My St. Jude Kansas Buck

Kansas, the whitetail wonderland. I've been hearing stories of how great bowhunting whitetail deer in Kansas is for years and seen many of big bucks my friend Doc has brought back from his hunts. This year with Nicole's permission I finally took him up on his offers to join him on a week-long hunt.

While Doc has some land in Kansas this wasn't going to be some canned prepared hunt. This was really a do it yourself hunt. Doc knows a lot of the locals and has access to other farms, but things can change from year to year. On the ride down Doc calls some of his local friend to double check things. He learned one of the farm he had been hoping to hunt was not an option, but lined up two other properties for us to hunt.

As soon as we arrived Friday afternoon we went straight to those properties to scout things out. The first property had a draw that wrapped around the east, south, and west border of a big alfalfa field with tons a deer track and signs. We picked out a couple spots near creek crossing in the draw that would need a north/northwest wind to hunt. On the second property had a draw that split the property. Here we found another creek crossing with good sign that could be hunted with a South east wind. This would be the first spot I hunted the next morning.

Saturday morning I got out to my stand excited to hunt, but it was a slow morning. I only saw one doe around 11 am. The first two days were a really slow. I only saw 3 deer. The other two I spooked at the first location.

Saturday evening we stopped into visit one of the locals who Docs was friends with and learning we could hunt a really nice big farm with lots of draws. In this area of Kansas, the land is shaped by rolling hills with big fields that are separated by draws with creeks running through or thick fence rows. On the edges of cover or at bottle neck like creek crossing in the draws are great place to hunt for bucks as their search a doe. Sunday afternoon we scouted the first spot on this new farm and I picked out a spot to hunt Monday morning as the wind would be right.

Monday I quickly used my climbing treestand to get into position. Around 8:30 I made some movement that startled a doe to my left and ran off. I looked behind me and saw another doe that was about 20 yards back. It hadn't spooked. This deer started to move directly behind my stand which wasn't good as it would catch my scent. It got to about 10 yards behind me and to my right when it started to notice my scent. As I was watch the doe I hear a grunt and immediately there was a buck behind her. The doe got nervous and moved off to the milo field to my right which brought the buck into view 10 yards behind me. It was a nice, but it never presented a shot. That was alright, it was definitely a shooter for public land Wisconsin, but not this early in my Kansas hunt. The buck caught my wind too and once the doe took off, he ran after her. I was happy to finally get some real action and see a buck.

After the evening hunt, we stopped in to visit another local, Hoover. He had put us on to the second property on our ride down and also farmed this third property that we were hunting. He gave some great advice as to how the deer traveled into the draw I had hunted in the morning.

The next morning I hiked a half mile across a field and stayed down wind of the draw to get to the spot Hoover said the deer like to be. My initial plan was to get close enough to observe the spot and then go in around noon to setup a stand for the next morning. However we got a late start and three does came out of the hotspot into the field past me. After looking around the draw as I approach I realized every place was super thick and I need to climb a tree as close to the hotspot as I could and hope to call a buck out to me.

I finally setup in a tree looking to the east which wasn't good as the sun would be right in my face. However, I could see into the hotspot and I had a shooting lane to my left and out into the field to my right.

Around 8:30, saw a nice buck and doe coming off the field to the east heading straight for the start of the draw just as Hoover said they would. A little while later I could see the doe in the hotspot. Then shortly after I could see the buck also in there working a scrap. With my binoculars I could tell it was definitely a shooter.

I took my call and did a snort-wheeze. The snort-wheeze is a very aggressive call that a buck make when it's ready to brawl with another buck. This caught the buck attention, but it started to move toward the doe. I gave another snort-wheeze then lost sight of the buck.

All of sudden the buck came out of the draw into field to my right looking for the intruder. I had earlier range tree that was near buck at 35 yards. The buck was a little beyond this, but felt confident I could shoot my crossbow out to 45 yards. I took aim and fired. My arrow made a shrieking noise that startled the buck and it hit the ground at his feet. As the buck bounded off, I wonder what the heck just happened. Later that day I took some practice shots and everything was fine. The only thing I could figure is that one of the blades of the broadhead had come loose in flight and caused the arrow to noise dive.

Later that day found a what looked to be a great location in a different draw on this farm. I nicknamed it 'Grand Central Station' as there were so many deer trails, sign, and a major creek crossing in the area. I hunted it for a little bit but decided I needed to come back for an east wind.

I saw several little buck over Tuesday and Wednesday. My next encounter with big buck came Wednesday evening. I was sitting on the ground at the edge of a milo field. I was leaning against a big tree with field to my right, big deer scrape 25 yards in front, and a creek crossing to my right. The only shots I really had were to my right and front.

At 4:50 pm a heard some heavy foot falls behind me. Looked back to see a big buck walking the edge of the field at 30 yards and closing. There was nothing I could do to reposition for a shot and buck got to 5 yards before catching my wind and spooking. I was really disappointed. If I had just listened to Doc's advice and sat in the milo I would have had a perfect shot.

Feeling a little desperate and know Thursday would be the day to hunt Grand Central with an east wind, I quickly went over there to determine where I would sit in the morning. Thursday forecast it was to be cold with snow all day, that should get the deer moving. It should be the best day of the week.

That morning I was excited to hunt Grand Central but feeling a little desperate. St Hubert is the patron of hunter, but I had a St. Jude card in my wallet. St. Jude is the patron of lost causes and desperate situations. I read the prayer and ask for a successful hunt. Then we were off.

Doc dropped me off around 6:20. The plan was for me to hunt Grand Central all day and Doc would go to his property to hunt all day. He'd pick me up at dark. I unloaded my gear from the truck and Doc drove off.

I stilled need to walk about a quarter mile to get to my stand locate. I start to pick up my gear and then I realize I forgot my arrows in the truck. Talk about a four letter word moment. I tried to call Doc, but knew his tracfone would be off. What was I to do. In desperation I just left my stuff, started running and thinking St. Jude I don't like your sense of humor.

It was 28 degrees out and fortunately the snow hadn't started. On the bottom I was wearing heavy rubber knee boots, thermals, wool pants, and rain pants. On top I had a thermal shirt, camo shirt, fleece jacket and my safe harness. After going about 3/4 miles and down the first hill, I was huffing and puffing. I had to stop to take everything off the top so I wouldn't sweat too bad. I would walk up the hills and run down them. In all I had to go down four hills, up three and traveled almost two and half miles to reach the truck.

When I reached the truck my back was tingling, but my legs were too hot and I had to take more off. I grabbed my arrows and started the return trip just wearing my boots and long johns. I was also carrying a pile of clothes.

Around 7:45 I got back to my gear. I quickly got dress and realized I lost one of my gloves. At least I had an extra. I pack up my gear; bow, backpack, treestand and headed off to grand central.

I was finally setup in my stand a little after 8 am. I was about 4 feet high in a tree in the middle of the draw. To my right was the creek 10 feet below, to the left was the top of the bank 2 feet below. I also had a small cedar conceal backside to the left and a second truck of the tree concealing right side. I was finally setup, or so I thought, an hour and twenty minutes late.

At 8:30, I was looking to my left when I turned to look straight ahead to see a small buck approaching from the south. The buck stopped as it caught my moved. Looking my way it knew something wasn't right and it cautiously walked around me well out of range.

My first thought was I'm too high and need to get two feet lower. As soon as the little buck was gone I stood up forgetting I had hot water bottle in my jacket. The bottle slipped out fell into ditch. Crap! Then I turn to get down and knock my seat cushion into the ditch. Right after that I heard a stomp and looked up to see a big buck that had come in from the east on my right. Now sitting on the ground I grabbed my bow and grunt call when the buck started to walk the other way. I did a snort-wheeze call and he look back. He started to walk away again and I snort-wheezed again. He stopped and looked back, then decide to circle downwind to figure out what I was. Once he caught my scent he took off.

After that I quickly adjusted my treestand two feet lower. Then I needed to retrieve my stuff. I step out from behind the cedar, and just like that spook another small buck in the opening to the west. At that point I looked north to see a real big buck in the wood watching the small buck run off. Doc had seen a giant 8 pointer the in the area the day before and I think this was that buck.

I quickly got back behind the cedar, grabbed my bow and call, and let out a snort-wheeze hoping I hadn't scared the big buck. I waited 15 minutes and nothing came. I peeked out from behind the cedar and the buck was gone.

I had just scare four buck in less the 10 minutes. I could almost cry. This was a disaster. I retrieve my gear from the ditch, got in my stand, and thought St. Jude this is really a hopeless, desperate situation, now I really need your help.

Two hours later as I was looking to my left again I turn to see a big buck walking by 50 yard in front towards the south. I let out a snort-wheeze and the buck stopped and looked back. Then it continued to walk away. I snort-wheezed again and it stopped to look back. Again it started to walk away. This time I let out a big grunt. The buck stopped turn broadside and looked back. All of a sudden the buck looked to the side and ran off behind some heavier brush.

The bucks tail wasn't up so I knew it wasn’t spooked. I kept watching the brush until I saw a doe come out moving somewhat in my direction. Good may be she'd bring the buck my way.

The doe came by within range but stayed behind heavy branches. If the buck followed I wouldn't get a shot. As I was watching these two deer, out of nowhere a ten pointer had come in and was right near me, but looking at the other deer and heading for my shooting lane. I got ready and wham! Drilled the buck right when it hit the shooting lane. The buck took off and ran off behind me. The other buck watch on as I thought I heard the 10 pointer go down. Holy mackerel!

I wait about 15 minutes until the other big buck left. It was snowing hard so I had to getting looking for the buck before the blood trail was covered. I found my arrow with good blood, but couldn't find anything on the ground, so I just started walking in the direction the buck ran. In no time I found it about 50 yards away. WOW! At the time I shot I didn't think the buck was too big because it was smaller than the other and didn't know it was a ten pointer. Thanks you St. Jude, you came through.

It was around 11:00 am and Doc wouldn't pick me up until dark. I dragged the buck back to my stand and sat down to watch what more would come through. By 12:30 I had seen one more little buck and 4 does come through. At 1:30 pm I was cold and getting wet. I dragged buck back to the road. While putting the buck and my gear behind some brush at the road I saw another deer which I thought was another little buck. After this I got under some cedars a couple hundred yards from the road so I could watch for Doc. While I was laying there at two different times a doe passed by within 20 yards from me.

Fortunately Doc came early and we took the buck to Hoovers. What an incredible Whiitetail wonderland day! Thanks St. Jude, Thanks Doc for letting me join you and thanks Nicole for letting me go!

Here is the type of buck you come to Kansas for. This is 170 inch buck found dead on my friend Doc's land.