Thoughts From the Kansas Prairie
All hunting stories
So, according to Wired To Hunt, the rut should be late this year due to the “rutting moon” predicted to happen on November 17th, way later then most years. Now, for me, I like a late rut because that means the deer are still a little crazy during rifle season here in Kansas. Keeps them moving around later in the season.
So what do you guys think? Do you like a late rut?
I’ve been waiting to see how the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission was going to vote on a few new regulations. It’s now legal to use a crossbow during deer archery season. They also dropped the rifle cartridge limit, so all those new AR owners can now use them to hunt during rifle season.
I’m waiting for the actual regs to be posted on the KS Wildlife and Parks web site, but if this article on Kansas.com is factual, the new regs say any centerfire cartridge is now legal. Here’s the quote:
Any centerfire rifle or handgun cartridge can now be used for big game hunting during the appropriate firearm season.
I’m not totally sure what I think of that. While I don’t have a problem with a .223, I’m not sure a 9mm pistol cartridge should be legal. I know that it’s all about placement, but really? I’ll guess we see. Overall, I think most of the new regs are a good deal. The good wife is excited about taking her crossbow out.
What do you guys think about the new regulations?
So I’m doing some chores this last Saturday, I go out to the front porch and see a beautiful rooster pheasant casually stroll out of the front flower bed. I casually back into the house and frantically search for my camera. Here are a few shots as I followed him down the street. The first two shots are through my front window.
Now, mind you, I’m in the middle of our suburb here in town. Not sure how he managed to get himself lost back in here, but he’ll have a time getting himself back out, our area doesn’t have a straight street to be found. He was a beautiful bird, I hope he finds his way back out.
We just returned from our 4 day hunting trip, the Good Wife and I. We had a blast this year, it was a great year. The Good Wife got her first deer. Keith’s dad took the best buck of his hunting career. And a new deer hunter, Keith’s son, nearly shot his first. With a flintlock none the less!
It was truly great seeing my wife shoot her first whitetail deer. She took a great shot. It was nice 10 point, but one brow tine was completely broke off and another tine was half gone. Still, a nice buck for her first deer. Nicely done my dear!
Keith’s father, Wes, shot a really nice looking muley this year. The best of he’s ever shot. And he has shot a deer almost every year he’s hunted. We’re talking over 40 years here. I would have like to have seen it play out, he had to stalk it a bit and hold the shot for several minutes until the muley buck came out from behind some bushes. Nice 70 yd shot with a cap and ball muzzleloader, that he built by the way.
The photos are below, hope you enjoy. Let us know how you did this year.
So another muzzleloading season has come and gone, and my luck has proved itself out again.
I spent 4 days in Meade County the first week of the season and only saw deer 1 of those days. I made a quick trip out to El Dorado reservoir on the last Saturday of the season and came up short there also.
In Meade, I was hunting a silage field. They had a test cut through the center of the crop circle and the irrigation pivot was leaking so there was a nice little marsh of fresh water that I was sure the deer would come in to. I sat off the pivot about 30 yards watching back to the east figuring the deer would come in from that direction since the generator for the irrigation equipment was running and sitting at the west entrance to the cut.
Sure enough, about 30 minutes before sundown, a small 4 point buck stepped out of the crop about 150 yards or so and walked away from me to the east. He was joined by a few does who came in from the east entrance. I watched them for nearly 20 minutes before they spooked at something (probably me) and ran out of the cut.
I set back and contemplated my plans for the next day’s hunt, figuring I’d need to move my stand further east in the cut.
Have you ever had that feeling something was watching you out on the stand? As I was sitting there thinking, I happened to glance towards the pivot and there he is, a nice 8 point standing there watching me. I’m frozen in place as I’m caught totally off guard.
I slowly pull the rifle up to my shoulder. He doesn’t move. I pull the hammer back. He’s still there. I set the trigger. He doesn’t flinch. I pull the trigger…
My view is blocked by the black powder smoke as there was practically no breeze that night but I can hear him crashing through the crop back to the east. While reloading I’m thinking how bad I don’t want to have to try to track the buck through that silage. He was so close, there’s no way I could have missed, I’m sure of it.
A bit later I see him step out of the silage into the cut. He’s about 100 yards or so and walking away. He stops, turns and looks back down the cut towards me. I’m frozen again. I’m afraid to move thinking he’ll run so I hunker down and glass him watching to see what he’ll do.
“Drop! C’mon, drop!” I say to whoever…
I watch him for over thirty minutes, until it gets too dark to see. So I get my flashlight and head down the cut to see what’s up. Meanwhile I had texted Keith to let him know I thought I had a deer down. I get to the place I think he should be…
Nothing. Nothing! No deer, no blood.
I keep walking, nothing. I don’t see a trail at all. As I meet Keith at the east end of the circle he asks if it was a nice looking 8-10 point. Yeah.
“Well, he was just in my head lights and then took off across the next field to the east. He didn’t look hurt to me.” Keith says.
That can’t be right! I’ve been to the range, the gun was shooting fine. I can’t believe it.
The next day I do some target practice, trying to figure out what happened. I set up a steel target at 25 yards ad put a square of orange duct tape on it. First shot, dead on. Next shot, 4 inches to the left. Next shot, dead on. Then 4 inches to the left.
I check the front sight and find that it’s moving back and forth about a 1/16th of an inch. So sometime between my range time and the hunt, I must have knocked it loose. So really, it was the gun.
I didn’t see any deer the rest of the hunt or the last Saturday. I blew it by not checking my equipment over before going into the field. Stupid mistake.
Oh well, there’s always December right?
My favorite weekend of the year is coming up! Dove opener on Labor Day weekend is the kick off to the hunting season for me. I’m so ready this year to hit the fields. Heading out west to Meade, Kansas to do some dove hunting with my buddy Keith and youngest daughter Maria. I’m also going to do a bit of scouting for the muzzleloading deer season later in September. Can’t wait!
Anyone else heading out this weekend? Where you all going?
As you may not from previous posts, I love vintage knives, of all kinds. My father picked up a Schrade Old Timer 150T “Deerslayer” the other day at an auction. It’s definitely seen some use, and misuse as well. The sheath is pretty rough and looks like something has been chewing on it. The knife itself is in decent shape, but the blade does have some discoloring. But it has a great edge to it.
I thought it was a rather strange shape for the blade as the top 3/4 inch of the blade has an edge much like current tactical or fighting knives do. Doing some research, that isn’t how these knives were made. So that has been added. Most likely, the tip was broken and that was the fix decided upon.
I’m wondering how this might make for a hunting/skinning knife? That tip mod might come in handy when field dressing a deer. It might. Or it just might get in the way. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. The knife has a good feel and a nice heft. It’s certainly sturdy enough to handle dressing a deer. I like the finger guard on the bottom and the thumb placement indention on the top of blade. The only concern there is the thumb indention is serrated, so that could be bothersome with long use.
I would love to know the story behind this knife, who used it and what for. That’s the real interesting part of collecting old knives and guns, the history behind it and the owner.