Tagged out in western Kansas

[tdcour]

Well, I was able to punch my tag this year on another good WT in Kansas on public land, but this time it was done spot and stalk in western Kansas. I had never hunted the area I was in before and was mainly doing scouting for rifle season for next year. I found a decent spot with minimal roads which is rare in Kansas. It only took a couple of minutes to realize the rut was on as bucks were chasing does all over the place! I saw several good deer, but just couldn't make it happen. Either they caught me on the stalk or they took off after another doe before I could get close enough. It wore me out mentally and physically, but it was worth it. After a couple of days of blown stalks and many miles, I ended up stalking up on this guy in a heavy timbered draw where he was tending a doe bedded under a cedar tree. With a 30 mph cross wind I was able to sneak to within 40 yards between cedar trees. I wasn't sure if I could hold steady in the wind, so I went ahead and drew back and held my spot. He was quartering away pretty hard, but I remember thinking to myself, "This feels pretty good, I think I can make a good sh---" and the shot was off to my surprise! I watched the arrow bury in to the fletchings and in the offside shoulder... a perfect shot! I waited 30 minutes before following the blood trail. He only made it 50-60 yards before piling up into a tree. He had broken off one brow tine completely, his other was only 2 inches long and broken. He also broke off the tip of his main beam and another sticker point on his left side. He may not be the biggest buck, but he was a dominant fighter!







It was almost a mile and a half back to the truck to pack him out. I packed a front and hind quarter out with my day pack on the first trip then came back with the frame pack for the rest. Best feeling after a hard hunt!

 

[tdcour]

Here is an old bruiser I saw at 400 yards. He stayed in view long enough for pics then disappeared. Broken tines and good mass. Would have loved to see him up close!

 

[ElkTrout]

Great looking whitetail! Congrats on your success!


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[NE69]

A spot and stalk whitetail in open country is one tough way to score. Way to get it done.

 

[Matthoek21]

Congratulations tdcour. That is one trophy for sure. I know that felt good. Looks like you double lunged him? My favorite shot.

 

[tdcour]

I gutless quartered him so I didn't look inside, but from the blood on the arrow and his mouth looked like lung and heart. Nice and thick, bright red blood with bubbles. I kept wiping off his mouth but he kept bleeding out of it... A little annoying when you are trying to take pictures by yourself and make sure he doesn't move or anything!

 

[Dos Perros]

Congrats tdcour! I suspect we might hunt some of the same country. Spot and stalk WT is damned hard, in my experience at least, and your deer is a trophy in my eyes. Here's a deer I came across last fall, 33 yards when I saw him and took this pic.

https://www.instagram.com/p/yshNkSM2Nk/?taken-by=mogwaitoss

 

[tdcour]

Ha! yeah that looks similar. I was running around from Hays to Hoxie and Stockton. Pretty open country for sure and definitely a challenge! I was fortunate to have the 30 mph wind. It actually helped the stalk a lot. I busted a lot out the previous days with little wind. I actually got to within 13 yards of a smaller bedded buck in some thick stuff before either of us knew the other one was there. Pretty sure I needed to change my shorts after he blew out! Where are you hunting out there?

 

[Work2hunt]

Good Job TD. Every once in a while the stars align and things work out nicely.

 

[mcseal2]

A buck shot on a stalk like that should make you proud, congratulations.

 

[billyh]

Great buck and pack out!

 

[BOHNTR]

Awesome, congratulations!

I just got back from western Kansas as well and had a great time, arrowing my first P&Y class whitetail. Sure is a vast but neat area.

 

[tdcour]

Congrats bohntr! It is definitely a pretty unique area to spot and stalk for sure. Heck unique for anything really!

 

[okie archer]

What a toad. Would love to know what he weighed on the hood.

 

[missjordan]

Congrats on a great buck!

 

[okie archer]

What a toad. Would love to know what he weighed on the hoof.

 

[sneakypete]

Congrats on a very nice buck!

 

[tdcour]

What a toad. Would love to know what he weighed on the hoof.

Not sure what he weighed, but packing him out I'd guess I packed out 120-130 or so quartered out. I'm just guessing there based on my training pack weight of 50 pounds. I took him out in two loads but the first had clothes and my bow and stuff. Second was all meat. He definitely had a big body on him. It wasn't especially easy dragging him around to take pictures by myself!