Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 2018 Kansas hunt recap

My father and I made another trip to the great state of KS again for the state’s 2018 rifle season.

We followed the same script we had in recent years – arrive on Saturday (for the Wednesday opener), catch up with our friends there, get an understanding of what the deer are doing, get in some shooting, and wind direction permitting, set a few ladders / blinds.



A single caveat before you go any further – if you’re a Creedmoor hater, I’ll suggest you end your reading here - there are three mentioned in the proceeding prose.

It was a unique year for certain. An overabundance of rain made beaches of some of the bedding areas. The wet also meant many of the crops (mainly winter wheat and/or canola) had either been lost already or not planted yet in the lower areas. Some of the higher elevations north and far south of the ranch had reasonable winter wheat so that meant many of the deer would be traveling some pretty good distances on/off the place.

One field on the ranch had enough chewing close to the river and bedding areas to keep some of the deer occupied so we knew we’d at least be in business with the right northerly winds.

This marked the first year we’d seen some decent rutting activity prior to our hunt, making a few bucks visible that’d otherwise be figures in the dark. Dad and I encountered two such bucks with a doe the day before the season while setting up a ground blind in some pasture – one buck, a wonderful mainframe typical 10 that I’d guessed right at the “magic” mark, the other, a weathered, old warrior that I recognized from years past, particularly last year (after our tags were filled and a bitter cold front brought him to a field where I was a sorry spectator). Neither buck knew of our presence as we watched the big 10 continually walk off the old buck we’d now come to call “stickers”. My mind was made up that morning – it’d be one of those two or I’d put my tag on a doe. Very wishful thinking of course, as it’s my experience there that if you’re lucky to see one like that, you won’t see him again. More on that later.

I know many people that have read the hunt recaps from the last couple of years think there are mature deer behind every tree – it’s simply not so. While it’s a sizeable chunk of ground with 3 miles of river bottom, you can only hope for a big deer to make a bigly mistake. Even sans hunting pressure, if they move in the daylight (rutting or big change in weather), they’ll use every bit of real estate to avoid detection. Hunting a single marginal wind can blow an entire 1/3 of the place for the season.

I’ve chewed the fat with several members here over the years and a couple have suggested mooching the river bottom to get them moving. And, at first blush, this seems like a plausible plan were it not for every chunk of ground (with hunters) surrounding the ranch waiting for an idiot to do so (not to mention one of the very top ways to get uninvited). I digress.

A SE wind made hunting the area we’d seen the two bigger bucks a no-go for day one but we had higher than normal hopes dad would find one of the two from his newly-fabbed cedar blind on Thursday. The opener came/went with numerous small buck sightings by both of us but we were really looking forward to Thursday. After an uneventful Thursday morning, dad would sit the cedar ground blind on the pasture terrace and I’d set up about a ½ mile to the east of him in slim hopes of catching one of the bigger bucks at last light.

About 4:30 we both began seeing some deer activity. At 5:10 as light began to wane, I heard a shot close enough it could only be dad – the eagerly anticipated text came that he’d gotten a good one down. I went to full sprint mode in hopes of capturing a photo or two before darkness was upon us.

He was sure it was the big 10 we’d seen two days earlier. I dotted around in the long grass as dad directed me to the location. I found the buck he’d anchored and sped through the scenarios in how I might inform him that it wasn’t the buck he thought it was. After standing over the buck in the shallow crease in the pasture, I could easily envision the story dad relayed; the buck appeared out of nowhere in the long grass and lack of elevation caught him off-guard - the nearly 18” height of the whitish rack made him look like a giant. Still a GREAT buck but I felt for dad – BTDT on this chunk of ground (and others).





Rifle: 7600 Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor / 120 TTSX




TBC.

Due to the lay of the land and proximity to the field, we decided to give this spot a rest for a couple of days and I’d dink and dunk around it while dad played guide and spotter for a couple of days.

Dad had spotted a very mature deer leaving the other end of the ranch at dusk one evening and thought I should have a look at him if we could find him. We’d not have a decent wind to get back to the other spot for a few days anyway so we gave it a go.

Dad would accompany me on a few of these hunts and we found the buck in the binoculars early one morning as he crossed a hay field. I couldn’t verify the headgear as he walked straight away but know he was mature in every way possible – still, he wasn’t one of the two bucks I had my mind set on. I know pops was cursing me under his breath but I applaud his patience with me.

We did a bit of rattling in out-of-the-way places and looked at some 2.5 and 3.5 y/o bucks but anything larger was not to be found.

With a day or two of south winds, warmer weather and nearly a week of season left to go, I figured it was best to start filling some doe tags. Dad had been seeing a large group of yearlings on his patrol so we found a morning ambush site and made short work of three of the tags in about 20 minutes – with a bonus yote sandwiched in between does #2 and #3.





6mm Creedmoor – bullets 103 ELDX.
All dropped on the spot but post mortem when cutting the deer up revealed some awfully big messes despite no large entrance/exits. (all 150ish - 200 yard shots)

Several more days of hunting turned up nothing but 2.5 y/o bucks but the winds and cooler weather were about to provide the much-needed break I’d need. With the season now officially one week old, alas, a NE would wind that’d allow for an early AM sneak to the timber and a perfect pinch between pasture and river. The strong wind in south central KS that we’ve come to curse was soon to be my best friend.

There were a lot of deer using this area either to bed or using as a travel corridor to bed in close proximity. I left a full 40 minutes earlier than normal so my approach to the spot I wanted to stand would be a silent one – strongly aided by a 20mph wind. I quietly snipped some branches in the dark so I could snug up to a large cottonwood with a blowdown next to it.

I knew deer wouldn’t begin appearing back in this area until 9 or so and like clockwork, the first does and young bucks began showing up around that time. A young buck began to saunter dangerously close to my locale and I worried he’d blow the whole morning for me. Luckily I wasn’t noticed as he moved back into the timber but as he did, I began noticing antlers moving below this buck in a blowdown. Even at a mere 50 yards, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was staring at. I soon figured out it was a bedded buck but couldn’t make out what he was. As the younger buck discovered the bedded deer, he moved closer to him and the bedded deer stood– holy szchit – it’s “stickers”.

I’d been searching all over hell for this buck for a solid week, and I’d now been standing a mere 50 yards from him for the better part of 3 hours. I wasn’t worried about him seeing me through all the brush he was standing in but I was terrified the young buck would notice me as the sunlight now over the trees began illuminating everything – including me.

5 minutes passed as he stood in the same spot he’d risen when he finally, with seemingly a great deal of effort, took a step to the west, soon after another labored step. I assume he’d gotten his butt whooped in the last day or two – just one more step and I’d be easing his pain. He took the step I needed and he fell at the rifle’s report.






6.5 Creedmoor / 130 AB


“Stickers” has some history dating back to just after the first year I’d hunted the ranch. I made a mid-February trip to the ranch to possibly find some sheds and thin the coyote population. In the process, I found this shed and figured him (with reasonable spread and symmetry) for low 150’s 4.5 y/o:




Fast forward to the next rifle season and danged if I didn’t see the buck I’d found the shed from a single day before the season as he followed a doe in the brush. Just a bigger, better version than the previous year’s shed. I really wanted BobinNH to get a crack at that buck but south winds made that a difficult feat. We tried that general area a couple of times with Bob when the winds turned but the buck never showed, and Bob filled his tag on another part of the ranch. Later in the season, I actually found the buck from the other side of the river when a different buck’s appearance surprised me and I ended up with that buck instead. Link here:
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10765452/Re:_Kansas_adventure_-_2015

The buck was nowhere to be found two years ago and I assumed he’d found greener pastures or perhaps didn’t make it for some reason. Last year, I was elated to see him – even with no tag in hand. He’d grown in mass/width and his stickers more pronounced – a true man among boys on the field.

This year, it was obvious the buck had seriously declined – both in spread/mass, loss of muscle - spine protruding. Etc. but there’s no doubt it’s him.

There’s every reason to believe this buck is 8.5 y/o and while his score may be a disappointment to some, to me, he’s one of the coolest deer I’ve ever taken and I’m grateful he’ll share my home for years to come and not enjoyed by coyotes this coming winter.

Another great year and am giddy to learn we’ll be going back next year. As I get a wee longer in the tooth, I’m more and more grateful for the friendships in KS as much as the hunting opportunity afforded. And, further grateful for the best hunting partner a guy could ever ask for – and even at 73 years young, he’s still pulling this off – albeit a bit slower than years gone by.

Scott- we have been looking forward to your hunt details. You have a couple great bucks, great memories, a great place in Kansas and a greater partner in Dad. Thanks for the terrific recap. Bruce

Hell yes buddy....

As good as it gets, an OLD buck....

Wow, great story, thanks for sharing.

Very nice - congrats to you and your Dad!

Been looking forward to this update Scott. Another great memory from Kansas, family, friends, fields, river bottoms, bucks and of course wind. I'm already looking forward to next year too.

Woody

Outstanding story per usual. Kansas whitetail hunting definitely gets in your blood. Congrats to both you and your dad on some fantastic Bucks!

Two great bucks Scott!!

More details on the rifles??

Congrats to the both of you!!

Good stuff there Scotty, a wonderful write up and more memories with the old man, a great investment of time...well done!

Great write up, as usual. Great buck! I am with you, I would take that old warrior every time over a younger one who would score better. Well done.

Nice job Scott. Grand old buck.

Superb....

Fantastic!

Nice work Scott!

Good stuff guys! Fine bucks and a load of venison, it doesn't get any better. What are the chances of sneaking in and setting up 50 yards from your target buck unexpectedly?? Congratulations men!

skane, I gots a question for you.... Did you 'people not gut yer deers right away'.......

asking for srwshooter.....grin

I know I'm suppose to be happy for Scott, but enough is enough, you SUCK!

Awesome work Scott! Congrats again! You guys always get it done down there. I love KS.

That old deer is just perfect. Score doesn't matter to me as much as matching wits with and winning against an old warrior like that!

I've got some pics to send you. I'll do that tomorrow.

Lee