Skully
PMA Member
Well, my season started off different this year. I was vacationing down at Lake of The Ozarks when the early muzz tags went on sale in August. Who knew they would be sold out in 3 days? 
I was very upset as I had scored nicely the past few years during that early season. Ends up the weather wasn't great during that week anyway so that helped take the sting out of it a little bit. :grin: It also gave me more time to get some firewood cut and things done around the farm to prepare for winter and the upcoming rut. I held off hunting much early but with the dropping temps and N.W. winds Nov. 5th had me deciding to take a vacation day as I had been seeing some chasing going on. It was a crisp morning and there was your basic doe movement but I saw no rut activity that morning. My sightings of mature does with very small fawns had me thinking that a lot of does must have been bred late last year. I have witnessed several fawns still nursing which is something I had not seen much of in Novembers past. Around 9:00am I decided to get down and get some breakfast, then move to another spot that was perfect for the NW wind. Getting busted by three does while walking in would normally discourage me but this time of year I have learned to keep my chin up as anything can happen at any time. Around 2:30 I caught a glimpse of white tines moving through the plumb thicket and I used my Primos buck roar to get his attention. With the wind blowing 15-20 mph I wasn't sure he knew where the sound came from so I decided to knock some antlers together. Within seconds he was headed in my direction with ears back, hairs bristled, and his legs stiff. He stopped to rake his rack on a mulberry tree and then continued in my direction. At 6 yards he stopped and scanned the draw looking for the source of the fight giving me a nice broadside shot. I punched one through both of his lungs and he trotted about 30 yds. and bedded down. I watched as his head sunk lower, and lower to the ground and I knew he was mine. He had nearly 21 inches of inside spread and a body like a horse! He was a great mature eight point to take out of the gene pool and he gave me the shakes just like any wise,old, rutted up Iowa whitetail should!:way: Being a landowner in Iowa is great as I can continue hunting for another rut-crazed buck and I have some doe management to take care of too. Good luck to all of you still hunting and congrats to all who have enjoyed wrapping a tag so far! :drink2:
I was very upset as I had scored nicely the past few years during that early season. Ends up the weather wasn't great during that week anyway so that helped take the sting out of it a little bit. :grin: It also gave me more time to get some firewood cut and things done around the farm to prepare for winter and the upcoming rut. I held off hunting much early but with the dropping temps and N.W. winds Nov. 5th had me deciding to take a vacation day as I had been seeing some chasing going on. It was a crisp morning and there was your basic doe movement but I saw no rut activity that morning. My sightings of mature does with very small fawns had me thinking that a lot of does must have been bred late last year. I have witnessed several fawns still nursing which is something I had not seen much of in Novembers past. Around 9:00am I decided to get down and get some breakfast, then move to another spot that was perfect for the NW wind. Getting busted by three does while walking in would normally discourage me but this time of year I have learned to keep my chin up as anything can happen at any time. Around 2:30 I caught a glimpse of white tines moving through the plumb thicket and I used my Primos buck roar to get his attention. With the wind blowing 15-20 mph I wasn't sure he knew where the sound came from so I decided to knock some antlers together. Within seconds he was headed in my direction with ears back, hairs bristled, and his legs stiff. He stopped to rake his rack on a mulberry tree and then continued in my direction. At 6 yards he stopped and scanned the draw looking for the source of the fight giving me a nice broadside shot. I punched one through both of his lungs and he trotted about 30 yds. and bedded down. I watched as his head sunk lower, and lower to the ground and I knew he was mine. He had nearly 21 inches of inside spread and a body like a horse! He was a great mature eight point to take out of the gene pool and he gave me the shakes just like any wise,old, rutted up Iowa whitetail should!:way: Being a landowner in Iowa is great as I can continue hunting for another rut-crazed buck and I have some doe management to take care of too. Good luck to all of you still hunting and congrats to all who have enjoyed wrapping a tag so far! :drink2:
