Time to PowWow......? 2017 Oct. 28th Iowa 8pt (Story Page 5)

[JakeD]

   

[ron w]

           

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Most excellent!  congrats, plus you have the rest of the 2016 season and 2017 season    

[Jayrod]

[KAZ]

Thank you all for reading & your responses    

[KAZ]

Here's a few pics of the Europeans... You can see the size difference in the skulls. The Larger 8 Point was a Large Bodied Deer  

[ron w]

Real nice........  

[wooddamon1]

   

[Gen273]

Absolutely one of the best threads that I have had the pleasure to see on the Gang! Thanks for taking the time to take us along!!! Congrats on both bucks.

[Kopper1013]

Well done sir, I to am a public land guy and can definitely understand you problems, way to make the best of it though. Congratulations

[KAZ]

As we are on Thanksgiving Eve 2017, I can't help but reflect on the many blessings that God has bestowed on me past & present. These two bucks indeed were a gift. Thank you Lord!    

I had opportunities @button bucks, fawn does, etc., but I just couldn't get the right opportunity on a mature doe. Oh well, on to 2017 as the freezer is in good shape!  

[KAZ]

2017_2018 Season started off with a special glimmer of Hope...     A mutual friend of Ben & myself purchased a new piece of property and graciously offered to let us & another individual hunt this year. It's a beautiful piece of property, on the small side, but it is indeed a blessing & privilege. I'm so thankful for it.

I was slow to get out there due to work commitments and I had another Zone/Season in the Special County Park Hunt again this year. We were getting trail camera pics from the owner of a few nice bucks so I kind of figured I'd let the place rest / be a sanctuary and hit it hard during Late October thru November    It was just one of those years for me, plenty of bucks/fawn does/button buck, etc. but no mature does for me. I'm not gonna lie, it takes a few deep breaths in & reflection of how God is Faithful past & present to stay positive when you're getting texts of multiple shot opportunities & deer down when you're waiting on your first shot...    

My County Park hunt ended with several cool encounters with Bucks, fawns, & close calls, but no opportunities at Mature Does which is what I was after... Time to focus on Public Land and this new private spot.  

[Homey88]

Congrats! Great season and great story's!

[KAZ]

About two weeks into October, I get word that my Father-In-Law had found a possible private spot for me to hunt!            

After some solid correspondence with the Owner, My wife and I decided to head down after Church on Oct. 22nd and meet the Owner and His wife. I brought a stand just in case, but our main goal was to introduce ourselves, get to know one another, and fully understand the property & owner's wishes. It was a great visit, with the owners and the neighbors, etc.. So thankful to my wife for going along as she had great conversation with both of them. It didn't take long for me to discern a nice funnel to hang a stand in. It's a small property, but I definitely found a "pinch" point along a creek that connected two timbers. A possible rut corridor    

[KAZ]

We had such good conversation, light was definitely leaving us. I was able to free up & slip in with a quick Lone Wolf & 3-Stick set. It was the classic paralysis of knowing where I needed to be, but the trees were miserable options. Crooked, small, goofy, etc....        

   

The ride home with my wife was good, and I can tell you it was very uplifting to have a private spot to hunt... Great visit with great folks    

[KAZ]

As I was on my way home, I was mentally planning out my strategy for the week & getting a stand setup/ready at the new joint Property Ben & I have. I got the text that Ben was gonna head out there tomorrow, so he'll be first in there to give it ago. We both knew that this spot should heat up as the Rut progressed. Well, it didn't take long for Ben to have action. He saw some deer, and had an opportunity at a nice 8Pt on his feet early in the hunt trailing a doe...  

It was clear I needed to get my stand up at that property, so I can begin 2017_2018 Statewide Season... Ben & I discussed the overall strategy, and it was clear where I'd hang my first stand. I grabbed my XOP Air Raid Hang-On & (4)Sticks knowing it was up to the task. Due to the size of the tree, I needed extension straps for the straps but all went well! The stand was a little tricky to hang due to it's size and that it was a Shag Bark tree, I believe a Shag Bark Hickory(?), so a little bit of a pain. However, it was in the RIGHT SPOT!  

I got my first chance to sit the spot on Oct. 26th  

Here's the 54" Black Widow KB, 53lbs @ 28" ready for Action!  

[KAZ]

It was a pretty good sit. Saw a small 7 or 8 point work a scrape, feed on acorns, and then I called him into my set... A Nubby Buck, and at the Buzzer, a nice buck followed a doe by but it was just too dark for me, even though it was still legal light. A close call & beautiful night to begin the Rut!  

Friday October 27th, turned out to be real windy but I started getting texts from Ben that he was out at one of his Family properties going after the "Drop Tine" Buck. It was fun to get the play by play from him and you can read it on his posts.

I started preparing for my first hunt at the 25 Acre Spot tomorrow Oct. 28th, where my wife took the beautiful sunset pic  

[KAZ]

All goes well, and it feels good getting settled into the Hotel early. It's off for my first time in...   :



The temps are rapidly dropping and I am absolutely full of anticipation, hope, and thankfulness to be sitting in this stand!      

[KAZ]

I settle in to the beauty of the Pre-Rut Iowa woods. It's chilly, barometric pressure rising, and we're headed towards a crisp clear sky!

I pic up movement off to the west, then a glimmer of tines       He's moving East, but he'll skirt me to the South if I don't do something. I hit the grunt call a few times. I've got his attention, and he starts heading my way.    

 

This guy has Love & War on his mind so I guess he's not the wariest  

[KAZ]

A great encounter no doubt, thank you Lord    I'm stoked to get my first opportunity of the year. They're kind of milling/browsing towards me, when I decide to look out where they're heading and make sure if any other deer are in the area. That's when I pick up movement in the thicket to the South East, not too far from where the previous buck made the scrape. Oh boy, I've got ACTION and it's fixin to get good!  

Now my attention is on the newcomer. All the while the 3 Does are now angling right through my shooting lanes at 10-15 yards. I've been waiting to shoot a mature doe for 1-1/2 years and here they are!!!!