Hot days in Kansas

[grayghost]

I recently booked a hunt in the Kansas sand hills for their early Muzzle Loading season which began on September 11, 2017. Trail camera's were yielding some excellent bucks with a few looking like they'd be Booners by the time season opened. One week before the opener, KS offers a Youth/Disabled/Handicapped season and our guide took advantage of this opportunity and bagged a 171 inch 10 pointer.
However, extreme heat was on call for opening week. Bucks were shedding velvet and went nocturnal by opening day: 87 degree's with a 46% humidity rating made sitting still in a blind a real chore. Day one: spotted one doe and she was greatly interested in our blind, but went to drink from the well tank. Day two: same doe but this time she stood around for an hour until we exited the blind after shooting hours ended. Of course she snorted and ran off. Day 3 found me in another blind (where the 10 point had been taken previously). All I saw was a lot of pheasants and four does. Day 4 found me back at the water tank. 97 degrees and it was broiling. A slight breeze helped but it was hot! Late in the afternoon a small cloud covered the Sun for a few minutes...my mind started wishing for solid cloud cover. At 6:20pm, solid cloud cover moved in, and within 10 minutes the temperature had dropped by 4 degrees. I mentioned to my guide "Maybe they will come in before dark with this cloud cover." Ten minutes later I looked up and staring towards the blind was a shooter buck. He cam in with another 10 point buck with dark antlers and a doe. The 10 point went to the tank and presented a perfect shot, but my eyes were only on the long tined 9 point. I had a problem: the buck I wanted stood behind an old iron gate. All I could see was his head and antlers. I contemplated taking a neck shot but better sense prevented me from taking a risky shot, especially with a muzzle loader and using Cutting Edge Bullets "Raptors." Raptors shed 4 petals and the damage to the cape could have been catastrophic! Patience paid off as my buck finally walked behind the doe at the tank and exited on the right side, giving me a perfect shot at 58 yards. The buck was down within 30 yards. Kansas has some giant bucks, and although this buck didn't make B&C, he's still a great, hard earned trophy to me. Live weight was 270 pounds and the meat is outstanding! These deer have thousands of acres of corn, soy beans, alfalfa and milo to grow fat on and my buck is no exception. He had more fat on him that a Fall Brown Bear...lol. If you'd like to experience Kansas Whitetail or Pheasant hunting, drop me an email. Good hunting, grayghost

[FIJI]

I'd love to take a hunt trip like that someday