Here’s the story of the quick post I made Monday night about my 164 2/8” giant Kansas 8pt on public land.
It’s truly a miracle I even made it to Kansas this year. I was suppose to leave last Tuesday the 2nd and stay till the 13th. Being super busy with work and having a young family at home it was a question if I was even going to make it this year. Turns out I made it work with my trip being cut in half. Now hunting the 5th thru the 10th, I was so prepared I even bought my tag as I was driving up. (I have a lifetime hunting license from when I use to live there)
I roll into my buddies house in Kansas at 1:30 Friday morning slept for a couple hours and went to some walk in I have had great luck previous years and a great south wind spot. As I’m getting ready at my truck another truck pulls up and 2 guys jump out and head to their spots. Zero common curiosity (I always have a backup plan for walk in properties if someone is already there first). I went in anyways and deer blew all morning. One the guys was hunting the wrong end of the bedding area I was hunting and completely blew it out. I had that whole place to myself years prior so I was a bit bummed but it’s part of it. At that moment I decided I was going to my private land spots. Friday evening thru Sunday evening was slow with little bucks responding to rattling and does and fawns but no chasing going on. Monday morning rolls around still south wind and it’s a very slow morning in the timber. I hit the horns together around 9am and a 150” 9pt comes running into 5 yards. He had me stuck and couldn’t move till he turned away and I never got a shot. Now I’m feeling pretty confident the rut is starting to get good as that’s the first shooter I seen since I been there. No more deer seen that morning.
Monday evening the wind was switching from south to north mid afternoon. I decided to go to another walk in spot that we have had great luck up in the past. I got there at 1 and waited for the wind to switch north. (Big timber to the north and did not want to even attempt to go in there on south wind). North wind finally hit around 2:30 at 2-3mph. I eased into the spot and took my time getting my stand hung as it was so calm. Finally got all settled at 3:30 and at 4pm the cold front hit and wind picked up. This spot is crp with big timber to the north. The dates were right and I knew they would be scent checking the big timber and crp. No deer sightings till 5pm I hear foot steps and this big 8 steps out at 20 yards. Caught me completely off guard. I stood up and got ready and now he’s at 12 yards and he stops perfectly to look back. I smoked him and he ran 30 yards and falls over. I knew he was big 8 but wasn’t sure how big. We all had him around the 150 mark. He had all of us fooled when we taped him out and came out way bigger. He went 164 2/8 straight typical 8. Absolute giant of an 8 and weighed right at 300#.
The weather was warm and not ideal hunting weather but it’s still the Kansas rut. November 8 will forever be one of my favorite days to hunt.
I’m sure I will hear there’s no way he went 164 cause I have already heard it but the pictures do not do his justice at all and I was not the only one scoring him. He has 38 7/8” of mass with 24” main beams and 20” spread. Left side went 72” and right side 72 2/8”.
It’s truly a miracle I even made it to Kansas this year. I was suppose to leave last Tuesday the 2nd and stay till the 13th. Being super busy with work and having a young family at home it was a question if I was even going to make it this year. Turns out I made it work with my trip being cut in half. Now hunting the 5th thru the 10th, I was so prepared I even bought my tag as I was driving up. (I have a lifetime hunting license from when I use to live there)
I roll into my buddies house in Kansas at 1:30 Friday morning slept for a couple hours and went to some walk in I have had great luck previous years and a great south wind spot. As I’m getting ready at my truck another truck pulls up and 2 guys jump out and head to their spots. Zero common curiosity (I always have a backup plan for walk in properties if someone is already there first). I went in anyways and deer blew all morning. One the guys was hunting the wrong end of the bedding area I was hunting and completely blew it out. I had that whole place to myself years prior so I was a bit bummed but it’s part of it. At that moment I decided I was going to my private land spots. Friday evening thru Sunday evening was slow with little bucks responding to rattling and does and fawns but no chasing going on. Monday morning rolls around still south wind and it’s a very slow morning in the timber. I hit the horns together around 9am and a 150” 9pt comes running into 5 yards. He had me stuck and couldn’t move till he turned away and I never got a shot. Now I’m feeling pretty confident the rut is starting to get good as that’s the first shooter I seen since I been there. No more deer seen that morning.
Monday evening the wind was switching from south to north mid afternoon. I decided to go to another walk in spot that we have had great luck up in the past. I got there at 1 and waited for the wind to switch north. (Big timber to the north and did not want to even attempt to go in there on south wind). North wind finally hit around 2:30 at 2-3mph. I eased into the spot and took my time getting my stand hung as it was so calm. Finally got all settled at 3:30 and at 4pm the cold front hit and wind picked up. This spot is crp with big timber to the north. The dates were right and I knew they would be scent checking the big timber and crp. No deer sightings till 5pm I hear foot steps and this big 8 steps out at 20 yards. Caught me completely off guard. I stood up and got ready and now he’s at 12 yards and he stops perfectly to look back. I smoked him and he ran 30 yards and falls over. I knew he was big 8 but wasn’t sure how big. We all had him around the 150 mark. He had all of us fooled when we taped him out and came out way bigger. He went 164 2/8 straight typical 8. Absolute giant of an 8 and weighed right at 300#.
The weather was warm and not ideal hunting weather but it’s still the Kansas rut. November 8 will forever be one of my favorite days to hunt.
I’m sure I will hear there’s no way he went 164 cause I have already heard it but the pictures do not do his justice at all and I was not the only one scoring him. He has 38 7/8” of mass with 24” main beams and 20” spread. Left side went 72” and right side 72 2/8”.
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