Crappie Rage... How was Kansas???

[pumper317]

Looking for a good story of this year, any updates?

[DaveT]

I'll let him know. Short answer is it was OK.

[Crappie Rage]

Dad(73) and I headed to Missouri on Thursday night before MN gun opener.  Unimproved road to our place was impassable by truck due to rain.  3 atv trips later we had all of our stuff in to the cabin.   In bed at midnight.  

Next morning I saw two shooters and a few does.  No shooters after that and we headed the 75 miles to KS on Saturday about 11. 

Hit the stand after opening the cabin and getting a shower in.   Texted a picture of the small clover plot at 2pm to DaveT who was coming down on Sunday.   One hour later I hear something, look to the north and all I see is head and antlers.  DaveT had suggested a blockade of brush two summers ago at this stand and we did that.   This buck (11point) crossed the ditch and was blockaded to 25 yards.  A couple steps later and my buck tag is filled in KS.  

Uncle Dick (78) would pass a giant old six pointer that day.   Dave T would pass the same deer on Monday.  

I hung out Sunday.  Monday morning got my deer and caped it and cleaned it.  Took 3 hours but was done for lunch.  Then headed back to Missouri.   Hunted a field edge that night and saw a spike.  Next morning headed in deeper in the woods where I had seen the two shooters on Friday.  About 7:30 I hear a bark/grunt to the east.  Here comes a doe and she goes by at 12 yards, I see the buck and he is a shooter.  I think I am golden.  But he stays 30 yards away where there is no slot and never stops moving. 

8:00 and I hear the bark/grunt again.  So I grunt back a couple times.  Then I see the doe at 50 yards.   A grunt.  The doe turns and comes by the stand at 12 yards again.  Here comes the buck.  Same one.  He gets to 30 yards.  Stops.  Grunts and walks 7 yards.  Stops.  Grunts and walks 7 yards.  Stops.  Grunts and walks 7 yards.  I shoot and see blood right away, he takes off, drills a tree straight on at 40 yards out, hits the edge of the cedars and I can't see him any more, but I hear him go down.    It takes a while, but I get him gutted and in my truck, packed up and back to KS for lunch. 

On Monday night while I am running errands DaveT calls and said did you get a text from Dad.  No.  He tells me Dad shot a buck.  Get back to the mobile same time as Dad.  Dad was in the stand and getting sleepy.  It was 3:15 so he is going to get down and take a 10 minute power nap.  At the time his eyes are level with the stand he can see a big buck at 15 yards heading his direction.  He waits, scampers back up into the stand.   The buck stops at 20 yards.  He gets his weapon, buck goes to thirty, stops again and gets shot.  The buck ran a little ways and threw him self of the 15 foot edge to the creek below.  Little bit of a pain getting him out. 

Saturday, last day.  DaveT is in the stand in KS where I shot my buck.  Morning this time.  Doe and a fawn make their way into food plot.  DaveT hears something to the north.  Big six he passed on earlier.  The buck is on the same path as mine.  He crossed the ditch, hits the blockade and pops up at 25 yards.   A few yards later and he is done.  That buck is 6 or 7 years old and we are pretty sure he was a bully.   Glad to have him out.  His rack is very wide although we have not measured it yet. 

So, how was KS?  I say it was great.  Although we did not see much else for shooters or a lot of rutting action.   DaveT is headed back down this weekend with his son and Dad and I are headed back to Missouri. 

[ANYFISH2]

Nice!

Sure enjoy reading of your seasons.

[pumper317]

Awesome work guys!  Great to see you were successful yet again!

 

 

[Crappie Rage]

I will start hanging out here more.  Kind of lost this place for a while. 

[certified jumbo]

thanks for sharing.  good stuff!

[bigbucks]

Cool, great job!  Are these places owned or leased?

How much acreage each?

What's the mileage/time between the MO & KS places?  I take it they can't be very far apart.

 

[Crappie Rage]

Both are owned.  300 acres in KS and 140 in MO.  75-80 miles apart.   Little more than 90 minutes.  

 

[propster]

Congrats Brian.  Hunting as it can be.

[triggertrav]

Looks like a good week!  Congrats.

[bigbucks]

Wow dude, somebody must be awfully successful financially.  We're all jealous.

Did you or your group, whoever owns it, scout those both out from MN & go for it or did you have some ties to one or both of the areas or actual properties?  Meaning bought out a friend or relative or something?

I'm asking even though I'm in no way in a position to purchase such a setup, I'm wondering how that comes about if you are.

[Crappie Rage]

Kind of a long story but here goes.  At 21 or 22 my buddy, my other brother and I bought 25 acres on the Mississippi between Little Falls and Brainerd.  Owned that for about 6 or 7 years.  Sold it and put an add in the Alexandria newspaper looking for land.   Guy called who had 40 acres on Lake Reno.  Bought it.  Owned it 11 years or so til we sold it for a ridiculous amount of money in March of 2007.   I had sold a house and made a nice profit and had been somewhat lucky on some stocks as well. 

I knew when I sold I wanted deer hunting land and I only bowhunt.  Iowa was out because you can only hunt there once very 3 or 4 years.  Illinois was out as too far.  We looked at a couple places in Missouri and the place in Kansas.   DaveT and I took a shot at Kansas without really having a good idea of exactly what we were getting.   But if you own 80 acres, you get a tag every year.  Bought 215 acres.  4 years later added another 85.  With a good downstroke the property makes the payments with income from farming and crp.  And it has been better than we ever could have hoped.

KS is a 6.5-7 hour drive and I was looking for another place to own.  Kids are hunting now and wanted to spread out some of the pressure.    So I started looking in MO so it would be on the way to KS.  Also, looking for a place that had good deer numbers so we can take a few does.  I had been looking for a while not seriously as I hadn't found what I thought was perfect.  Then this property popped up.  140 acres, small cabin, pole barn and secluded, three ponds with fish in them.  The road it is on is unpassable by truck if there has been rain.  It is about 5.5 hour drive.  Just was the right place in the right spot at about the right time.   

Didn't get to scout it much but will do that this year.  More work ahead, but I am looking forward to it.  

 

 

[propster]

Nothing that the rest of us couldn't have done had we had the vision, and the drive, etc.  I unfortunately spent all my wasted youth hunting out west, fishing Canada, etc, back when a single guy renting cheaply with 3 other dudes could afford to do a few things.  Then married with kids and all the expense that entails.  Still did a lot of stuff with the kids.  Now college educations are near paid for, I can maybe branch out again.  But the muskie bug that bit me 10 years ago hasn't loosened its grasp yet so we still take 3 or 4 trips to LOTW each year, and that inhibits the hunting a little bit.  Besides, I'm still waiting for my invite to Kansas CR.  I'm a heckuva camp cook and bow tech should the need arise. 

[Crappie Rage]

I really wish I would hit the lotto and could take all kinds of people hunting.   Going to do my best to get some kids out for their first deer and get them the deer camp experience.   Kids who probably wouldn't have that chance.  

[pumper317]

That has been my goal since I can remember.  It would optimally be handicapped hunters (kids) if possible, but it is a pipe dream currently.  A goal to work towards anyway.

Good job setting a goal, and working towards it!  More people need goals in life, it keeps you in line!

Keep it up!  That MO turf sounds really cool!

[rkhinrichs]

nice deer!