site and the surrounding property and such. Hope the pic came out and ignore the ugly guy holding the rack! Shawn

Great picture. It really shows the mass and spread!

It will be a conversation piece for years!

Wow! What a rack. I have cousins in Topeka, but they don't live in the Country anymore! Very reasonable trip. Happy for you. Mad Dog

Shawn sounds like a great time. Very nice buck congrats. I was in Ohio and similar stuff the bucks were going nuts on any doe in heat or in the wrong place at the wrong time and the chase was on. It really made the hunt was a great time. I shot a 10point buck same thing happened to me after I was just passing through my deer 2min later nice size 8 point buck walks right by at 40yards then another small buck and a doe walk with in feet from my arrow. The woods were alive and defiantly a great site to see. Defiantly want to hunt in Kansas we will hopefully be there next season!! Tommy

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