Kansas Update

[Todd_ID]

I just wanted to give an update for the most anticipated trip of my lifetime! 

I've been hunting private land in North Central Kansas for two days now.  The first day we arrived at about noon and took most of the day setting a couple stands and getting ready to hunt.  I was finally into a treestand at 3:00.  By the way, it was the first treestand I had ever sat in.....I'm liking that way of hunting.  That evening I saw two does that I could have shot, three does I had no shot on and 3 bucks with no shots.  One of those was a "shooter" at probably 160".  The next morning I was in the same stand with a good wind.  I immediately saw a nice 125-135" 4 point that I got about 90 seconds of video on that came right under my stand.  I saw 2 does in the AM, but the capstone of the entire trip was seeing a STUD 5x5 that was 26" wide and 14-16" tall with heavy mass!  He was about 125 yards away and acting like this was his area.  My guess is that there are only a few thousand hunters that will ever see a buck that big in their lifetime, so my trip has been a major success!  I'd guess that he was a 190-205" typical buck.

The second day...tonight...I saw probably 10 does that I could have shot.  I had 2 bucks in easy shot range for 5 minutes that were about 16" wide 5x5's.  I heard my first snort-wheeze tonight when a 150" buck came up the draw and chased them off.  One of the little guys walked off and kicked up a doe; all 3 bucks chased the doe at full tilt through a 320 acre wheat field that I got to watch!  Talk about fun!

I haven't shot yet, but I hasn't been the deer's fault. I'm hoping for a good buck because I didn't come 2000 miles for a buck that I could have shot in my backyard!

I'll keep you guys updated for the next few days to let you know how it goes.

[bow4elk]

Wow - can't wait to see your buck!  I hunted Kansas once and can't wait to go back.  I was down near Arkansas City and we saw some nice deer but tagged average bucks.

[Jackjr]

WOW sound like a great time Todd.  Go get a good one.   

[Wacenturion]

I'm envious....sounds like a great time.  Always is I guess if one is hunting whitetails.  Sure hope you get a chance at that big guy....wishing you luck!

[DeerHarvester]

Are you hunting public or private land and with or without a guide?  Sounds like a lot of fun so far, good luck. 

[ribka]

Bow Hunted Kansas in the 1980's before it became popular. I saw huge deer there. Still have dreams of a double drop tine buck ( probably 180's class) that was hanging around my stand in the brush for over 30 minutes. Never able to get the shot as he would never come out for a shot. Shot a few nice bucks though.

Spent many years in tree stands for whitetails ( over 20 years). Only advice is really take note of your scent control if you already do not do this. Wash 2 times a day unscented soap, wear rubber boots to the stand. Take off hunting clothes when not hunting, Keep hunting clothes outside or in a container with local vegetation. ( I think scent lock clothing is just a marketing gimmick) If an animal is walking towards you wait until he passes a bit before raising bow attempting to shoot. Don't look animals in the eyes if it spots you. Do not attempt a shot if deer is looking towards you. Be patient. Make sure stands are high enough.  I usually hunted at least 20ft in tree. Helped scent and sight control. Don't hunt same stand more than one day in a row. Move stands around a lot. Try making mock scrapes by stand if you cannot get bucks in close. If the big bucks are not coming close to your stand areas don't be afraid to change tactics. Spend entire day in stands. Shot biggest bucks in the middle of the afternoon. I usually brought a paperback book to read during the day so would not be so boring. Tough spending 8-9 hrs a day sitting in a tree. Be very careful climbing into and out of stand. Always, always wear a harness even climbing up and down tree to stand

Just a few tips if you already did not know

Have fun. Nothing like bowhunting whitetails in the rut

[Todd_ID]

Bow Hunted Kansas in the 1980's before it became popular. I saw huge deer there. Still have dreams of a double drop tine buck ( probably 180's class) that was hanging around my stand in the brush for over 30 minutes. Never able to get the shot as he would never come out for a shot. Shot a few nice bucks though.

Spent many years in tree stands for whitetails ( over 20 years). Only advice is really take note of your scent control if you already do not do this. Wash 2 times a day unscented soap, wear rubber boots to the stand. Take off hunting clothes when not hunting, Keep hunting clothes outside or in a container with local vegetation. ( I think scent lock clothing is just a marketing gimmick) If an animal is walking towards you wait until he passes a bit before raising bow attempting to shoot. Don't look animals in the eyes if it spots you. Do not attempt a shot if deer is looking towards you. Be patient. Make sure stands are high enough.  I usually hunted at least 20ft in tree. Helped scent and sight control. Don't hunt same stand more than one day in a row. Move stands around a lot. Try making mock scrapes by stand if you cannot get bucks in close. If the big bucks are not coming close to your stand areas don't be afraid to change tactics. Spend entire day in stands. Shot biggest bucks in the middle of the afternoon. I usually brought a paperback book to read during the day so would not be so boring. Tough spending 8-9 hrs a day sitting in a tree. Be very careful climbing into and out of stand. Always, always wear a harness even climbing up and down tree to stand

Just a few tips if you already did not know

Have fun. Nothing like bowhunting whitetails in the rut

Wow! It's impossible to say there is any bad advice there!  The guys I'm hunting with spew the same words, so I've been following that advice.

Tonight, I saw only two deer, but the weather is 15 degrees above normal.  One was a dink 4x4 and the other was a stud 4x4 at problably 150".  He was huge for mass and heigth but not more than 18" wide.  I would have shot him, but he was too quick.  I ranged him at 60 yards, but he was at 70 by the time I was ready to shoot.  He'll be back again soon!

Tomorrow is another day with another wind that will force me to hunt another stand that we haven't hunted because the wind is wrong.

This hunt that I am on, just so you know, is on private ground that my buddy who elk hunts with me went to college at Kansas State with the farmer's daughter, so that is how we got permission.  They've got 5000 acres spread around the county, so it is hard to keep up with their boundaries.  Google Eartrh is a life-saver here!  The guys I'm hunting with are astounded with what I can tell them about the land they've hunted for 10 years.

[Turkeyman]

Good luck pray for colder weather the bucks will move. I hunted south east Kansas in 2007 great hunt. If the bucks arnt coming close to your tree try a good ground blind. I killed my buck out of a double bull at 20 yrds. There were few tree's around where the bucks were moving. Hunt all day and don't let your guard down. Try grunt calls also. Have a great hunt.

[ribka]

Hope did not come off as a "know it all" Just wanted to help you shorten your learning curve. I moved out west 5 years ago and am still learning on how to hunt your blacktails and mule deer. Got a lot of good advice here on hunting washington

Tactics above seemed to work for me. Have fun and you should start seeing the rut or at least pre-rut kick into action. Those bigger bucks ( above 140) should should be more visible during the day instead of being nocturnal. Find the does now and you will find the bucks nearby.
 Are you seeing lots of turkeys too? When I hunted KS I always seemed to have turkeys roost in my tree. First time scared the crap out of me.

Good luck and have fun!!! 

[jackelope]

good luck Todd and stick with it. You know what you want so go for it. you put the time in.

[Machias]

Bow Hunted Kansas in the 1980's before it became popular. I saw huge deer there. Still have dreams of a double drop tine buck ( probably 180's class) that was hanging around my stand in the brush for over 30 minutes. Never able to get the shot as he would never come out for a shot. Shot a few nice bucks though.

Spent many years in tree stands for whitetails ( over 20 years). Only advice is really take note of your scent control if you already do not do this. Wash 2 times a day unscented soap, wear rubber boots to the stand. Take off hunting clothes when not hunting, Keep hunting clothes outside or in a container with local vegetation. ( I think scent lock clothing is just a marketing gimmick) If an animal is walking towards you wait until he passes a bit before raising bow attempting to shoot. Don't look animals in the eyes if it spots you. Do not attempt a shot if deer is looking towards you. Be patient. Make sure stands are high enough.  I usually hunted at least 20ft in tree. Helped scent and sight control. Don't hunt same stand more than one day in a row. Move stands around a lot. Try making mock scrapes by stand if you cannot get bucks in close. If the big bucks are not coming close to your stand areas don't be afraid to change tactics. Spend entire day in stands. Shot biggest bucks in the middle of the afternoon. I usually brought a paperback book to read during the day so would not be so boring. Tough spending 8-9 hrs a day sitting in a tree. Be very careful climbing into and out of stand. Always, always wear a harness even climbing up and down tree to stand

Just a few tips if you already did not know

Have fun. Nothing like bowhunting whitetails in the rut

Great advice.  I used to be fanatical about my scent control.  Washed my clothes in baking soda, right into an unscented bag, never wore my hunting boots until I was at my hunting area.  Been many a frigid morning changing clothes.  And it worked, lots of time I had deer standing under my stand with no clue I was there, which is just way to cool, even with does.  I love being close enough to see their eyelashes and they have no clue your right above them looking at them.  Must be how cougars feel sometimes. 

Good luck Todd and keep us updated, I love the live hunt updates!!!  Photos my man, PHOTOS!! 

[colockumelk]

Just curious Todd how close to Ft. Riley, Kansas you are.  That base will be in my top three choices to get stationed at.  So I would love to get stationed there.  I've heard there's good hunting on base but  . 

[Todd_ID]

Probably 100 miles from Fort Riley.

Turkeys basically everywhere.  I had 17 toms walk out into a field 40 yards from my stand yesterday; season is open, but I don't have a turkey tag.  Well over 100 hens in a flock making the most conundrum of noise that any of us have heard about 1/2 mile from the stand, too.

One of the guys of our group shot a 157" typical last night.  Flippin' rookies!  He's hunted with a bow for exactly one day and shoots a stud buck at 15 yards.  It was about the 3rd shot he's taken with a bow; the first two hit a target somewhere close, so that was good enough.  Don't worry, though, I won't invite him on a bowhunt anytime soon.  The kicker is that it was a 33" draw length bow, and he only needs a 31" draw!!!!  Nope, I didn't invite him.

Today was a bust again.  The temp was 65 with a hard wind.  I have stands for whatever the wind is doing, but the temp keeping the deer movement low is the problem.  I videoed a one-horned spike trying to figure out what to do with a couple does today, but I didn't see a buck I fell in love with.

Tomorrow is supposed to be 10 degrees cooler, so the deer will be moving again!  Wish me luck!!!!!

[carpsniperg2]

we want pics

[EastWaViking]

good luck!!!!