Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Kansas Hunt With Dad / 2020

Broken record here - we once again hunted our favorite place on earth (not far from Wichita).

We arrived four days before the season to try to get a handle on things, maybe hang some sets etc.
Twas quite a contrast to a year ago when lack of rain meant very little in the way of crops. This year, there was seemingly wheat and some picked soybeans everywhere on and around the ranch.

We spent the bulk of mornings/afternoons glassing from vantage points and via GMC while installing any blinds/ladders midday depending on wind directions.

One buck was sighted on our first morning that got us reasonably excited - a mile from the ranch but headed the right way. Numerous bucks were sighted on a river bottom wheat field over the next few days so we'd begun to formulate a game plan for the opener - I'd hunt the ground closest to where saw the good buck the first day and dad would guard the river bottom wheat field.

About an hour in, I had a cool encounter with a young buck that with all that pasture, decided to nearly walk over my boots. I knew he was going to bust me so I figured I'd capture some video:




Dad would see nearly continuous all-day activity (due to an impending storm) and passed on this stud of a 3.5 y/o 8pt a couple of different times.




TBC

Day two:


With so much activity the day before, we decided to double-up in the blind dad sat the day before. It was pretty cool to spend the day with dad and thankfully had one another’s company because there was ZERO movement until late in the afternoon when the snow began to melt. A few deer and smaller bucks were sighted but a pretty quiet day.


Day three:

Just when you think you’ve experienced about any/all zaniness whitetail hunting has to offer.

Being that the storm had passed and weather warmed, we assumed the deer would be getting back to normal and I wanted to get back to where I stood the first morning and dad would come along and guard a draw to the east of me.

I was in position, checking the time on my phone for shooting hours – 7:03 – not quite bright enough to see well but legal shooting time. I was putting my gloves on when I saw a single big-bodied deer walking in the pasture about two hundred yards out and traveling a route that would eventually put him downwind of me. I didn’t have time to look at him in the bino as he got behind some cedar trees so readied the rifle (and reticle illumination LOL), where he’d likely appear. Somewhere behind the cedars, he began angling toward me so when he appeared, he was straight-on to me and immediately knew it was the buck we’d seen the first day. And, he was now directly downwind and on-point – I settled the crosshairs on the brisket and squeezed. He spun and ran over a terrace, pointed due EAST toward dad’s position. I was a wee shocked he didn’t drop on the spot and wondered WTF. I didn’t waste time in waiting, figuring if I’d somehow missed, I could get on top of the pasture and maybe catch him someplace. Zero sign of him anywhere so I hurried back to about where I figured he was standing. The patchwork snow didn’t show any blood or tracks so I did a couple of zig-zags before texting dad that I’d thought I’d somehow blown the shot. His response was “you didn’t miss, he came over the hill and down into the cedars by me but I couldn’t get a crack at him – he was hurting.”

So I told dad I’d make my way to the top of the hill so I could see the draw he was in and then we’d formulate a plan of attack. As I made my way up the hill, I heard dad shoot and figured the buck must have moved – either way, I knew there’d be a dead buck over there. Dad directed me via hand signals to where he’d last seen the buck so I could come in from above him. I immediately spotted the expired buck and made my way to him. Upon arrival, I grabbed the ample headgear and thought “WTF, this isn’t the buck I shot at”.

We took a few photos of dad with his deer and decided to drag the deer down the hill to where we could get the truck close to him. We then went back to try to sort out my rodeo. I’m not god’s gift to shooting but there’s no way I could have blown that shot – especially off of the sticks.

As we made our way across the terrace to where I’d last seen the buck, a coyote busted over the top about 75 yards NORTH of where I’d shot. I got up on the terrace to see antlers sticking up out of the grass and another bastid coyote tying into my deer so I made quick work of him.

I’d hit the deer prezactly where I’d put the crosshairs but instead of running east toward dad (which I’d assumed), when got out of sight on the terrace, he ran north, putting him north of where I stood at the shot. SMH.

He took a 160 gr Accubond (7SAUM) to the chest that shattered his pelvis, yet he made it a full 75 yards while out-of-sight.

Dad’s cool, old buck:








Post-mortem autopsy revealed his buck to have numerous puncture wounds to the ribs and was quite worn down, hence the reason for him to appear to be hobbling. He was wounded alright, just not via bullet.

My buck:







We’d spend the next week filling an ample supply of doe and coyote tags.

Some random beauty from this wonderful playland.













We both continue to pinch ourselves each time our boots hit the ground on this ranch. And we're really quite fortunate to call the ranch owner a friend - they just don't make them like him anymore.

Oh heck ya dude! Killer bucks, both of them....

Great bucks, man, and congrats to you and your dad!

Nice job skane!

as usual awesome bucks by two great guys

Beautiful pictures Scott - thanks for taking us along on another epic adventure. Also congrats on the 2 fine bucks!!

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

spectacular bucks! and sounded like a great hunting trip. Congrats to you and your Dad.

Nice, a couple of heavy hitters there.

Always enjoy these reports and have been waiting to hear about this year’s adventure. Great deer and sounds like a great time. You are a lucky man to have that time with your Dad. Well done Scott.

Looks like a great hunt even without the bucks Scott. The time with your dad is priceless and the two dandy bucks just top it off.

Congrads, fellows a pair of super Bucks! And as usual a great write up and pics.

I always enjoy the reports from these trips. Congratulations on another great year in Kansas.

Great story, awesome bucks! Congrats

Another great hunt. It don’t get any better than two down brownies and getting more time with your dad. Congratulations.

Yep! You've done it again! Congrats!

Congrats...👍👍👍👍