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Kansas Traditional Hunt

5K views 40 replies 11 participants last post by  8uptradhunter 
#1 · (Edited)
I thought I might try to give an update from today forward for the balance of my hunt. I've been here a week tomorrow and it's been incredibly hot and muggy. This morning is a welcome relief with temps in the mid 30's and a stiff northwest wind. The rut should be at its peak but I've yet to see any chasing. I'm settled in for the day from a ground blind in a spot that has thousands of tracks (really) and I'm ready for the weather to start some movement. Late yesterday; the temp went from 75 to 55 in one gust and I had a nice 8 point come by 10 minutes later. Will try to keep you posted just to kill some time
 

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#6 · (Edited)
This morning is in the mid 20’s and is very much like a mid January hunt back home. The frost is heavy; taking several minutes for the windshield to defrost this morning. It’s 7:49 and I’ve already seen a buck chasing a doe on a distant hillside.

Yesterday was one of those great hunts that you remember. I was sitting on the ground in a chair due to no climbable trees. Sitting all day I saw 9 bucks; four of which passed within 12 yards of my stick blind....never seeing me. These were singular bucks spread out over the morning. The bad thing was dispite all these bucks; they all were small. One was a 14” wide 8 point but I didn’t come all this way to shoot the one buck I was allowed this size. This despite the fact that I’m usually a proud unabashed member of the “ pop em young club” 😁

My buddy had a shot at a huge buck about 2pm yesterday but as often happens in bowhunting ( especially traditional bowhunting) it just didn’t work out. We have a long time to hunt and it’s the peak of the rut in the land of the giants... so maybe it will happen again. That buck I saw might be working closer. Got to go until tomorrow!
 

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#7 ·
Today is an odd day; winds starting in the south and switching to a 20 to 30 mile an hour northwest wind by mid morning. It plays havoc with both stand selection and clothing for the colder weather the NW winds will bring. I’m leaving for the stick blind where I saw all the bucks Tuesday making sure the wind has changed before I get there.
Yesterday started good with the buck I’m now calling “Fred” following a doe. I have a stand called “the hole” that Is the center of Freds universe. I’ve made four trips there and Fred always shows up. Fred’s a tall tined 8 point with a narrow spread and small mass. He the best buck that I see though not a shooter. He also not very bright as he still has never noticed my presence despite being with 20 yards several times. He should be a good buck next year.

Yesterday other than Fred, I saw three doe deer. One bedded in the grass 10 yards behind me for 35 minutes late yesterday afternoon and never knew I was there despite a wind that should given here away. She sneezed about 10 before dark; got up and fed away. I’m not saying Midwest deer are dumb; but there not issued combat helmets at birth like Mississippi deer are. They are much more laid back of sorts.

My buddy sit daylight to dark yesterday and didn’t see a deer so that was odd for sure. He going to a different stand location this morning.

I’m committed for the day at the stick blind....maybe better luck! Got to get going. Later!
 

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#9 · (Edited)
Today might hold some surprises as I’m moving into an area that others have been seeing multiple mature deer.

I could use some luck. The stick bow blind was a big bust yesterday. After seeing 9 bucks there Tuesday; I saw one deer at the blind as I walked in...then nothing the rest of the day! That was a long sit....

I did see three walking out; but those don’t really count do they? It’s hard to imagine how fast things change.

On a positive note, this area is full of turkey and quail. Turkeys are seen often and I have heard a gobble or two. The quail here are like MS 50 years ago. On Wednesday I scouted a good bit and jumped three coveys. That’s crazy! I hear quail whistles almost throughout the day regardless of where I’m at.

Hopefully, today will bring a change if luck. Later!
 
#12 ·
Yesterday was much like the others. Saw one doe from the treestand. My buddy missed another nice 8 point. Hopefully it will get better for him as he has had a great trip; just the pieces aren’t falling in place.

Public land hunting is something I don’t do a great amount of. I was reminded of my preconceptions of this type of hunting when I climbed up my afternoon stand only to have another hunter in a tree about 125 yards away! I guess it happens a lot; but I’m not used to it.

A daily update can go stale quickly when there isn’t much going on; but I’m committed to the end. Looks like we will be leaving Sunday the 22nd. Still lots of time! Later.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Went to a nearby military bombing range yesterday morning and saw a small four point come by my stand right after daylight. This place has a very restricted access and has some large bucks; though most of it is devoid of trees and it’s mostly grassland. I have to go as a guest as I’m not qualified to access in my own privilege.

Yesterday afternoon called for a huge change going into the last week of the hunt. Stand locations were pulled and we went to a new area about 10 miles further away. We talked to some other hunters who were leaving and they had killed a couple of good bucks there. I’ve never hung stands in 50 mile an hour winds; to say the least....it was an experience. Regardless, without too much loss of blood it was done.

Today is an all dayer. Update tomorrow!
 
#16 · (Edited)
It's about 2:50 in the afternoon into the all day sit. This stand location will get called the coyote den as that's all I've seen so far today....save some quail hunters that ran the dogs through my area. Oddly, within an hour of their passing, quail were pecking within sight of my stand. The dogs likely need more training


Funny story about the bombing range I went to this week. About 10:30 one morning I saw a big helicopter no more than a couple of hundred feet off the ground barreling straight at me. I was in a lone Osage tree in a pretty barren grass field. It did occur to me that it was quite an imposing piece of equipment and what America's enemies most think when it is approaching fast with guns and rockets blazing! The other thing that occurred to me is I could see the wind wash whipping the grass and would I be blown out if the tree!

The copter kept coming until he was almost on me...then went up and to the left...I assume not to blow me out if the stand. The copter did some land and takeoffs on the far hill behind me...then headed my way from a different direction. Just as happened earlier, the copter flaired less than a 100 yards from me. All I could figure was he was just wanting to screw with me...or maybe I was too close to his hunting spot😀
 
#17 ·
All I could figure was he was just wanting to screw with me...or maybe I was too close to his hunting spot😀
When I was stationed in Columbus, Ga I was hunting from a climber one morning. I had my orange on. I was hearing Blackhawk helicopters in the distance for awhile and one flew over top of me and just hovered for about 2 minutes. I'm like you...don't know if he was just messing with me or I was in his favorite spot and he wanted to ruin my day. It didn't work as about 20 minutes after he left I killed a buck..lol.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Well yesterday finished out the way it had begun...nothing. I think yesterday was the worst since I’ve gotten here as I didn’t see a deer all day....in any manner.

In the parking area that morning I was getting out of the truck when a fellow pulled up beside me and complimented me on my recurve. He then got out and pulled his longbow out of the truck. It’s not often that you run into another traditional bowhunter in the field.

Given the wind is wrong today for my new stand location; I’m going back to the stick blind. Maybe today will be better. While I still hold hope; I feel the peak of the rut may be past so I’m going to need some better luck than I’ve been having. Later!
 
#21 · (Edited)
Hey I appreciate the encouraging words! Looks like we are leaving now on Saturday so that likely means we spend most of Friday pulling stands. In reality just three more full days of hunting ....counting today!

Yesterday I went to the stick blind that morning and came really close to releasing an arrow. I had watched another covey of quail and a rooster pheasant come around my blind (not at the same time) so I was enjoying the morning hunt. About 8:30 I heard something right behind me going through the weeds. It passed me without being seen due to the super thick grass and brush.

Just a few minutes later, I saw a tall tined buck with good mass coming from my right on the beach. I was just about to get ready to shoot when I noticed his spread was extremely tight...maybe only 13 inches which gave him
A very odd look. I never pulled back and he stopped in my shooting lane at 14 yards. As he hit my wind and retreated I instantly had second thoughts as he would have been my second best buck...but he would have been a 35 minute fast walk from the truck....and still not what I really wanted.

I went to another location yesterday afternoon due to a wind change and saw three doe and another covey of quail. (Did I say this place has quail!!)

Back to the stand near a corn field that I hunted Sunday and saw everything but a deer. It’s an all dayer in a 30 mile an hour wind. Update tomorrow!
 
#23 · (Edited)
Hanging on to my tree in a wind gale.........

So far I have seen two separate doe deer very early this morning. I did see the mature buck I was looking for.....in the parking lot of the walk in access point. A real nice buck that I would tag anytime; anywhere.

One of the great things for me personally about the daily updates is I can go back and read and re-live the events in the future. In that regard kind of like a photo album... without the pictures.

One of the things that I’ve mentioned quite a few times is how much the wind blows here. It cuts through you like a knife; cracks your face and lips until you bleed. It’s uncomfortable; if not in fact borderline brutal.

The wind here on a calm day is 10 to 20. A “breezy” day to the locals is 20 to 30 mph. One out of about every four days is 30 to 40 mph and on those days you have 50+ mph gust. That makes hanging in the stand hard; and a pee bottle completely useless if you get what I mean.

Today’s wind is of the 30 mph variety. I’m next to a dead snag that I uncomfortably keep an eye on. I’m not sure why as if it falls in my direction ...the daily updates will surely come to an abrupt end😀

However, Saturday evening and night was the 50mph stuff. I set my stand and never stepped foot in it as I didn’t trust the step transfer off the ladder to the platform. That night my Kodiak canvas tent was in for all it could stand. At the height of the wind storm I would spread my arms across the inside of the tent to push back against the wind. The wind was kicking the tent so hard that it launched everything out of the overhead gear rack into to floor of the tent. At 9pm everything passed and I no longer felt like the Dutch boy plugging the leaking dike with his fingers.

Just FYI in regard to the winds..... barns here are not roofed with tin like back home. I’m told that that construction method is no longer recommended😀


I guess the last thing I want to know is how come the MRE add water heating bags made for civilians take 10 minutes to start to heat, only to eventually heat the bottom of your food lukewarm while the top stays cold?I knead the bag as the directions say and get a product that is somewhere between room temperature ....and lukewarm. I miggt as well save the trouble and eat them cold. Regardless I’m one hour from crawling down from the tree; ripping a MRE bag open and repeating the same daily process. Insanity, they say, is doing the same thing over and over...and expecting a different result.....hmmmm

That’s probably it for today unless I have a “grip and grin” photo. Later!
 
#26 · (Edited)
The MRE heating bag worked no better than the others (see yesterday’s post) I believe that you probably need a deluxe military decoder ring or a fraternal secret hand shake to activate them....,,

Yesterday afternoon kicked off pretty good about 5:15. I first saw a frantic doe; then followed by a pretty decent 8 point. They were slightly out of bow range, but were fun to watch.

Closer to the end of my shooting time, I heard a rustle and the unmistakable sounds of deer footsteps headed in my direction. I saw the buck deer feeding toward my tree; just catching a glint of antler as he moved through the under brush. I was putting tension on the bow string. He stepped out no more than 20 yards away. Then I got a great look....way too small... just a 5 point. Not a shooter. Oh well it did provide a moment of excitement after sitting in the tree all day!

Today I’m going to hunt that stand again this morning then pull it out at lunch. I’m going to use my Walthrop seat the balance of the hunt. Looks like my last hunt on Friday morning will be back at the stick blind on the beach. The wind will be out of the northeast for the first time allowing deer to approach me from both sides; effectively doubling my odds.

Later!
 
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