Well, first off i will say that during this morning’s hunt i was tested as a hunter like i've never before been tested in the field in my 25+ years of hunting. Simple as that. After hunting with an outfitter 3 years ago and getting a handle on how things were done up here, I decided that I was going to put in the time and effort to learn how to hunt these Kansas giants on a budget. I poured myself into studying the Wiha public land in Kansas. Chad Kolar was fired up about this as well so we decided to give it a whirl. Long story short, last season we were both successful and decided to roll with the same plan for this season.
Forward to this year, I got here on Tuesday the 1st and planned to stay until the 14th unless we both tagged out before. I got two stands hung late tuesday in my two favorite spots, one where i killed last year on the second sit and the other where i had a awesome opportunity at a pig of a buck. I knew these spots were overlooked by the other hunters and I had confidence in them. Wednesday was raining and 36 degrees all day long so didn't get much hunting in. The front blew through overnight and this morning’s hunt looked to be very promising with the deer being bedded up all day before. I decided to sit the stand i killed out of last year. It is just one heck of funnel with two deep creeks hour glassing together, crp on the back side with an alfalfa field behind the crp. My stand was hung on a little knob that stood out from the creek in the corner of the field. The deer just funnel right to it going from the alfalfa fields and back down the creek. This morning as I climbed up the lone wolf steps, boots covered in mud, my foot slipped on one of the fold out steps and i started to fall. Praise God that my jacket caught one of the fold out steps and stopped my fall, giving me enough time to grab on. I was shook up to say the least. It took me a while to get my bearings once i got on stand. Once i did get my bearing i realized the wind was not as i expected, it was marginal. Moving forward in the morning, about 715 3 does came out of the CRP and got down wind of me about 50 yards and I got snorted out. I was bummed and contemplated backing out. Then I thought about the near disaster climbing up and decided i needed a little more time to sit and collect myself. At about 745am I looked back across the field to my right and i see a good buck making a scrape at about 300 yards. The buck starts in a dead run right to me. The way the land’s laid out, he really had to come to me I just didn't expect it to be so quick. He was on me in a matter of 3 or 4 minutes at 20 yards upwind. I'm ready, standing, release attached and ready to draw. What happened next you may believe or you may not, but it's how it happened. He stops behind some limbs. No shot. I wait... I wait... I wait. We had a stand- off of 15 minutes without me or the deer moving a muscle. I'm getting tired and frustrated by this point, but this was a nice buck so i stayed still. Next the deer decides that he's tired so he beds right there at 20 yards-- Facing Me! My unprotected hands are already numb by this point so I don’t know what to do. After about 20 more minutes of this i'm at 35 minutes of standing like a statue. I want to sit down so bad, but i can’t. If i do the game is over. So I start letting my mind wonder to try and put my focus on something else. I think to myself I've got to wait this out and just beat him. I tried to get that never say die attitude. Anyway, the buck stays bedded for another 20 minutes and then decides to stand. He stands and stays still for another 5 minutes or so and then decides to walk straight to me behind limbs. He gets to 10 yards, still no shot. My heart is pounding. He then turns around and walks right back to the spot where he was bedded and decides that he's still sleepy, so he beds again for another 30 or 40 minutes. Now by this time the pain is so great i'm shaking. My hands, neck and back hurt so bad. I'm getting vertigo so I try to lean back against the tree a little bit. And of course the famous Kansas wind is starting to blow not making things easier. But at this point, I've come so far I know that I can’t blow it now. He finally stands and I'm numb and I can’t feel my extremities but I'm ready. But he's not, so he stands for another 10 minutes or so without moving. He then decides that it's time to move on so he makes his way past me. At 32 yds he walked by and I drew. When i drew, it didn’t feel right cause of the numbness, but I steadied, picked a spot and let her rip. The hell razor found it mark and i saw the arrow exit his off shoulder after entering at the back of the near side ribs. He took off and I could see the blood pouring. He made it over a fence and out into the bean field. I put my eyes on him first at 745am and the shot i took at 10:05 am. The entire time other than the first three or four minutes I stood motionless ready for the shot. I called Chad and he was in disbelief at my luck. He came over and we went in after him 40 minutes after the shot. Blood was very good to say the least-- alot of it and it was all bubbly. So we didn’t hesitate to go in. 150 yards into the track we walked up on him and he jumped up in very bad shape and wobly running. We backed out and came back in four hours later and found him piled up 20 yards from where we jumped him—stiff as a board. Thank you LORD!!!
I still can’t believe what happened. I am very thankful for the opportunity and that God gave me the strength to wait him out. I am a better hunter for it.
Haven't scored him yet but he's 18inches wide. Maybe you guys can guess and then I will tell you tomorrow after we score him.
Got it done my first sit on stand of a 14 day hunt and there's no regret here. I'm now doe hunting and playing guide for Chad. Haha.
Sorry this is so long but I had to tell all of it. Good luck to all of you and be safe climbing up those trees. I was very fortunate this morning in more ways than one.
This is where he bedded 25 yds from my set.
Forward to this year, I got here on Tuesday the 1st and planned to stay until the 14th unless we both tagged out before. I got two stands hung late tuesday in my two favorite spots, one where i killed last year on the second sit and the other where i had a awesome opportunity at a pig of a buck. I knew these spots were overlooked by the other hunters and I had confidence in them. Wednesday was raining and 36 degrees all day long so didn't get much hunting in. The front blew through overnight and this morning’s hunt looked to be very promising with the deer being bedded up all day before. I decided to sit the stand i killed out of last year. It is just one heck of funnel with two deep creeks hour glassing together, crp on the back side with an alfalfa field behind the crp. My stand was hung on a little knob that stood out from the creek in the corner of the field. The deer just funnel right to it going from the alfalfa fields and back down the creek. This morning as I climbed up the lone wolf steps, boots covered in mud, my foot slipped on one of the fold out steps and i started to fall. Praise God that my jacket caught one of the fold out steps and stopped my fall, giving me enough time to grab on. I was shook up to say the least. It took me a while to get my bearings once i got on stand. Once i did get my bearing i realized the wind was not as i expected, it was marginal. Moving forward in the morning, about 715 3 does came out of the CRP and got down wind of me about 50 yards and I got snorted out. I was bummed and contemplated backing out. Then I thought about the near disaster climbing up and decided i needed a little more time to sit and collect myself. At about 745am I looked back across the field to my right and i see a good buck making a scrape at about 300 yards. The buck starts in a dead run right to me. The way the land’s laid out, he really had to come to me I just didn't expect it to be so quick. He was on me in a matter of 3 or 4 minutes at 20 yards upwind. I'm ready, standing, release attached and ready to draw. What happened next you may believe or you may not, but it's how it happened. He stops behind some limbs. No shot. I wait... I wait... I wait. We had a stand- off of 15 minutes without me or the deer moving a muscle. I'm getting tired and frustrated by this point, but this was a nice buck so i stayed still. Next the deer decides that he's tired so he beds right there at 20 yards-- Facing Me! My unprotected hands are already numb by this point so I don’t know what to do. After about 20 more minutes of this i'm at 35 minutes of standing like a statue. I want to sit down so bad, but i can’t. If i do the game is over. So I start letting my mind wonder to try and put my focus on something else. I think to myself I've got to wait this out and just beat him. I tried to get that never say die attitude. Anyway, the buck stays bedded for another 20 minutes and then decides to stand. He stands and stays still for another 5 minutes or so and then decides to walk straight to me behind limbs. He gets to 10 yards, still no shot. My heart is pounding. He then turns around and walks right back to the spot where he was bedded and decides that he's still sleepy, so he beds again for another 30 or 40 minutes. Now by this time the pain is so great i'm shaking. My hands, neck and back hurt so bad. I'm getting vertigo so I try to lean back against the tree a little bit. And of course the famous Kansas wind is starting to blow not making things easier. But at this point, I've come so far I know that I can’t blow it now. He finally stands and I'm numb and I can’t feel my extremities but I'm ready. But he's not, so he stands for another 10 minutes or so without moving. He then decides that it's time to move on so he makes his way past me. At 32 yds he walked by and I drew. When i drew, it didn’t feel right cause of the numbness, but I steadied, picked a spot and let her rip. The hell razor found it mark and i saw the arrow exit his off shoulder after entering at the back of the near side ribs. He took off and I could see the blood pouring. He made it over a fence and out into the bean field. I put my eyes on him first at 745am and the shot i took at 10:05 am. The entire time other than the first three or four minutes I stood motionless ready for the shot. I called Chad and he was in disbelief at my luck. He came over and we went in after him 40 minutes after the shot. Blood was very good to say the least-- alot of it and it was all bubbly. So we didn’t hesitate to go in. 150 yards into the track we walked up on him and he jumped up in very bad shape and wobly running. We backed out and came back in four hours later and found him piled up 20 yards from where we jumped him—stiff as a board. Thank you LORD!!!
I still can’t believe what happened. I am very thankful for the opportunity and that God gave me the strength to wait him out. I am a better hunter for it.
Haven't scored him yet but he's 18inches wide. Maybe you guys can guess and then I will tell you tomorrow after we score him.
Got it done my first sit on stand of a 14 day hunt and there's no regret here. I'm now doe hunting and playing guide for Chad. Haha.
Sorry this is so long but I had to tell all of it. Good luck to all of you and be safe climbing up those trees. I was very fortunate this morning in more ways than one.
This is where he bedded 25 yds from my set.
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