I really wish there were a way to guarantee a shot at a nice deer the last day of season. It would sure be handy for those like myself that have no self control whatsoever.
Regardless, my story goes as follows. I had not hunted much at all this season and since coming back from Colorado with no elk, I was really looking forward to hunting the whitetail rut here in mid November. I thought I would go out last night and try to fill my doe tag by setting in a stand over a cut bean field.
A few does filtered in and out of the field offering no shots throughout the evening. About 6:50 pm I looked across the field about 150 yards away and I saw a buck entering the field from a brushy pasture. At first glance I knew he was pretty good but after looking at him through the binoculars, made up my mind I wasn't going to shoot him this early in the season before the rut.
I then decided to try and coax him over to my side of the field by grunting at him. He would pay some attention to me but when I reached down and lightly tickled my rattle bag, he came on a straight path to my stand. As he got closer and closer I began rethink my decision not to shoot and when he finally stopped 2 yards from the base of my tree, directly under my stand, I sort-of went on autopilot I guess. I drew and released very quickly and sent a Magnus stinger directly from above, down into his chest lodging it in the center of his heart.
He spun and ran flat-out as fast as he could across the bean field, back towards where he had came from, but he didn't make it. I watched him go down after about a 100 yard dash. He lived about 10 seconds after the shot, and that made me feel really good. Everything worked out perfect.
If there is one thing I have learned since making the switch from compounds to trad two years ago it is....You don't necessarily get a shot everytime you get a deer within 25 yards. SOOOO many things can go wrong, it is much harder to pull it off and you need to be smart enough to realize when you have done everything right, and the shot presents itself, to take it. And be darn grateful for it...and I am.
Oh yeah, I shot him with a Kindred Companion....Single Carbon Hybrid... 63lbs @ 29". (Awesome bow by the way, these are one of the best kept secrets in custom bows today. The craftsmanship and performance is outstanding.) Cabelas 60-75 Outfitter shafts and a 125 grain Magnus Stinger.
I'll try the pictures.
Good luck to all,
Mike
(http://www.tradgang.com/mem-imgs/Fall026.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/mem-imgs/Fall018.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/mem-imgs/Fall015.jpg)
Nice buck! I love that split tine.
Nice Kansas buck!!
Congrats Mike!! :thumbsup: That is an awesome buck. :notworthy:
Very nice deer--way to go!
Kurt
That is a very nice buck, congrats on your successful bowhunt :)
Daniel
great shot and cool buck :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Dang and you weren't going to shoot it. . .Why?
That's a great buck!!
Mike
Great Buck!
Nice Job,Congradulations!
Great shot, pix, and story...congrats on a great buck!!!
Awesome deer! Congrats!
:bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
Very nice!!!!!
:thumbsup: Congrats.
Dennis :archer:
Beautiful whitetail....that's a super monster here in Pennsylvania.
wow! Congrats!
I know what you mean about missing the rut. Just because you don't have a buck tag doesn't mean you can't go doe hunting. Besides, if your wife is like mine she will never know you can't shoot another buck which means you can still go out and enjoy the woods. shhhh. ;)
Thanks for sharing... enjoyed your thoughts and the pics!!
Now, go fill that doe tag!
Good shot and nice buck,Way to go.
Tracy
Good buck !! Enjoyed your story too.
PB
Thanks guys.
Wingnut, My initial reluctancy to shoot him had much more to do with the fact I had hunted only 3 times this year, than it did with his size. Here in Kansas we are allowed only one buck.
After re-reading my post the "He's not big enough" overtones really jumped out at me and that's not the case at all. I'm just a spectator from this point on. But I'm sure I can find some buddies who would be more than happy to hunt my stands during the rut.
George, I have never hunted back east before, but I have friends talk of what an accomplishment it is to take a P&Y buck in certain states such as PA where the pressure is so intense.
It is all about where you are hunting. I can assure you, taking a deer like this, on private ground here in Kansas (or other midwestern states for that matter) is not nearly as difficult as taking one half this size in other locations.
I admire anyone who is willing to fight the crowds, hunt public land and stick it out until they are successful. When we go to Colorado each year....I am that person and I still haven't brought anything home from there...but I will someday.
Mike
Good deal Mike! I think I'd fall out of my stand if I saw one like that coming up to me here in PA.
They are here, but they are not abundant.
Thanks for sharing.
WOW!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! :bigsmyl:
Mike congratulations on the nice buck! I totally agree with your comments on the relative difficulty of taking nice bucks vs location. Like you I live in the midwest and have access to some good private ground. Again like you I have been the outsider in Colorado (many times)trying to make it happen on public ground with lots of competetion. Definitely two different ball games. Dan
Boy, I would have been thanking my lucky stars up here...you guys sure have some good genetics...
I can't imagine what it must be like to live in a place where you could consider passing on a buck like that. That is one beautiful animal.
Congrats on a beautiful deer.
He's a brute! Congrats!
Very nice buck Mike. I would be pround to hang my tag on it. $125 and you can drive over here to MO and hunt the rut. We still have a couple of weeks before the rifle boys invade the woods. Myself, I'm heading west to hunt one of those KS big boys out north of Hays.
I can see why you decided to shoot. Nice buck!
kctreeman,
That's another thing that was running through my mind as he was coming in. I have some good friends who own quite a bit of land west of Hays and had planned on going out to visit them and hunt mule deer, thats as good as it gets in my opinion.
Now, I'm still going out to see them but this time with Flu Flu's and chase some pheasants. I've never tried that but I can't be any worse than with a shotgun.
There is just too many choices for one tag!!
Good luck to you
Mike
Ain't nothing wrong with that buck. :thumbsup: :clapper: :goldtooth:
I sure know what you mean by sometimes wishing it would last longer. I've always said my perfect season would have me fill my tag on the very last day. But opportunites to take a buck like that have to be taken when they present themselves.
Nice job on making it happen! :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats on a mighty fine deer and shot. I had a similar experience a few years back. Shot a fairly nice buck on opening day. Then, we were allowed only one tag for a deer of either sex. As I didn't do much bird hunting then, it turned out to be a mighty long fall. That's one of the reasons I now concentrate most of my deer hunting around the three-weeks surrounding the rut. In your shoes, however, I think I would have done exactly the same thing. Congrats. Ya done good.
great buck!!!! :bigsmyl:
Yeah I'd be upset over my tag gettin' filled so quickly too. :rolleyes:
SWEET !!!! :notworthy:
Gotta agree on the Kindred Companions!! One of the best kept secrets in traditional archery!! I got mine last year. Only problem with them is they are so bloodthirsty.
I had the same thing happen to me last year. As I was repeating to myself, "I'm not gonna shoot it, I'm not gonna shoot it", the bow just took over. Next thing I knew my arrow was struck in the ground about 15 yards away with blood all over it.
I have only hunted one morning so far this year because I feared it would happen again and I would not get to hunt the rut. Luckily, "Tiger" (my Kindred Companion) must have still been a little groggy, being our first early morning hunt and all. Because a decent 8 point walked right through my shooting lane and I was able to keep the arrow on the string.
Wow - Nice Buck - Where are you located in KS? KU Grad?
Mike
cdi, I grew up in Garnett and still live near there in Colony, Kansas. I'm about an hour South of Lawrence.
Hooked, I call mine "Pumpkinseed".... she's small, but has a lot of fight!
Mike
That's a beauty. Glad it all came together for 'ya.
hey man that is awesome congrats :thumbsup: :archer: jeff