marais des cygnes wildlife refuge
Contributors to this thread:Kansas
From: cwater
25-Aug-22
Drew a tag for it this year! I live about 40 minutes away, so I took a trip last night and drove around about 1/2 of the refuge before I ran out of daylight. Saw a pile of does and Seen a few bucks, nothing I would consider shooting tho. But that got me thinking, has anyone on here ever drew a tag for this area? I know their are BIG deer on this place, but I'm curious to how someone would find out what the biggest deer ever taken off of it is, or if that's even possible except word of mouth? I plan on getting down there a few more times to do some scouting before season starts!
From: ROUGHCOUNTRY
25-Aug-22
If I remember right there was an article years ago in North American Whitetail magazine about a guy that found a typical set of sheds that rivaled the world record and the guy then claimed to have shot the very deer that fall and it ran into the refuge and presumably died and was not recovered??? This occurred on private property that bordered the refuge. The sheds were legit but chewed and some estimations on tine length etc...took place.
From: Thornton
25-Aug-22
I remember that story well ROUGHCOUNTRY. The way it was written, they were sure it was a new world record. If I remember right, it gave him the urge to start a Christian bowhunters chapter after that or something. I couldn't remember if it was Quivera or Marais de Cygnes.
From: One Arrow
25-Aug-22
If anyone finds that article, or a link, I’d love to read it.
From: One Arrow
25-Aug-22
If anyone finds that article, or a link, I’d love to read it.
From: Thornton
25-Aug-22
I'm at work tonight, but I'll look for the magazine when I get home. It's the only issue I ever saved.
From: TwoDogs@work
26-Aug-22
As I Remember the story he was not allowed on the refuge to attempt retrieval.
From: 74maximus1
26-Aug-22
74maximus1 's Link
Is this it?
From: ROUGHCOUNTRY
26-Aug-22
No, that one only has one side that rivals the world record:)........the 6x4 frame would have killed the net score. Hopefully Thornton finds the article, if I remember right it was fairly symmetrical but chewed.
From: TwoDogs@work
26-Aug-22
That's not the story I remember. In the one I remember the deer was actually killed, but died on the refuge and retrieval was denied.
From: LTG 11
30-Aug-22
I've never deer hunted down there, but I duck hunt a lot and I've explored some out of the way spots. Big area. Not sure if you have a specific zone you need to stay in or if you have full run of the area.
Later in the year, as the duck hunting gets going, you don't see many deer out during daylight or even in the headlights. And the changing water levels move things around.
Everyone says there's big deer down there. I'd be happy to try and answer any questions you have. Shoot me a PM.
From: Deerdummmy
30-Aug-22
I think the buck you are talking about was called the commander and chief. Sheds were chewed when found but repaired would have beat the milo Hanson buck.
From: Deerdummmy
30-Aug-22
From: Thornton
30-Aug-22
I can't find my issue of N. American Whitetail. Found this online, but can't find the story. Says it would have scored 227"
From: Deerdummmy
30-Aug-22
That's the one I saw as well. But I remember it in the magazine. But can't find it online.
From: One Arrow
30-Aug-22
Wow, so those are the sheds?
From: cwater
31-Aug-22
My uncle has lived down that way his whole life, and i he has told me the story of a potential record book deer being shot and running on the refuge and the guy not being able to retrieve it, I just always believed him and never looked into it. I would say with everyone else confirming it, it's true! Luckily they did change rule around where you can actually leave a stand in there for the entire season now, instead of having to pack it out after each hunt.
From: MAG
31-Aug-22
I'll be down there hunting too. I know 3 more that also drew that area. Maybe we will bump into each other. Sure glad also they changed the rule on stands.
From: ROUGHCOUNTRY
31-Aug-22
Take some "ass-wipe" cause if something like that walks in front of you, you're gonna need it:) 70% of score come from tine length and that 6x6 frame is huge, good job Thornton and deerdummy for tracking it down!
From: Thornton
31-Aug-22
The Kansas King was another big one that was never shot. My friend that owns 5,000 acres on the Oklahoma border describes a buck he saw several times in the late 90's that fits the exact description of the King. Must'vebeen somethingin the water that year, because I shot a giant 6x6 in the late 90's as well. Score would have been in the 190"s. I hunted him two years. A guy on the ranch to the west found it and would never even let me see it.
From: Thornton
31-Aug-22
From: MAG
06-Nov-22
Been 6 years since I've deer hunted so when this guy offered me a shot yesterday I took it. It was a crazy morning in the woods. 4 different bucks and a bunch of does running all over. I've shot bigger ones but it's all about the moment so I'm very happy to have him.
From: sitO
06-Nov-22
Good job Mike!
From: crestedbutte
06-Nov-22
Way to go Mike. Big ole body on that guy!
From: ROUGHCOUNTRY
09-Jan-24
I finally found the old North American Whitetail issue that featured the Marais Des Cygnes sheds and the story about the guy claiming to have lost it inside the refuge.
From: Thornton
09-Jan-24
I had that issue rat holed some as well and can't find it. That was a heck of a
From: Ksgobbler
09-Jan-24
The guy never even asked about retrieving it. It went onto the refuge on the state side. I worked on the federal side. The state guys told me if he wouldve come and asked they wouldve helped him look. When we burned the federal refuge for the first time in many years, the sheds we saw were astounding.
From: elkmo
10-Jan-24
How the hunt go?
From: cwater
10-Jan-24
MY buddy drew the permit this year.... After 2 months of solid hunting to say he was disappointed would be an understatement. He saw multiple bucks, nothing over 150", tons in the 130s or well below. And as usual plenty of doe. Which brings me to, I really hope that they make it a rule SOONER than later that you must harvest a doe before a buck in that area. Also by law, you are technically only allowed ONE doe and one buck on that property.
