I know he's not the biggest in the world, but I may be most proud of this guy of all the animals I've killed due to the circumstances. I lost a buck during archery season in KS and was hunting the rifle portion last week. Most of the public land around me is old strip coal mines. The land is basically all little humps and dips where they piled up the dirt in strips. It's also some of the thickest timber you'll ever see in your life.
I went to a tree I used to bowhunt in a section I haven't hunted in 2 years. When I arrived at my 2 old tree steps I noticed 2 headlamps headed at me from the east. I moved north, and noticed 2 more lamps coming in the same trail I used from the west. I killed my light and moved further north and noticed a couple more lights NE of me. Finally, I saw the last hunter due north. I'm certain there were at least 6 hunters within 200 yards of me. Needless to say, I was frustrated that my hunt was ruined.
I decided to go to the furthest, thickest portion of the property - land I had never covered before. I was still-hunting as slow as you can go. I stopped on top a hump where I could see through the timber about 30 yards and grunted a couple times. After waiting about 5 minutes I began to move on. I took 2 steps and this guy jumped up out of the dip and about 10 yards! He ran to the top of the next hump and stopped (only about 20 yards away). I know he was just going to let me walk right by him if I hadn't walked right on top of him.
I never heard another shot, and fortunately never saw any of the hunters as I was leaving. I don't want them to know where I was. My tree steps now have a new spot as well.
I went to a tree I used to bowhunt in a section I haven't hunted in 2 years. When I arrived at my 2 old tree steps I noticed 2 headlamps headed at me from the east. I moved north, and noticed 2 more lamps coming in the same trail I used from the west. I killed my light and moved further north and noticed a couple more lights NE of me. Finally, I saw the last hunter due north. I'm certain there were at least 6 hunters within 200 yards of me. Needless to say, I was frustrated that my hunt was ruined.
I decided to go to the furthest, thickest portion of the property - land I had never covered before. I was still-hunting as slow as you can go. I stopped on top a hump where I could see through the timber about 30 yards and grunted a couple times. After waiting about 5 minutes I began to move on. I took 2 steps and this guy jumped up out of the dip and about 10 yards! He ran to the top of the next hump and stopped (only about 20 yards away). I know he was just going to let me walk right by him if I hadn't walked right on top of him.
I never heard another shot, and fortunately never saw any of the hunters as I was leaving. I don't want them to know where I was. My tree steps now have a new spot as well.
