Kansas deer hunting is always exciting, whether with gun or bow. This year I took advantage of an any-season whitetail tag to switch to firearm hunting when unforeseen circumstances kept me out of a bow stand through most of November. But a nice buck I’d seen only at night on trail camera pictures was still in the area, and yesterday, I rolled the dice and set up on a hideaway bedding tangle in hopes that he was tired from the rut and hiding out from heavy hunting pressure nearby.
That thought hit paydirt when the buck suddenly emerged from a cedar glade you couldn’t walk through with a half hour of sunlight remaining on a great December afternoon. It wasn’t a food play, a rut play, or a trail play. The buck simply came to the edge of a place he relied on as totally safe. And the unconventional sit gave me a150-yard shot at a fine trophy. The buck went down in its tracks at the sound of my .243, steadied on shooting sticks.
This was the first buck I’ve shot with a rifle after 40 years of bowhunting. I’ve harvested does with a firearm, but all my bucks have been taken with arrows. You know what? It didn’t bother me a bit. When hunting time doesn’t work out as planned, the flexibility of the any-season permit gave me the chance to get the deer I was after, even though in a different way. And it was a hunt I’ll always remember.
Would be nice if you had tagged the deer before taking photos. In the last photo you can see both achilles and I zoomed in and there wasn't a tag to be found. Next time save yourself some trouble and Sign your tag and affix it to the animal where he lay.
ReplyDeleteActually,the buck IS tagged in the picture you refer to, as can be verified by the photographer who took the photo. The green tag is affixed to a black wire through the tendon. Though it isn't obvious here, the tag is legally in place and hidden on the back side of the leg.
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