Kansas 2023 - 12/08/23
Well, after my son and good friend drawing a tag (I did not, I got mine last year) I hosted the two of them on family property. Just returned home yesterday after nine days on the road and hunting. I rented a van as I get a pretty good deal as a state employee (FSU) and headed to Atlanta to pick up Bill and then meet my middle son (28) at the airport in Kansas City. My father in law and son in law joined us but they both live in KS so they met us there. In total, we put right at 3,000 miles on the minivan and I have to tell you, I'm not sure if a more comfortable road trip car has every been invented not to forget the 32 mpg the hybrid delivered.
To the hunt, it was generally slow, a few little bucks and very few does. I hunted with my son so at least I could have a bit of fun since I hosted the whole affair and missed seven days of work and droved for four days. Sunday morning early we saw a spike and older, mature six point that I'd call a cull with a doe. We are hunting a cut corn field facing timber, our blind is three big, round hay bales in the cut corn. After watching the buck and doe, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and immediately said "giant", get ready! The buck is cruising the field edge and moves into the timber, right on the edge. He's in and out of sight but what looks like a clear shot thought the binos I tell my son to shoot when ready, he does (my suppressed 308). The buck looks around and walks off and out of site. I don't know what happened so we give it some time and look for blood and nothing, no sign of a hit and I didn't see any reaction through the binos either. He is an accomplished hunter, mainly ducks and turkey, but has killed deer and can shoot. We practice at the range the week before with that rifle from various shooting positions and he did well.
As you can imagine, he was quite dejected after months of planning after the successful draw. The shot was 125 yards, through timber but there were open pockets that looked very good to me. Who know???
Well, he decides to stay put all day, I came back with food at 2:00 PM, switched out his rifle with Bill's and we went and shot the 308 to make sure it was not off from travel, it was not, dead-on as sighted in. I joined him again and we waited out the evening, me watching has he catches up on a much needed nap in the blind.
About 30-40 minutes before sunset, a 3 point comes out from out left, he's watching us but can't quite figure what we are, he feeds, keeping an eye on us. I see antlers in the timber ahead and alert Briggs (my son), he's sees them too and slowing gets his rifle in shooting position on the bale while keeping an eye on our decoy, the 3 pt. The "antlers" move behind a big cedar tree and we loose sight of it. I see a tail flicker and he I he's still there. I'm locked in the binos, just waiting for movement, I see him on the right side now and hoping our decoy buck will give him the confidence to enter the field. After what seems like an eternity, the buck takes a few steps forward and holds on the field edge, Briggs is ready and hits him head on while I'm watching the hit through the binos. The deer lunges forward then hard left, goe's about 20 yards and piles up, a wiggle or two and it's over. The 165 Hornday Spire Point entered the chest, passed through the heart and we found it in the hind quarter.
To say we were both elated after our morning misery is a gross understatement! As a parent, I could not have been happier for him, I took great pleasure being part of his hunt, much more so than had I been the trigger man.
Bill was holding out for something really great, he saw a few bucks and a really nice 8 but went home with his tag. The size of these deer is impressive, loading it on the Polaris took all the three of us had. We haven't scored the deer, thinking maybe 140, picked mine up from the taxidermist from last year and dropped his off, he'll score and let us know.
![[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq70/923/K6msNw.jpg)
![[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq70/923/vW2Q2C.jpg)
![[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq70/923/Whab39.jpg)
![[Linked Image from imagizer.imageshack.com]](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq70/924/mWIumY.jpg)
To the hunt, it was generally slow, a few little bucks and very few does. I hunted with my son so at least I could have a bit of fun since I hosted the whole affair and missed seven days of work and droved for four days. Sunday morning early we saw a spike and older, mature six point that I'd call a cull with a doe. We are hunting a cut corn field facing timber, our blind is three big, round hay bales in the cut corn. After watching the buck and doe, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and immediately said "giant", get ready! The buck is cruising the field edge and moves into the timber, right on the edge. He's in and out of sight but what looks like a clear shot thought the binos I tell my son to shoot when ready, he does (my suppressed 308). The buck looks around and walks off and out of site. I don't know what happened so we give it some time and look for blood and nothing, no sign of a hit and I didn't see any reaction through the binos either. He is an accomplished hunter, mainly ducks and turkey, but has killed deer and can shoot. We practice at the range the week before with that rifle from various shooting positions and he did well.
As you can imagine, he was quite dejected after months of planning after the successful draw. The shot was 125 yards, through timber but there were open pockets that looked very good to me. Who know???
Well, he decides to stay put all day, I came back with food at 2:00 PM, switched out his rifle with Bill's and we went and shot the 308 to make sure it was not off from travel, it was not, dead-on as sighted in. I joined him again and we waited out the evening, me watching has he catches up on a much needed nap in the blind.
About 30-40 minutes before sunset, a 3 point comes out from out left, he's watching us but can't quite figure what we are, he feeds, keeping an eye on us. I see antlers in the timber ahead and alert Briggs (my son), he's sees them too and slowing gets his rifle in shooting position on the bale while keeping an eye on our decoy, the 3 pt. The "antlers" move behind a big cedar tree and we loose sight of it. I see a tail flicker and he I he's still there. I'm locked in the binos, just waiting for movement, I see him on the right side now and hoping our decoy buck will give him the confidence to enter the field. After what seems like an eternity, the buck takes a few steps forward and holds on the field edge, Briggs is ready and hits him head on while I'm watching the hit through the binos. The deer lunges forward then hard left, goe's about 20 yards and piles up, a wiggle or two and it's over. The 165 Hornday Spire Point entered the chest, passed through the heart and we found it in the hind quarter.
To say we were both elated after our morning misery is a gross understatement! As a parent, I could not have been happier for him, I took great pleasure being part of his hunt, much more so than had I been the trigger man.
Bill was holding out for something really great, he saw a few bucks and a really nice 8 but went home with his tag. The size of these deer is impressive, loading it on the Polaris took all the three of us had. We haven't scored the deer, thinking maybe 140, picked mine up from the taxidermist from last year and dropped his off, he'll score and let us know.