Finally!!

Hunting seasons are also often like a box of chocolates, you just never know quite what you are going to get! After missing a really nice mature Iowa whitetail on November 11th my desire to get up at 4AM and head to the woods soared to new lows, but by the end of the week, I was ready to hit the woods again.

I headed to Southern Iowa on the 14th in time to sit that evening. It was a beautiful night as the winds died down towards the evening and I was able to watch a couple 2 1/2 year old's chase does, listen to some turkeys, and enjoy the sunset. I was only able to hunt the morning of the 15th so I was feeling a little of the "pressure" that comes from knowing the rut is winding down, I'd spent a lot of time in the woods, and I had nothing to show for it. 

The morning of the 15th I actually arrived to my stand a little later than usual, but even so, it did not take long for the deer to start moving. I was facing northeast and the deer soon started to pile out of the next field over and trickle down in front of me. After watching several deer (spikes and does) walk in front of me on a trail about twenty yards out a buck walking a trail that would end up being about 40 yards out caught my eye. I didn't have a ton of time to think about it, so I pulled up my bow, pulled back, looked the site, and let er' fly. Just under 40 yards away a less than perfect shot found it's mark and I couldn't be happier!

One of the many reasons I love bow hunting is because of the quiet after the storm. There were several deer in the area that had no idea about what had just happened. Deer kept streaming by the fence line this buck had piled up in. OF COURSE, as you would expect....I saw two really nice bucks during this deer parade, (one being a world class 10-12 point typical that came well within shooting range :) Never the less, I am so thankful for the opportunity to have harvested this deer, and for the friend who made it possible!

As you can see, this isn't a "world class" trophy buck. But it's about the experience. (and I would argue any buck taken with a bow is a trophy :) Don't get caught up this fall with having to hang a 180" deer on your wall. It's about the preparation, being able to spend extra time in God's creation, the sites and sounds that you only see during the rut. Not to mention sharing your moment and story with friends and family, that's what makes hunting so great and worth passing on to the next generation. 

Don't forget to include your family as much as you can! My kids were so excited to see me pull in and hear how it all happened. (Of course my wife was REALLY excited because that meant my tag was filled) Take them out with you! Have them "help" you put out your cameras, look at maps, set your stands, clear your food plots, pick out gear, and then of course be in the woods with you as soon as possible! Good luck to the many of you who are still out in the woods on a regular basis, until next time, JUST GET OUT THERE!

Bonus: Don't forget that each and every breath is a gift from God! James tells us that "life is a vapor," AKA it goes quick! So take advantage and be thankful for all the opportunities God has and will give you to spend time with your family, friends, and oh yeah...in the woods!

Great Expectations

This past week I headed to Southern Iowa with my dad in search of what every white tail hunter dreams of; a Pope & Young Southern Iowa Whitetail buck.

We set out from the Des Moines area just after lunch last Monday, November 4th, and by 4:00PM we were at our spot watching does feeding in a picked corn field. I was able to spot & stalk a doe down to what I thought was 40 yards....it ended up being 50 and I shot just under her.

Tuesday called for rain starting mid-morning so we were disappointed at the lack of movement right up until the rains started at around 10AM. It rained hard the rest of the day so we decided to drive around and do some glassing to see what was moving...there just was not much happening.

Wednesday morning came and as we arrived at our spot we could here the sound of deer on the move. While we were disappointed to have bumped so many deer, we were hopeful that this movement would continue on to shooting light.

As we settled in for the days hunt and the skies just started to lighten up, I noticed out of the corner of my eye movement along the edge of the field. Maybe 15 yards to my West a large bodied buck had gone right to the Tink's 69 Estrus I had hung out, my heart started to race. But it wasn't until he stepped out from my lure to put his nose on the ground to follow the trail I had laid in the field in front of me that I was able to see just what type of buck I was looking at. It was by far the biggest deer I had ever seen in the woods. I estimated in at 180", while another hunter who had seen it put it in the 170's. Either way, he was walking right in front of me just as legal shooting light was approaching. But while it was legal shooting light, it was still too dark for me to pick him out in my sight and had to watch with a heavy heart as went back into the woods. Another 140" deer came out from the same spot but didn't provide a shot. And that would be the last deer we would see all morning.

We decided to sit in a different spot that night and I'm so glad we did. We had deer moving within 5 yards of us (if you have never hunted on the ground (with the wind in your advantage of course, I HIGHLY recommend it!) as we were buried in some cedar trees in a fence line. I was watching two does coming m any way when I caught out of the corner of my eye a decent sized 8 pointer that had been staring at me from less than 10 yards away trying to figure out what I was. He took 3-4 steps closer to me and I couldn't believe I was this close to a mature deer on the ground. He looked the other way so I quickly pulled back my bow and went to pull up he saw me (he would have needed to be blind not to) and bounded off. That would be the last deer I would see on our trip.

HOWEVER, while this was happening, my 67 year old dad was in the middle of harvesting his first deer with a bow from 10 yards away on the ground and couldn't have been more excited. Certainly a trophy for him.
All in all it was a great trip even though I didn't harvest that 200" deer we all dream about this time of year, I was able to spend some extra time with my dad, see a lot of deer, and be there as my dad harvested his first archery buck.

I will posting on a regular basis again (with pictures) starting this week. Thanks for tuning in. I have 2-3 more days I can spend in the woods this week and the temperatures are going to be dropping big time! Until then, just get out there!