OT: Any bow hunters here?

[LandofOzDevil]

Got one with the bow Nov. 1. 15" 8pt. Nothing special. Glad I did though as we have been flooded for most of the fall. And now all the still-water is going to freeze.

Where I hunt in far NW Kansas there was record rainfall and it pushed a large amount of wildlife out of the area. Most Mule deer. But there’s no doubt rainfall affected where I hunt every year. It’s still flooded and I didn’t even attempt to hang a stand there. I actually hunted WIHA (public) this year which is always a coin flip.

These outside variables make hunting interesting to say the least.

And nothing wrong with taking an 8pt buck. I’ve shot several and their body mass does not make sense for their rack size. But KS deer eat fantastic all year so they are always fat pigs.

 

[jwardelt]

Where I hunt in far NW Kansas there was record rainfall and it pushed a large amount of wildlife out of the area. Most Mule deer. But there’s no doubt rainfall affected where I hunt every year. It’s still flooded and I didn’t even attempt to hang a stand there. I actually hunted WIHA (public) this year which is always a coin flip.

These outside variables make hunting interesting to say the least.

And nothing wrong with taking an 8pt buck. I’ve shot several and their body mass does not make sense for their rack size. But KS deer eat fantastic all year so they are always fat pigs.

I've got 5 on camera that are bigger but just wasn't seeing them on stand or on camera anymore. We flooded big time in mid-October and the deer left for awhile. Duck hunting was good though. Was only seeing yearlings for a while and also have limited time to hunt. It was actually the widest one I've ever shot. We are brown is down territory so I've never shot anything big like Kansas/Iowa produces. WI produces some great ones too but not in our area. My biggest is a 120" 10 I shot in 2014. I've got an 8 on camera this year that might beat that. Haven't seen it on camera since August though. The one I shot was always with it in August. So maybe the 8 will reappear at some point. It's actually a mainframe 8 with a sticker off the G2.

 

[LandofOzDevil]

I've got 5 on camera that are bigger but just wasn't seeing them on stand or on camera anymore. We flooded big time in mid-October and the deer left for awhile. Duck hunting was good though. Was only seeing yearlings for a while and also have limited time to hunt. It was actually the widest one I've ever shot. We are brown is down territory so I've never shot anything big like Kansas/Iowa produces. WI produces some great ones too but not in our area. My biggest is a 120" 10 I shot in 2014. I've got an 8 on camera this year that might beat that. Haven't seen it on camera since August though. The one I shot was always with it in August. So maybe the 8 will reappear at some point. It's actually a mainframe 8 with a sticker off the G2.

KS, IA both produce monster whitetail deer. One thing for sure though in KS is outfitters have been coming in paying egregious amounts of money to landholders to lease primetime hunting areas. In return they have Hoyt, Matthews etc come in and put them in a stand for a couple hours and drop 14/16 point monsters.

It wasn’t long ago that KS didn’t even sell deer tag to out of state residents. Those were the days. Unfortunately money talks and the state realized how much money they were missing out on.

It’s all part of it and there have been several years I don’t tag anything. I’m just happy to get a week off every year to get out and hunt.

 

[coryfly]

Do they have any timbers? Food plots?

Yeah, you are asking the wrong guy. I could ask my 13-year-old and he would know, haha.

 

[I am stupid]

Love guns and shooting. I just never got into hunting. I guess when you see deer outside your window daily, turkeys occasionally on your back porch, rabbits and squirrels everywhere it just doesn't make it seem as exciting.

I remember my brothers first time hunting deer. He was gone for about 30 minutes when he called needing help after killing a 8 pointer. Kinda takes the fun out of it being so easy.

If I did get into it, I would probably go the bow route. Obviously more challenging so it would make it more interesting.

 

[Steelers2012]

Love guns and shooting. I just never got into hunting. I guess when you see deer outside your window daily, turkeys occasionally on your back porch, rabbits and squirrels everywhere it just doesn't make it seem as exciting.

I remember my brothers first time hunting deer. He was gone for about 30 minutes when he called needing help after killing a 8 pointer. Kinda takes the fun out of it being so easy.

If I did get into it, I would probably go the bow route. Obviously more challenging so it would make it more interesting.

I hear that reasoning a lot (doesn't seem sporting; it's too easy). In most cases, it's not nearly as easy at it seems to non-hunters, at least not when it comes to taking what many hunters desire, a sizeable buck. Those deer that are so plentiful and visible throughout most of the year are actually pretty smart (despite having a fatal tendency to freeze in car headlights. LoL!). They notice the sudden intrusion into their homes (the woods) as soon as hunters start visiting the woods in preparation for the upcoming season (scouting and putting out stands etc.), and become much more scarce, moving mostly at night. And once the shots start ringing out on opening weekend, they become mostly nocturnal. I've often heard 75% of all deer taken during the full hunting season (which begins with bow season in early September in Kentucky and ends with bow season in mid January) are killed on the opening weekend (2 days) of gun season. ANYways...it's truly not as easy as it seems in the summer months when they are highly visible feeding anywhere and everywhere. And it's definitely not as easy to legally shoot one in the woods, where they live, as it would seem to be when you see them on the side of the road or from your porch. But you only realize this when you actually give it a try yourself during legal hunting season and hours. It's a bigger challenge than it appears. BTW, the reason I stress the word legal is I've also always heard from reliable sources that just as many deer in Kentucky are taken illegally as legally. There is a huge poaching problem in Kentucky.

 

[mebeblue2]

Love guns and shooting. I just never got into hunting. I guess when you see deer outside your window daily, turkeys occasionally on your back porch, rabbits and squirrels everywhere it just doesn't make it seem as exciting.

I remember my brothers first time hunting deer. He was gone for about 30 minutes when he called needing help after killing a 8 pointer. Kinda takes the fun out of it being so easy.

If I did get into it, I would probably go the bow route. Obviously more challenging so it would make it more interesting.

start bow hunting
then start hunting mature bucks 4 1/2 - 7 1/2 years old
then check back with us on how easy it is

 

[I am stupid]

I understand how hard it is going for a "trophy" buck. Just meaning deer in general.

We haven't allowed any hunters on property in about 30 years, so even during gun season you see them. Not as often obviously, but about daily.

 

[TheTweak]

Its by far my biggest passion. I've hunted most of my life but got into archery in 2012 and fell in love with everything about it. I actually work as a bow technician now. Then after a few years of running cameras I started to hunt after 1 or 2 particular bucks. There's just nothing better than watching a deer grow up and outsmart him under his terms to kill him with a bow. 95 percent of deer are nothing like what you see in neighborhoods and other areas they are safe.

In 2016 I killed a 4 1/2 year old non typical that scored 163 4/8 and nothing comes close to the adrenaline rush I felt watching that lighted nock disappear in his ribs

 

[IUfanBorden]

ive been bow hunting for 10ish years now. Obviously live in KS and have some land I hunt in far NW Kansas. The rut has officially started and I’m looking forward to getting back up in my stand.

Any other hunters on this board?

More of a fisherman. But I do hunt here and there. Brother-in-law has about 188 acres we hunt. Nov 17th is opening day here.

 

[Steelers2012]

I understand how hard it is going for a "trophy" buck. Just meaning deer in general.

We haven't allowed any hunters on property in about 30 years, so even during gun season you see them. Not as often obviously, but about daily.

30 years of no hunting? I'd say you got yourself a massive deer overpopulation problem. I'd strongly suggest you employ some rival fans to help you thin out that destructive deer infestation you got there. I've always liked your posts, so I would be willing to help you out...for a small fee. We can discuss after I thoroughly scout your property this weekend whether you're paying me or I'm paying you.

 

[LandofOzDevil]

30 years of no hunting? I'd say you got yourself a massive deer overpopulation problem. I'd strongly suggest you employ some rival fans to help you thin out that destructive deer infestation you got there. I've always liked your posts, so I would be willing to help you out...for a small fee. We can discuss after I thoroughly scout your property this weekend whether you're paying me or I'm paying you.

I’m on the next plane out to help with population control.