It was a chilly morning when I climbed out of the truck at 5:30 a.m. it was a double snooze-button morning. Being later than I had anticipated, I got dressed quickly and began my walk to the tree stand.

Here’s my set up. I sit in my tree facing north. My tree is located in an open timber bottom. With a pasture just 75 yards north, and to the northwest, the timber filters into a draw that harnesses a dried up creek bed. And that same creek runs 15 yards behind me and splits off and runs both east and west through the timber. I have set up in a good funnel. To the east and west is timber, getting thicker the farther you go both ways. The only bedding source to my west, and the only food source to my east.

Well I finally got set down right around 5:45 a.m. The wind was ideal, about 5 mph out of the north, right in my face. As I sat there from 5:45 to right around 7:55 a.m. not much had happened. I was consistently hearing turkeys yelp back and forth until they finally flew down at 7 a.m. but that was all the action I had seen.

I decided to become proactive and see if I could coax a buck out with some rattling. I began soft, then some louder more aggressive grunting. Next, I picked up the antlers and thrashed them around for about 30 seconds. And sure enough I saw antlers and an agitated buck headed my way from the northwest. He had a good trot going along with some grunting on his way in. He crossed the creek bottom and came up over the hill, he gave me just enough time to set the antlers down, put my call back in my mouth and pick up the gun. As he came up over the hill I had just got my gun up. I saw the tall tines and then classified him as a shooter.

Now my focus went on my shooting lanes and when I could get him to stop for a shot. He was standing there at 60 yards, looking past me trying to figure out where the fight was. He stomped, snorted, and thrashed his head around a bit. Then he kept coming, hard. He was on a good trot again. I grunted with him at 30 yards in a shooting lane and he did not stop. Then I figured he was coming hard enough that he’d come in real close. So finally at 15 yards he stopped, but right behind a tree. Go figure, things never can be quite as easy as you’d think. I then decided I would take the shot, with the buck facing me head on, quarted a little bit to the right, I saw my window. If I leaned to my right I had a good shot through the front of this chest and out his left shoulder. So I leaned and took the shot. Five steps later and ten yards in front of my stand he went down!! No trailing this bad boy! I waited about five minutes to be sure he was done, then I got down to check him out.

When I got down to him I realized instead of being a typical 8 point like I had thought, he was missing his left eye guard completely and had a very short right one. Also he was missing a lot of fur on his back, I assumed due to fighting. He definitely was a fighter and it was ultimately his undoing. With the him all field dressed he weighed a whopping 273 lbs.!!! My rough estimate would put him at some where around 290-300 lbs. What a deer! Today rattling paid off big time! I have rattled many times before in the late rut period, and had no success. This time the buck was in hearing distance and came right in. I can already smell the Venison, and deer sticks!

Happy Hunting. Adam

Also, a special thanks to Dead Down Wind. The “Scent Prevent Field Spray” really made this hunt possible. On my way into my stand I walked a path that my buck had to cross to get to where I shot him. So thanks to Dead Down Wind for making this successful hunt possible. Also, the laundry detergent and dryer sheets. I have worn the same camouflage overalls on duck hunts and sweated and got them real stinky. One wash with their detergent and a quick air dry with the dryer sheet inside the pant legs and I was ready to deer hunt.

Thank you Dead Down Wind!

Adam
Team SnK

Well I finally got a deer with my bow Nov. 10th at 7:30 a.m.

He was doggin a doe about 70 yards out. He stopped to do a rub and I grunted to him and snort wheezed. He looked up but continued to rub the tree. Then he headed over to where the doe went. She followed the opposite site of the creek bottom away from my stand. I thought well there he goes. I snorted again and grunted. He stopped one last time and looked my way. I wheezed one more time. He was on the move. He went down in the creek and came up behind an evergreen. About 50 yards out I drew thinking he was going to come through at 36yards. Then he turned on a dime and came straight to me. Luckily he didn’t come straight under me. I had two doe estrous things hanging up around 15 yards out. I think he looked at them and almost turned fully broad side. He was slightly quartering to me. And was slowing down but didn’t stop. I followed him and let the arrow fly. 21 yards hit him right infront of the heart area. It looked a little high. He turned and ran 30 yards across the creek. I saw him fall then he got up and I heard crashing. It was a really thick area. I couldn’t see him go down the second time. I decided I would wait 30 minutes to an hour before checking it out. At 15 minutes I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to go check out the arrow. I saw blood splatter where I hit him. And then not much of a trail. I could see the arrow 10 feet away. Walked up to it he broke it off, but there was blood on it though more than half way up the shaft. I slowly followed the faint blood trail across the creek. Peaked up over the side and saw antlers. He was done.

Turns out I didn’t go all the way through him. I hit a lung, split the heart, and punctured the other lung. Those Rage broadheads are nasty. But effective.

A special thanks to Dead Down Wind for making an awesome product that works wonders. Several times this season I should have been busted because of wind shift. But the deer looked my way and kept on coming un-alarmed.

Shaun
Team SnK

Went out Sat. to see what was out and about. I had one field that I could access right with this crazy Kansas wind! I got into the stand before sun up and hung it and waited. About 30 minutes into the morning sit I saw a coyote making his way in my direction. I decided to try and play with him to see what he would do. I bleated three times with a fawn bleat and waited. Two minutes later I look over and thought it would be the coyote coming in. Instead it was a doe. She must have been concerned cause she came right across the yotes trail get in there to see.

Here is the set up. I was 16 ft. up with a steep cliff about 10 feet behind me. I thought nothing would come in from that way so I would be find sitting facing the other direction. Well in doing this the doe actually did come in that way and was staring at me face to face. So she stands in my down wind for what seemed like for ever. Seven minutes later she decided to walk off. I did my best to get a shot on her but she ran off after I bumped the limb that was by me. So deer one hunter nothing.

I was feeling pretty good cause I haven’t hunted this field for two years. I had never really seen deer in this field during season but there was always sign here.
I waited for about an hour and noticed some black blobs coming down the hill side 200 yards in front of me. Turkeys! Ok this is a first for this field. I have hunted turkeys for a while now and never seen them in this field before. It was more of a coyote spot. There are usually cows everywhere. So the turkeys did there thing seemed like they were coming closer then went into the woods about 100 yards from me. Then out of no where a doe showed up right where I hoped she would. I thought this is it. I am gonna get my first deer. Well she had other plans. She saw me stand up in my stand. Stupid beginner mistake. I know. Anyway at 25 yards she stood there looking right at me for 3 minutes I had to stand motionless. She got nervous and bolted out to a little further than I had taken a range on that morning. I shot thinking it was 40-45 yards and the arrow went right under her. I waited a while and climbed down to look at the arrow. Nothing. I had to make sure. She was at 57 yards. First shot at a deer this year. So I missed now I have to suck it up.

I sat there for two more hours rattled on and off with nothing showing up. I only had a short time on stand today cause we were heading to a football game tonight. So It had been 30 minutes since I last tried to rattle and grunt. I decided to strip the stand down and head home. I was being as quite as possible. I accidently hit the ladder legs together. Something told me to look back in the field, and when I did I was almost sick. 200 yards out where the turkey where stood the biggest 10 pointer I have ever seen. He was easily a 170 class buck. Big body and everything. He looked in my direction and blew. Ran maybe 20 yards and just stood there looking. Then walked off. Of course I didn’t move during all of this. So maybe (Wishful thinking) he didn’t know exactly where I was. But all this in the field where I haven’t ever seen deer. What a morning.

Shaun
Team SnK

Here are some pics from this past month. I haven’t had the camera out for a while. I keep forgetting to take it out in the field with me. It makes the car ride but that is about it.

Well let me catch you up on the season so far. I have been out three times now and nothing so far.

The first trip out I only had a short period of time to be a field. I decided to take a ground blind and set up near some trails leading into a bean field. I was only there for 30 minutes when I caught some movement coming my way. But it wasn’t deer. I had about 30 quail walk right past me. It was finally fall and wildlife was moving. No deer on that trip.

Second time out I went I was out in western Kansas. It was pretty warm and my dad and I headed out to sit near a water hole. It was like we were hunting for antelope. But we were really after deer. Anyway we saw nothing. Not even a coyote. I wish I would have gotten video but there wasn’t much to see. Where we were at there were pheasants calling out everywhere. You could barely see them flush and fly just above the grass on there way back to the roost. Another outing and more upland game. Might be a good year for these critters this year.

Third trip out I had around four and a half hours of daylight left. I decide to go to a spot I hadn’t been to in a couple years. I last hunted this spot from the ground so this time I wanted to give it a whirl from the trees. I hiked in with my stand and sticks on my back. I am trying something new this year. I have spots set up for stands but am hoping to take my stand in and out with every set. That way I can hopefully keep the game guessing as to weather or not I will be in the area. I made a little more noise than I had hoped coming in. The area is really thick. I will add some pics soon. It took me around 30 minutes to get everything set up. Then I sat in the stand for about an hour. I was just enjoying being out in the woods. I new the sun would be going down soon. So I flipped the seat up and leaned up against the tree. I was over looking what looked like a highway of trails. Something should be coming through here for sure. I did notice a new rub on a pretty good sized tree right out in the middle. So I took some pictures and wasn’t sure if I made to much noise or not. When I caught movement. These things were quite coming in. There where two doe feeding right toward me. One was 30 yards the other was 15 yards but standing behind a locust tree. I got my bow ready and waited. I had a perfect shot for her all she had to do was move 10 more feet to a small opening. For some reason that didn’t happen. She turned and they fed away from me. No shot. But that was the first time I have had deer that close while I was in a tree stand. I have tried it in years past but for whatever reason I have always had better luck on the ground. Even though it was a doe I was pumped. It was like I was standing there looking at the biggest buck of my life. I was shakin so bad. I love deer hunting.
Hopefully there will be more to come soon.

Shaun
Team SnK

Hello everyone! Just wanted to let you know we have been working on the site alot lately and we have some new updates. First of all our Photo Gallery. This can be located on the top right hand corner of the main page. Second, our Team Page. Located the same place as the Photos, so come meet our team. And finally a link to a good friend of ours who does a GREAT job taking your hunting or fishing pics and making them into posters. These are high quality posters with a reasonable price. The posters are an excellent gift for that proud outdoors man!! This link is located under “Hunting Posters”

Well we went out this past Sunday to pour corn in the feeder and put 1 salt lick and 1 apple lick block on the ground. The grass wasn’t too tall but it took us a little time to mow it. Looks like those pesky cows have been trying to get into the corn cause the fence needs some new reenforcement from them pushing agianst it, we’ll have to do that next time we go out.

Curt, Team SnK

This weekend I plan on getting everything set up and ready to go for this fall. Team SnK has been working extra hard on reading articles and talking to other hunters for advice. We are really getting a handle on this extremely fun obsession, hunting! Some new tactics for deer season will definatly improve our chances this year and the years to come. Team SnK is blessed to have such a staff in which we all pitch in when help is needed. Lets start things off right, and make every outing whether its scouting or hunting successful.

Curt, Team SnK

Well its about that time agian when the trailcams come out and we start mowing the food plots. I know we have some decent sized bucks in the area due to the size of the tree rubs we have located this spring turkey hunting. The main focus is deer management and then hit it hard during the fall and attempt to harvest the buck of a lifetime.

Well Curt, Brian, and I went out one morning. Still on our quest. We moved into an area we had good luck in last year. We knew there were deer here we just need a few to walk by. After sitting for an hour we had turkeys fly out of the roost that we were sitting by. We all thought that is what that was but until they flew down we weren’t for sure. We decided to call a little. We kept thinking we heard grunts but nothing ever showed. After a few hours we decided to move. While we were heading to our new spot we noticed about 10 tom turkeys feeding in our direction. Curt and I decided to put on a stalk because I had never got a tom in the fall. Plus neither of us have ever shot a turkey with our bows.

We were getting pretty close to them. Actually we had one come into say 10 yards of me. I was getting ready to draw when I saw what I thought were deer antlers. I looked closer and saw a 8 point buck bedded down about 50 yards or so in front of us. We let the turkey move off and were back on the deer quest we had set out for.

We heard him grunt and got to see him stand up and rub a tree. We got within 30-40 yards of him and he noticed me. Curt and I split apart because we weren’t sure where he went. We lost him in the grass for a few seconds. When he came out he was exactly 30 yards from me. That is when he picked me out. He moved over infront of Curt and stood behind a tree covering his vitals. And just stood there watching me.

I think we were both surprised when a doe walked out from was standing. She had no idea we were there. She walked perfectly broadside infront of me. I estimated it to be 30 yards and I drew and shot. The arrow went right under her. And both deer took off. Curt and I walked it off and found out it was 45 yards. It looked closer I guess because I was on top of the hill looking down.

The nice thing about the situation is bows are quiet. We found the turkeys again and thought we were going to get a shot. But they headed to an open field and never let us get close enough. They might have been a little jumpy because the buck headed directly at them when he left.

We saw another buck way out in an adjacent field. He was trolling for doe. But he was far enough out he couldn’t hear out calls. November is the best time to be out hunting deer in Kansas.