Since I'm tagged out, but have access to several spots and set stands to hunt from, I'm going to take some folks that may not have the same opportunities or places to go. All will have to agree to sign off on liability, to protect the landowners, but I'm thinking most would understand that.
I will also hunt some on my own in OK, and I'm going to chase Pronghorn at least one more time out West...but there are several days I'll want to be in a tree, and I'm hoping I can help at least one other to get a deer.
So, If you'd like to join me on a hunt or 2, and have a change of scenery, send me a PM(first come first serve). I have a hunt already lined up for Sunday afternoon with a guy I met here on BS, we'll introduce him then. The schedule will be a little "flighty" that's kinda my "MO" anyway...and no guarantee's...except that we'll have a good time. I live in Wichita, so keep that in mind, and have spots near Eureka/Harper/Argonia/Caldwell area's...spots will be determined by the wind and weather mainly.
P.S. These will be REAL hunts...I think you know what I mean ;?)
We've got two so far...this should be fun! No deer is off limits...and I haven't named'm or trained'm
First venture is already set for tomorrow morning, don't bring any bourbon Mark!!
Here are a few deer we might see at this spot(all pics from this Summer), and you never know what will pass through here. We'll also shoot at any coyote, if you want...but not a cat...not yet ;?)
Seriously though, I really appreciate the opportunity. I’m very grateful. Looking forward to just learning from you. If a shot opportunity comes that’s aweosme, but that’s not the most important thing to me.
That almost looks like a mulie rack in that first pic!
Chris
This guy came through several years ago...so you just never know ;?)
We're in and ready to shoot...but wait, we have 36min before we can. Mark was early which was good as I had to take us to a different spot on account of the rain/lightning...
Hunting near Argonia on the Chikaskia, have only hunted this stand a couple times but cut it out this Summer and it should be decent.
Here we go
Had a doe blowing a little behind us right when we got in...she didn't smell us but I think she heard me setting the hang-on. She moved on quickly...haven't seen or heard anything else...could it be the dreaded "lull"?
Slooooow here.
I spotted two doe''s about 300yds S of us but headed away and in some really thick stuff, Mark couldn't see'm but I think he believes me
Wind is picking up as is the warmth...this stand will only get better
I kid of course. It was a great sit. I had a great time seeing someone else’s strategies. I appreciated him taking me out and letting me fire off 1000 questions.
DSS, KYBourbon, and I are going to give another spot a shot this evening...hoping this little cool snap has them on their feet early for dinner!
Ran across this thread after accepting an invitation to hunt with Kyle after I sent him a picture of the doe I took last week.
I am super excited for this opportunity this evening. It has been quite some time since I have had a change of scenery and I am really looking forward to it!
Thanks Frank, we're set up in two different trees and good to go. I had a little trouble getting the hang on set...Derrick laughed at me
Hunting near Attica tonight, hoping they'll filter out of the timber N of us towards the feed fields. The field to our West is usually wheat, but he put in cover crop this time...all smiles!
Wind is NNW and 10mph or less, temp in mid 60's...finally a little cooler.
May not see anything, but way way better than watching the N"F"L
So far we've seen one squirrel, 3 Katydid's, and one very noise tractor
Mark says he rattled lightly at around 5, and had something come in behind him, but didn't see it well enough to tell what it was... didn't stick around long
Mark just had 5 doe''s come through, he's already got one in the freezer so he passed for tonight.
We're still at zero on our end
We're out... beautiful sunset ;?) Nothing died
C'mon man
There are a couple of other good bucks down there, so hopefully they're still working over that alfalfa...we shall see.
Good luck to you and the crew Matte! We got into the stand at about 4:15, owls... coyotes...and quail sounding off early.
Just had five doe's/yearlings go by, but not in range. Hate to say it but we need a little wind for cover...it's WSW and very light.
The doe''s surrounded us and finally one picked us off...it was a "blow and go" from there.
Needed to get out from behind the emailer so I made a run to Argonia. By myself tonight, might shoot a doe if the conditions are perfect...mainly just needed to be "out of doors"
Hunted this spot once real early, not expecting much but I know there's a bunch of doe''s here and the landowner would like less
Freshly planted wheat out front, and then behind me here there's beans. Wind is still pretty stiff NNW@15-20+ gusts and it's in the mid 60's...let's see what we see
Two doe''s and a fawn at the mile long salad bar...they're out there trust me
Three doe''s and two fawns out behind me on beans...two doe''s out front on the wheat but a LONG ways out
Lost the West in my wind... matriarch behind picked me up and came a lookin...
She brought the gang with her...got into range...and then blew
Shoulda kilt'r...#trainwreck
My boss kept me at work till 4. They don’t understand its hunting season.
I sat one of my spots near Argonia last night...Had this guy and a spike under me for 30min...saw 8 doe''s too.
He worked a scrape, did a half-a$$ snort wheeze and then dogged one of the doe''s for a bit...it's a comin!
Set up and ready to stick somethin stinky...this hang-on does not work so well in all trees, I'll post a pick later but I'm most likely going to have scoliosis after this hunt
It's that exact tree Shane, I moved the ladder over and I'm hangin where it was...not awesome
We had three doe's skirt us to the N about 15min ago. Just now a young 8 came out and followed their trail...Mark grunted at him and he looked our way, but they smelled better than we sounded I reckon
Things have slowed down a bit...so how'bout some landscape pics mmmmkay?
Got the HUD out this morning...doesn't seem to be working like a corn pile lol
Good luck to you, i dont think they are gonna lay down all day..
There will be no perfume on our hunts Lord ;?)
We never saw another deer yesterday morning, but I sent Mark to another spot for the evening hunt and he saw a couple including a buck in range...just not what he was looking for.
In early this morning, brought the full body decoy and it's set up out front. Hunting a farm near Argonia...haven't been in here yet this year. Wind is supposed to be SW but it's virtually non-existent at this point...around 35deg
Some pics from yesterday,...my back breaker stand...a fresh scrape...and then Mark caught off guard by a "lightning strike" this morning...striking a pose lol
Had a little forky come in behind us early, but got into our wind(which is all over the place right now), and trotted back East.
Ten minutes later this yote actually came to the decoy and we had a swing and a miss. Now we're surrounded by Angus...they ain't supposed to be here this late
Still on stand, have had four bucks come by this morning...and this was the biggest?
2 words
i'm letting the stands rest for another 5 days.. then im gonna hit it hard
Probably not a bad idea bud! We just had a 2/3yr old 8 coming in but guess what the wind did?
Counterclockwise swirl...it involves a knuckle ;?)
We just got down and Mark found different sign on that arrow...short trail and his first coyote with a bow!
I got a little video, will post later if worth a darn.
Most fun day of hunting I’ve had in recent memory. Action packed all day.
Ignore the “missed him” after the shot. Haha.
Had 20 deer out front on the new wheat at one time, two small bucks and the rest were doe''s. The little guys were chasing them all.
Oh yea...and a pretty killer sunset
These 12hr night shifts are for the birds. Missing a whole week of hunting.
"Backed outta work" a little early this afternoon...gonna see if I can get some footage or stick a doe, er even better a coyote tonight.
Over around Attica, new scrapes and a rub or two. Cover crop planted on what's usually wheat and they've been hard on it already
How many deer do you see in this last picture?
This'n is a mix of turnips/radishes I believe...I'm no farmer but I did grow a pretty decent garden this Summer ;?)
sitO's Link
Single WT female on her feet out there in the plum thickets...you can't see her, but I can
Marky Mark and I are sittin the Caldwell spot again this morning. We got in early and have the full body deke out front,
Upper forties as a high, wind NNW and very light right now, but should pick up with gusts to 20+ this afternoon.
Have a good feeling about today...but that's the same as everyday
One doe, and a forky so far...we have one direction to go
Soul crushing! Saw nothing else, trying a different spot tonight
We packed up the road show and drove all the way to Neal KS. Haven't hunted this farm yet this year, but picked up a few good bucks in velvet when I checked the camera a month or so ago.
Mark's in the river stand, and just rattled in a young 8. I'm in an observation stand... and I've got a guy working fence and a black & white border collie running through the woods over here...it's everything I'd hoped for
Wind is straight out of the N now and gusty, hoping something good comes his way
I learned today a rattle bag sounds nothing like actual bone. Kyle lent me his horns and sent me to the stand. I’d never used the real thing and felt like a “special” person beating them together. Imagine lightning strike photo above with horns. Did the best I could. Within 30 seconds of putting the horns down a young 8 came charging in at me grunting. Pretty cool.
He eventually wonders off. Wait an hour or so, rattle again. During the sequence I see a deer coming. Spike. Pretty cool again. So far I’m 100% at rattling. Should probably quit now.
Watched him feed for 20 mins. He keeps getting closer. I start to see some cool characteristics. Small kicker on the left side. Crab claw on the right.
I’m still just watching. He’s still coming. He starts getting close and I see he’s fairly wide. Finally pick bow up. He stops broadside at 18 yards. Decision time...
I don’t draw. Let him walk. I think he’s young. Describe him to Kyle. He laughs at me. Shows me pic...
I kickself in the ass repeatedly. The end.
Keep in mind that I hunt public. I’ve never encountered this size of deer.
What was I thinking?
Maybe next year he will be big enough for kyle?
Mark and I talked a lot about his encounter last night, on the way back to El Dorado to get his truck. When the buck first came out he didn't "feel it"...nor did he grab for his bow. That's the trigger for me, doesn't happen a lot but when I see "him" I know "him" and I think Mark feels the same. It's a great buck, absolutely nothing wrong with taking him or passing him...it's your tag and nobody gets to "tell" you.
So with all that said, I'm going to post a couple other pics of this buck...and I'd like guesses on his age from you guys...I know what I think, and I know what a couple of others think as well...what say you?
Rack is big but lacks mass. Maybe this is genetic and has nothing to do with age?
Body is filled out but still lacks that really boxy shape I've seen in what I assume are real old bucks.
I dunno. Curious to hear conflicting opinions if I'm off the mark.
He and I talked the morning we met about what I was looking for. He gave me the green light to shoot any deer I wanted. In retrospect he might regret that because he keeps taking me and I won’t shoot. I know he’s gotta be thinking “I wish this idiot would shoot so I can get on with my life”
It’s been the best season I’ve ever had, doesn’t matter if I shoot one or not.
Btw, thought about that deer ALL DAY.
Appreciate the kind words, but quit worrying about it...you get to hunt again bud! BTW I think that buck is over 5yrs old, and that he's on the way down, but I have nothing to prove it. Keep in mind that all deer look like they have less "mass" in night-time pics, at least that's been my experience.
Sat a spot tonight I'd been skunked from twice already this year. I didn't climb in until 4pm and immediately had a wide big bodied buck running N>S across the CRP out front. My wind was good, he was seeking, and I tried everything I had including rattling but he didn't even look up. I watched him dip into a creek bed and then I saw another big bodied buck in there with him? I never saw a doe, but could see them walking around through the tree's.
I rattled several times and hammered on the grunt call but they were not interested? About 45min later another younger buck started down the same trail but from the opposite direction. I grunted, he stopped and looked...am positive he saw the decoy...but he just kept going? Goes to show you that you just never know what to expect or how any wild animal will react...cain't train'm without sustenance ;?)
No shots fired on his end...so we're headed towards Caldwell this morning to see what's moving down there. Hot doe''s here and there...right place right time...and hopefully that's the place today!
Three "mini-bucks" and three doe's here so far...wind is screwy, thinkin we need to move but gonna hang on a little longer
Did I mention yet this year that I hate weatherpeople?
I received a text last night from my buddy Justin who was sitting a 2man stand on one of my spots with his youngest son. They were on the edge of the "cover crop" and had several deer come out at sundown. Justin had his full body decoy out, and the last deer to enter was a good 10pt who went straight to the deke...all bristled up and ready for a fight.
Justin stopped him at 17yds and took a barely quartering too broadside shot. The shot looked good but his 10yr old son said that the arrow was still in him as he exited the field. Justin saw him walking behind the stand headed into some thick CRP but very labored and moving very slowly.
He waited about an hour and then went to the spot the buck had entered the grass and found a decent amount of blood and followed it about 20yds, but no arrow. We talked and I decided to head out and see if we could find him, picking up Justin's other son on the way.
The blood trail was really pretty good for the first 100yds, the boys were leading us and it was a hoot listening to them on the trail. Blood started dissipating as we progressed, there were no "beds", and we went another 100yds before we completely lost it. At this point it was almost 9pm and I told them that we really just needed to back out...I feared he wasn't dead yet and that we would bump him...we left
I got the text at 8:30..."FOUND" and above is the result. He had gone another 100yds or so, but not in the direction I'd have guessed...glad we waited and the coyotes didn't find him either!
Great buck and pretty awesome having one of the boys there to experience the hunt, and both the recovery...congrats bud you are one lucky son of a gun ;?)
P.S. Thanks Mark for another sacrifice!
The buck is even better than I thought...has a split G3 on the left, and a little sticker/kicker whatever you want to call it on the right G3 which is over an inch. His wife already has a spot picked out on the wall for the buck, and the kids were telling stories all day at school!
