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Fishinaggie88
Crappie
Username: Fishinaggie88

Post Number: 502
Registered: 8-2004


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Posted on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 - 9:43 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

This is a rifle deer hunt and shotgun bird hunt. I will try to keep semi short, Sorry there are no Pixeles, the "significant other" missplaced the camera and did not find it until after I had left.

Left last Tuesday evening and drove to Sterling, KS (about 9.5-10 hour drive, 1.5 hrs NW of Wichita)at my buddy Bret's house. Some of you know his story. He is the one who was in the accident a couple years ago and is now confined to a wheel chair. Luckily I was ahead of the weather and it was not a factor. In fact I never saw a flake where I was and could have used some snow to help the bird hunting later in the week.

Got up Wednesday (opening day) to a houling wind (20mph with gusts to 35mph) and temperatures in the mid teens. A bit chilly. Got ready and we (Bret, his dad, and myself) made it down to Brets land we deer hunt on. Of course when we unloaded Brets 4 wheel drive electric wheel chair it died on us with an error code we could not figure out so I had to run back to the house to get his other chair. We lost some time and the advantage of stealth mode as we then had to drive the truck up to Bret's box blind to unload him and his stuff. Usually he is able to park 0.5 miles away and make a silent approach.

Called after the mornign hunt and figured out the error code and was able to use the chair the rest of the week,

Long story short, with the wind the deer were not moving much and only 4 deer were seen. Bret's dad took a cull 5 pt and a doe.

Things were even slower Thurday as the wind stayed up and the temps dropped a bit, We only saw3 and no-one had a shot.

Left Sterling and went with another friend 3.5 hours NW to Norton KS, for some bird hunting. Luckily the wind was not blowing the rest of the week and made bird hunting bearable.

This is usually a very good pheasant area but apparantly the drought in W KS had affected this area as well because bird numbers were way down, The two of us hunted hard two days and only ended up with 3 Pheasant. Of course we were short on dogs, My 14 year old GSP was only good for a short hunt in the am and then was done for the day and his 14 month old Setter was not quite up to speed. Overall it was good to be hunting but the bird numbers were dissapointing.

Drive back to Sterling Saturday am to find out that with the wind dropping the deer movement had significanlty increased. Bret had killed a nice deer that morning (nothing like the 160 class 10 pt drop tine he killed last year) but a repectable mature 8 pt in the 130ish class.

We went out Sunday am to a beautiful if chilly morning (no wind, 10 degrees F) We hunted till midday and together we saw about 30 deer. There were 5 of us this morning. There were a couple nice buck missed and I killed a cull, smalish racked 8 pt that should have been bigger for his age and a doe. I saw and missjudged a 160+ buck that I passed on at about 200 yards. He was so big bodied I did not think his rack was that big, Bret saw him but did not have a shot and told me I really screwed up by not taking a shot at him, He "was definatly a wall hanger" I was sick about it but, oh well.

Cleaned deer and threw them in the ice chest nnd heaed back to TX.

Was a good trip with good friends. Long drive but worth it. With the bird had cooperated and I had not missjudged that big one but I guess that is hunting.

Bret is doing great and adjusting to life in a wheelchair. Has killed two deer, a turkey, several pheasant and quail and dove since the accident and it is great to see the smile on his face., He was going to make an elk trip to NM this year but ended up in the hospital with an infection when he was supposed to go. Maybe next year.
Love to fish and hunt.
Picou
Lunker
Username: Picou

Post Number: 2086
Registered: 8-2004


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Posted on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 - 5:25 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Great recap Greg... Congrats on the successful trip and harvested animals... Bummer on passing that big boy but you will know better next time. :-) Thanks for writing the recap.
Thank you Lord for my family and the waters I get to fish
Bluecat
Bluegill
Username: Bluecat

Post Number: 110
Registered: 8-2004


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Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 10:14 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I'm trying to find a good lease in Kansas. Anybody know how to go about finding a good one?

Good recap
M&M
Retires Afield
Bigun
Lunker
Username: Bigun

Post Number: 1176
Registered: 8-2004


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Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 12:01 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Great recap Greg. At least you seen some bucks. Bird hunting was slow for us south of Great Bend also. Not due to lack of numbers but because they were so dang wild. I've never seen wilder birds in my life this year. They would literally start flying as soon as the truck would hit the dirt road. That extra week of hunting they added on really got them educated quick I guess.

Bluecat, I really don't have any sources for this. I know you don't want to go to Bowsite and ask though. :-)
Quit being a mad, little bald man!

Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

I forgot the CAMERA!
Picou
Lunker
Username: Picou

Post Number: 2102
Registered: 8-2004


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Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 5:50 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Them geese in Kansas wear bullet proof vests... :-)
Thank you Lord for my family and the waters I get to fish

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