Realtree Rewind: Two Big Midwestern Bucks
Posted 2017-10-20T07:00:00Z by
Do You Remember These Bucks?
Location: Southwestern Iowa
Hunting Method: Bowhunting
Phase: Seeking phase of the rut
Date: November 3-6, 2003
Weather Conditions: When we arrived, the temperatures were really cold. Just what we wanted! Cold and frosty — we were pumped.
"When our time in the woods started, even with the crisp weather we were experiencing, we really didn't see too many deer."
We were hunting right on the edge of a little field from lock-on treestands. As it turned out, I killed my deer about 400 yards from where Don Kisky killed his giant non-typical in 2002.
On the day we arrived at Don and Kandi's place, Don had killed a 170-inch buck that morning. He had him already laying on the tailgate of his truck. It was a really great deer. And it looked like we were in for a super hunt.
When our time in the woods started, even with the crisp weather we were experiencing, we really didn't see too many deer. Things were starting out really slow.
Several times though, we did rattle in some deer. So we had luck with the rattling, but we realized deer weren't moving on their own at this point. This told us that the bucks were not with the does, but they must have been still looking for them. Yet, we just weren't seeing much natural movement.
Finally, on the third morning of the hunt, we hunted a farm that Don had leased. We hunted from a lock-on treestand he'd hanged on the edge of a field. The field had some standing corn and some soybeans left. We did some rattling in the morning but came up empty. It wasn't until about three hours after daybreak when the wind really started to pick up. We tried some more rattling and the next thing we saw was a 140-inch 8-pointer just charging into our setup. We didn't get a whole lot of footage, but he did come to within 20 yards of us. That's when I took the shot. I made a good hit and he didn't go far. We were really glad to get him.
It was pretty much a quick hunt.
Don't Miss: 5 Great New Bows for 2017
Editor's Note: This was originally published January 5, 2004.
Are you a deer hunter thirsty for knowledge? Check out our stories, videos and hard-hitting how-to's on deer hunting.
