After years of waiting, and the million dollar tag in my pocket, I was headed to Iowa. I spent all summer researching the area I would hunt. I picked the area because of all the public land in the area, and the fact that much of it was on waterways. I thought I might be able to use my zodiak here. After I narrowed down the area I wanted to hunt, I had to find a place to stay. I almost called a hotel, but first I decided to try and find a cabin as I like those so much more than a hotel. I tell ya, I really got lucky. Not only did I find the perfect cabin, but that cabin sat on a 640 acre farm, and the owners gave me permission to hunt it! And the owner got me permisssion on an additional 100 acres! Talk about hitting the lottery!
So as my story started, I had been here in October and scouted the farm. Now it was November 14th, and I had three spots I wanted to set my stands up, which I did.I wasn't the only one hunting the farm. The owner had a guy that had been helping him around the farm since he was a kid, and he had been hunting the farm for over 20 years. He is a super nice guy named Bret. Bret shared his info of the farm and his trail cam pics from this year. There were a few nice ones on the farm, including what I thought was a droptine ten. Back in October I left a trail cam in, and when I checked it there was a nice one on it. So I really wanted a crack at that droptine 10. Here's the one good pic I got at the time.
I knew about the droptine 10, another bigger hoss size 10, an 8 with a extra droptine brow, another nice regular ten, and several other not quite shooter for me bucks. I kept dreaming about the droptine 10, I really wanted that one.
Through the week I spent my time sitting on stands, and exploring and scouting. I went through the farm back in October, so I spent my scouting time on public land. I didn't want all my eggs in one basket on the farm...just in case I needed a backup plan.
I hadn't been seeing a whole lot on my sits, but I felt I was closing in on what parts of the farm the deer were using most, and I had found some really nice spots to try on public land. It was pretty apparent that the deer prefered the side of the farm where the standing beans were. It was an awesome spot with a small river through it. There was a nice peice of timber with large oak, walnut, and locust trees. Years ago there was cattle that kept it free of undergrowth, but years of no cattle and it turned into a honeysuckle, and north american rose bush deer sanctuary!
You ever notice how you can kill a buck when the wind is "almost bad" for the spot, but not quite? The kind of wind where a buck might still feel comfortable traveling, and your ambush is right on the edge of where he'd smell you?Well I had a spot to try and the wind was just like that. It was almost blowing the wrong way, but just enough that it wasn't blowing into the bedding area. I almost didn't go to the stand, but I did.
The stand was in a hedgerow. It connected the honeysuckle, briar patch to a couple of other small timber peices. On both side of the hedge was CRP, and the bean plot was about a third of a mile away.
It was November 18th, and the bucks were really active this afternoon where I was. I heard a doe crashing through, and I could hear a buck grunting like crazy. My heart was racing and it turned out to be a small 8. Then more louder grunting, and more chasing. A real lot of noise,and too thick to see. Then another bigger, almost shooter 8 is chasing a doe around. A lot of chasing and grunting and then it got quiet for a while. Then I hear another doe crashing up the hill, and more grunting, and the doe hops the fence into the CRP field I'm on. And then I saw a buck in the bushes. Thinking it was probably one of those pesky 8's, I raised my bino's. Holy crap! That's not those 8's! So I ditched the binos and got a death grip on my bow!
Now the doe is in the field, and he's in the woods, behind the fence. And to make it worse, I can swear that deer was looking right at me. I was sure he was looking at me, but then he looked at the doe. Maybe he wasn't looking at me, I guess I'll never know? He had that look where he didn't want to be in that open CRP, but when he saw the doe, he was changing his mind. He actually walked in a small circle twice like he was leaving, but the doe overpowered his senses. He finally jumped into the field, and at that moment I thought I might actually get my chance.
When I entered the stand that day, I layed down a scent trail. I took a four foot piece of grass, and dipped the tassle in the lure. I made a trail that just happened to be near where those deer were, to my stand. The doe and buck were over 50 yards away, and it was getting towards sundown. I was shaking just thinking about the possability of getting a shot.The doe was just taking her time browsing, while the big buck was tending her. She was slowly getting closer to me, and if she got more than 15 yards from him, he would move closer too.
Then she hit my scent trail. And she smelled it , nose to the ground, 10 yards closer to my stand! She was pretty much coming into range now. Then he hit the scent line, and followed it even closer than she did! I could have rushed a semi far shot at any time, but I felt I could do better, I wanted tehm closer and they were doing it. Dang they were slow! I remember how majestic that buck looked tending that doe. Then my opportunity came. He was right in front of me at 30 yards broadside. Everything was perfect when I let go.WHACK! Perfect hit.
He traveled pretty far after being double lunged. After 150 yards he jumped a sturdy 5 foot fence, and I started to doubt my shot. I found him in the thickest stuff ever about 50 yards from there. I could smell him before I found him.
I guess I'm over ranting about my $566 tag! It was worth it.
Other pics of the buck