Kansas grows em big too

[Roger]

This eight point typical was taken by my co-worker Les. Les took this buck a couple weeks ago from a tree stand, the buck was chasing a doe. He makes his own arrows and most of his gear. The shot was about 15 yards and the deer didnt go far before going down for good.
http://images.snapfish.com/3424842%3B23232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E232%3A%3D%3B9%3A%3D6 88%3DXROQDF%3E2323699%3A6%3B4%3C3ot1lsi

[Wgoodrich]

Now that is a true old time hunter. Bow and arrow plus recurve without sites plus makes his own arrows !! Wow. I am impressed !

Are you sure he didn't get the other buck we have been chasing here in Indiana in our woods? Are you sure they grow them that big in Kansas or did he really sneak this one into Kansas from Indy? Ha Ha.

True hunter ! Great buck, Great sportsmanship challenge. Great up-close shot. He should be proud. Doubt that was his first buck though seeing what he hunted with. Skills of experience.

Wg

[Roger]

Yes Les believes in woodsmanship skills being more important and self satisfying than modern methods which he frowns at. Of course Les has 200 acres of prime deer habit that helps his success ratio but still quite accomplished at hunting with more traditional methods. Also this is not his largest deer he has many impressive deer over the years. He also frowns on the commercialization of deer antlers and will not have his antlers scored for "the books". He lets his success speak for itself. A few years ago thieves broke into his cabin on his property and stole all his big mounts of antlers. They stole sheds and those he took by bow and muzzleloader. Luckily a few months later law enforcement caught the thieves and he was able to recover all the antlers. But he feels that this could be prevented if people hunted for the challenge instead of the "hope" they will take a big money deer. So he feels the sale of antlers should be illegal but says you still will have some theft by those who what to display your antlers as coming from a deer they claim to have taken.

Could be your deer from Indiana they are known to travel quite some distances chasing those does......HA

[Wgoodrich]

Doubt that deer traveled that far that fast. Our buck [notice we stake claim Ha Ha] was seen in the last few days. Also our big buck has officially made it through the gun season for this year. Muzzle loading is his next big hurdle yet this year. Gun season ends today in Indiana. OUR big buck won't stay just on our land but travels two neighboring hunting grounds others can hunt. He as outfoxed us all for at least 3 years now. One farmer owning the land we hunt on reported seeing that big buck again 2 days ago. None of us have seen him this season but know he is out there seeing his sign in the woods. Think he turned mostly nocturnal. The farmer had glasses on his tractor just in case he saw him to report to us. That farmer is loyal to us by far. He reported he watched him at a distance through his field glasses just a second before he entered the woods. He was counting points and counted 16 and more to count but not sure how many more to count before the buck got in the weeds.

This buck we are sure is an offspring to the nontypical buck the farmer found while plowing one January. That buck we all hunted on a daily basis. One got within range but that buck was on the neighbors property just across the line. He would not cheat especially with a buck like that one. That January the farm flooded and a deep freeze happend right after the flooding. Ice formed all over the farm. The farmer found that buck one month after deer season when we all were hot after his trail. Discription by my buddy that got within range was he had a tree on top. The farmer called after finding the buck while plowing and borrowed a couple of deer hides to repair the hide from rot before he was found and a taxidermist did a great job repairing that bucks mount. That buck was nontypical and 22 points or 21 points can't remember for sure. The farmer has it hanging behind his office desk. That buck was a young buck with great genes. This buck the same farmer counted 16 plus points and the buck is still walking out there and SMART we are sure is an offspring of that nontypical buck he found. Just think rut is about up. That nontypical obviously came into the area late rut and nailed a doe or two introducing his genes. Now his offspring is at it too. We had a good sized herd with wide rack 8 pointers as the norm and in comes new blood. Sounds like that new blood is bettering the genes of a deer herd that has great genes already. Maybe we won't get him this year but may be more of him to come from the looks of it.

Somewhere in the past posts you should have seen some of the bucks I have mounted on my fire place. Two other houses has the same number and both with better buck racks than we have in our house.

Many look at a mounted deer as terrible disrespect. You point out one buck on any wall in any of the three houses and we can tell you where, what time, what weapon, and a story of previous encounters before we won the challenge of buck against hunter. We can even tell you of them growing up, having brother to brother fights. We can even tell you when a new blood deer enters our area during rut to introduce new health blood strains. To me that is remembering that mounted buck with great respect. We ate him too.

Hit a deer with a truck on the road we all feel like having a funeral. That deer herd is a part of us as we are a part of them. Believe me they adapt well. They can out run, out hear, out smell and you are in their living room where they know every twig in the area. They often win. We sometimes win. No better life or respect than that I know of.

A good hunter is not a bad people just a good herd manager if they do it right.

Wg

[Roger]

Yes, hunting is all about respect for your game and the memories with your buddies. I know how you feel when someone hits a deer on the road, especially if it was a good buck. Never have understood how they get struck by vehicles but elude us to the point of laughter in the woods.