Midwest whitetails - Restart

[IDHunters]

I grew up trapping muskrats near my home. Seems like 30 years ago they were worth $10-$12 apiece, probably way more than they are now. To bad the huggers have influenced it so much.

At least I skinned, fleshed and stretched my hides out.

I remember one day killing 2 coyotes and getting something like $150 bucks for the hides. Big money for a 15 year old. Well worth the stink of skinning them.

Have fun!

 

[Bwana]

Big Fin, the more of your stories I read and hearing your take on things, the more certain I am that we could get along just fine.

The story of the fur buyer brings back memories of trap lines ran back when I was in high school. Sure do miss those experiences.

 

[Big Fin]

Back to the motel after being blown around like a kite all day. Thank God the temps were in the high 20's, because the wind was in the 30+mph all day. Any lower temps, and I might have called it quits.

I am trying to remember the last day I spent deer hunting and did not see one deer. I can't remember when that was. Today was one of those days.

I hunted harder today than any day I have been here and I did not see a deer. Go figure.

Did have a lot of fun looking at new country. Checked out five new WIHA spots today. Did not find much for sign. I did not hunt the area where I had seen the good buck, as the wind was out of the SW, and there is no good way to get in when the wind blows that way. Didn't want to mess up this bedding area, so I let it rest for tomorrow, when the wind is supposed to shift back from the north.

Thought I could find some other good places to hunt in thick brush, thinking the wind would have them tanked up in the jungle brush. There were probably deer all around me, but it was so thick I could only see a short distance and with the wind blowing so hard, I couldn't hear anything.

Oh well. Two days left and the wind is predicted to die down to the 20mph range. I hope so.

Spent too much time in the brush today for any comical interludes with the locals. Would like to close the deal tomorrow, otherwise I am gonna feel a lot of pressure on Sunday. I suspect more hunters tomorrow, as the locals will be able to get away from work/school. Not sure if more pressure will help or hurt.

I am betting that the deer were hiding low today because of the wind and they will put on a show in the morning. Yup, I am convinced that tomorrow morning will be the "witching hour." Let's face it, when conditions are tough, you have to talk yourself into some obscure theory, otherwise you wouldn't find the incentive to get out of bed when the alarm rings each morning.

Pics tomorrow, I promise. Well, I don't promise - how 'bout I changed that to "I think" or "I hope" or "I pray." You get the idea.

Regardless of the number of deer, I am having a blast. I mean think about it, I could be working, do chores for the wife, putting up Christmas decorations, or some other mundane task. All smiles on this end.

Happy hunting.

 

[TLC]

Big Fin, your wife is offering up some of your guns. any suggestions on which ones you want us to leave alone?

hope tomorrow is your day to score. and we want pics. don't need pics of the wind. have plenty here right now.

 

[Big Fin]

Big Fin, your wife is offering up some of your guns. any suggestions on which ones you want us to leave alone?

Damn TLC, I just talked to her ten minutes ago, and I was informed that she was flying to Vegas to meet her sister. And ..... she (really I) would be paying for her sister's trip, also. I asked her what money tree she found that money growing on. Now I know where the funds are coming from, thanks for the tip TLC.

Don't buy that Shilo-Sharps custom .45-70. It is a piece of crap. Same goes for the Spanish side by side 10 guage. That thing weighs too much. Anyone who buys my thirty year old Remington 870 Wingmaster will be a dead man when I catch them.

The most useful parts of the collection are right here beside me in the motel room, hoping one of them is put to use tomorrow.

 

[TLC]

LMFAO!!! remember your original thread and couldn't resist. sorry to hear about your Vegas trip. damn shame you won't be enjoying it. waiting to see some of those kansas WT pics.

 

[Lawnboy]

Ya thanks a lot Randy. Your wife called and says her dead beat hunting hubby is gone and asked if I could hand up the Christmas decor. At least you could of wound up the lights correctly last year! Between your decorations and my wife's, I was really wishing I was on a hunt not seeing deer. Just kidding Good luck tomorrow. Check out that lumber.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Ya thanks a lot Randy. Your wife called and says her dead beat hunting hubby is gone and asked if I could hand up the Christmas decor. At least you could of wound up the lights correctly last year! Between your decorations and my wife's, I was really wishing I was on a hunt not seeing deer. Just kidding Good luck tomorrow. Check out that lumber.

Now that is a hunting partner. I won't put up lights for my wife.

 

[Moosie]

Good talking to you tonight Brotha... Nothing like getting blown around for days and keeping your spirits up !!!!

 

[Spitz]

Sounds like conditions are more than tough. Keep up the spirits, something is bound to fall prey to your skills.

 

[Big Fin]

Day four is in the books. Another windy day, but much warmer temps.

Actually saw a few deer today. Saw 14 deer with 3 being small bucks. I need to shoot another small buck like I need kicked in the rear, so I let them live to see another day (or another hunter).

Thought I would be smart and walk in from a different direction before daylight. Well, that was not a good idea. Not sure what kind of trees these are in Kansas, but they look like something from an "arborists little shop of horrors."

View attachment 7079

Not sure the technical name of these trees, but when you run into a group of them in the dark, you know it. I thought I was just getting hung up on brush, until I ran a couple of them into my thigh and forearm. Here is what my pack looked like when it daylight came. Needless to say, I will not be taking that path again in the morning.

View attachment 7080

This is the area I am hunting.

View attachment 7081

Today was pretty typical for this kind of a public hunting area. Guys walking by every hour or two, acting like they are on a walk in the park. Even in the wind, I can hear them coming for a long ways, and I am almost deaf, so I can only imagine what the deer think. Some of them stop and visit. In fact, one guy from Michigan almost makes it a daily visit to swing by and find out what the report is for the day. I wish he would bring me coffee and doughnuts. Given his physique, I am pretty sure he knows where all the doughnut shops are, and he is a pretty friendly guy, so maybe he would share his doughnut stash with me.

I found this pic of the prior evening.

View attachment 7082

I was feeling colder than I look in the pic. I had climbed up this big pile of pushed up trees to get a better view of the terrain. Well, it was not at all protected from the wind. On the way out I stepped on a limb I thought would hold me. Well, as you can suspect, it did not hold my weight and I did a header down into the depths of that tree pile. Felt lucky I didn't break some body part or equipment. All for the love of deer hunting.

Did see a bunch of turkeys today. They were pretty spooky. Don't think I could have shot one with a rifle, let alone a shotgun.

After passing on two small bucks this morning and thinking more would come, I final secumed to my hunger pangs and decided I would head to "Betty's Twist Top Diner" for a quick breakfast. The joint was filled with hunters.

I picked a both next to some guys who were out from Virginia, hunting with an outfitter. They were really excited. They had both shot "nine pointers" and one weighed 285 pounds, dressed out. It was hard to keep my coffee in my mouth when he told me that.

They asked what luck I had been having. I told them, mostly hard luck. They wanted to know how I could be seeing so few bucks. I told them I was hunting public land and the pressure was pretty high.

They asked why I would travel this far and spend money to hunt here without ensuring I would shoot a "bigg'un." I tried to explain that I thought it was more fun to take the challenge of hunting on public land. They obviously weren't buying what I was selling.

We talked about what tactics they used. They stated the outfitter had set up over 85 stands and knew where the deer were travelling, so it was pretty easy. I told them they must have a darn good outfitter. They agreed and told me the deer were easy to pattern, due to (you guessed it) the bait stations. Gulp!

Wrong words to use with Fin. But, I held my tongue and let them continue with the joyful excitement about what a great hunt they had. I truly believe this was a hunt of their dreams, and I was not about to dampen their excitement with a discussion about baiting.

The discussion did make it very clear to me that I am probably in the minority with my strong opinions of baiting being damaging to the long-term future of hunting. I realized that some people are accustomed to the idea of baiting, grew up around baiting, and think nothing bad of it. These were two very nice guys and I could have talked hunting with them for a long time. Amazing how our traditional/family/local hunting methods form our opinions about acceptable hunting practices.

Sorry to digress.

I spent the entire afternoon waiting for Mr. Big to emerge from the brush and come to the winter wheat field. All that showed up were five does and one small forkie buck. I had them at less than fifty yards, but had not interest in any of them. But, they are always a lot of fun to watch.

I think after the rut, some of these big whitetail bucks become a strictly nocturnal animal. A huge set of tracks is on the sand and mud every morning. I am there before daylight and until dark every day, but other than a short glimpse of him the first evening, I have not seen him. I almost wish someone would hunt the private ground he is bedding on. It may force him from his protective lair. I suspect if he was pushed out of his bed, he would run at mach II speed, all the way to Nebraska, and I would not get a shot at him anyhow.

Tomorrow is my last full day. I have some business issues to take care of Monday morning, but if I can wrap those up by noon, I plan to hunt Monday afternoon, then head to Iowa on Tuesday. I have juggled by business schedule in Iowa to allow me short scouting forrays each morning and late afternoon next week, then five days of hunting starting on Saturday the 13th. Good thing my clients understand my hunting priorities.

So, I am hitting the sack early tonight, hoping tomorrow brings a change of luck. I am putting all my eggs in one basket and going back to the same spot for the entire day. There is an old saying that stupidity is doing the same thing everyday, yet expecting a different result. Call me stupid.


P.S.

Do any of you guys know what the hell these greenish yellow softball-like things are that fall from these trees around here? Probably a dumb question, but I have never seen anything like them.

View attachment 7083

 

[TLC]

not sure what the technical name is, but those are what we call hedge apples around here. not good for much, but they say they keep spiders out of the house? and with as much hunting as you do, why would you step on a bunch of downed trees? they probably got that way from a tornado. another midwestern thing. give 'em hell tomorrow. hope that biggun shows up.

 

[TLC]

and watch yourself around those trees. not sure what they're called, but I call them devil trees. been stuck plenty, and seems like I swell a bit if they break the skin.

 

[Spitz]

Thanks for the report and some pictures. Hopefully tomorrow turns up something decent for you. Good Luck!

 

[GatoMan]

The tree is a honeylocust........

 

[mtmiller]

Good luck in the morning, and have a safe trip to IA. Keep us in the loop.

 

[Dinkshooter]

The trees that make the green things are Osage Orange. The wood is used alot for selfbows.

http://www.gpnc.org/osage.htm

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Yep, That is a dodark or Osage Orange, as the "Horse Apple" ade and break down I have found them to attract Squirrels and Quail. Good luck in the land of OZ! John

 

[Big Fin]

Day five has come and gone. Still have my tag in my pocket. I have to run to Lincoln, NE for business tomorrow, then will try to get back for the afternoon hunt, if possible. Not giving up yet.

Today was actually pretty warm, even with the winds blowing. Stayed out most of the day, thinking all the weekend hunting pressure would bring some bucks in. There was a lot of pressure, but I only ended up seeing one deer today.

I have concluded that the sanctuary to my south is harboring most of the deer, and without any hunting pressure, they have no reason to leave. Every night while driving out, I see good numbers of deer in those fields. Oh well.

Did talk to four guys this evening who had some marvelous bucks. The smallest was probably 140'ish, with two in the 150's, and the biggest being a good bit over 160. I talked to them for about ten minutes.

They are residents, who had tired of losing all their hunting places, so they pooled together and leased some property. It must be some damn good property, to produce four bucks like that. They stated this was the best year they had ever seen. Very good guys who gave me some ideas of other places to look - walk in places they had hunted in the past. They told of shooting some good bucks on public before Kansas started cranking up tag numbers. I should have taken pics of the stack of antlers in the back of their truck.

I almost wish I hadn't seen the nice buck the first night. Seeing that buck is the main reason I spent most of my time in the same general area, hoping he would reappear. I gambled on that spot, and it is a gamble I look to have lost.

If I can fit in tomorrow afternoon, I am going to try a different spot where I saw a few deer scouting and think it would be overlooked by most the other public hunters. I hope so.

It is entirely possible that I leave Kansas on Tuesday morning with a tag still in my pocket. Hell, more than possible, I would say very likely. But, so long as I have a few more hours, I still have a chance.

In spite of that, I have really enjoyed meeting some of the locals. Kansas has some hardcore whitetail nuts, who would make a lot of the television whitetails shooters look like pikers. They are friendly folks who are pretty open to sharing, once they learn you are here to hunt public land. The guys who are really successful are almost all archers. If I come back to Kansas; check that, WHEN I come back to Kansas, it will be during a November archery hunt in the rut.

Hoping to wrap up my business early tomorrow so I can get in an afternoon hunt. If not, my next report will be when I get to Iowa on Tuesday.

Happy Hunting!

 

[Spitz]

Sorry you had no luck today. I had my fingers crossed and will continue to keep them that way while you're on your Midwest hunting tour. Thanks for the update.