abrown

Don't feel bad, I'm in the same boat. You have to look at it another way though, what's the possibilty of a MUY GRANDE showing up, one that you've never seen! WHAT IF!!

I'd say Illinois, Iowa, and then Cananda. As far as hunting early, yes, I've seen a bachelor group in late September. You could have set your watch my them, come 5 p.m., they where in the field within in 30 minutes. Also I have had the opportunity to talk to a hunter that hunts public land, and I've heard the same story, hit em early season, cause once the rush starts they go nocturnal. I'd agree with him, cause his proof you can wrap your hands around! I also believe you hunt where the pressure isn't, cause big deer don't get big for being stupid, rut no doubt increases your odds. If you look at alot of the places they shoot those big bucks during rut, the hunting pressure is minium at best.

I use the KISS method of aging! LOL If you kill him now, you'll never know what he could have been. If you let him live, and he gets bigger, you might want to give him more time. Personally, I'd say atleast 1 if not 2. If he is just 2.5 or 3.5, wait till 5.5 or 6.5 for them to reach their full potential. Genetics no doubt plays a role, but letting them age plays more of a role.

I love my Wasp BOSS SST 100 gr. 3 blades. I had a complete pass through on a cow elk last year at 55 yrds. I believe I have the elk heart posted on my profile. I do buy rubber O-rings from Lowes that allows me to align my blades with my fletchings though. I had to dig an arrow out of the intestines of the 6.5 yr old buck that's on my avatar, he was at 15 yrds. Blood trails without a doubt are awesome to have, but accuracy and watching them fall is better!

LOL, too early. I talked to outfitters that keep their feeders filled all summer. I've decided to try it, and haven't pulled any wall hangers in yet, but we'll see.

That's a good question. I was elk hunting up there during Labor Day week, and ended up hunting the first two days of muzzleloading season with my bow, but wasn't quite sure if I was legal, cause they didn't explain it in their regs.

I purchased mine in early spring, discounted left overs. I would also look at ground clearance. My dad and I run a spraying business, mainly native pastures/prairie. We pull 80-110 gallon sprayers with them. We run Artic Cats, because the ground clearance on them was the highest, which made ALOT of difference on keeping the maintence down. Don't really need skid plates if it sits high enough off the ground.

I wish I had the O.D. channel. My wife sure wouldn't though. Hey, do you eastern boys ever get tired of coming out here to the midwest hunting our deer? LOL

Congrads! Looks awesome, like the white on the shoulder too!

I don't think deer will choose acorns over soybeans. Beans are ALOT higher in nutrients and easier to digest than acorns. I have seen deer go out their way to hit white oaks over red and black oak groves, just mainly because there less in botanic acid. We have problems with crop deprivation on beans. Not to mention they hit them from the time the leaves start turning till after the harvest.

Good point, I planted seed that's from a local seed company, Johnston Seed. It's always good to get seed that's specific for your area.

I actually chanced it, I planted mine this week, a little early, but September will be busy with elk season then Kansas season starting. I'm hoping to get a little rain, it's actually raining now, but don't know how much it will though. You have atleast another month. My in-laws will usually start harvesting beans around late September, and get the wheat no-tilled before October.

I was scouting a place I have permission to hunt two years ago in Kansas, I was watching a bachelor group of bucks feeding in a Soy Bean field, this was September time frame. They where munching down on the leaves like it was NO BODIES business! That was just my observation, I'm sure they where eating the beans also, but I saw em eating leaves too, ALOT.

Same here, 5 also.

That's EXACTLY what I do, I have a step process I do also. 1. Anchor point, 2. Relax bow arm 3. Level bow 4. Check which pin I'm going to use, TWICE! 5. Sling an arrow! LOL Also sometimes you have to figure in movement. It works, I shot a cow elk last year in a matter of seconds, her, a calf, and another cow, with a big bull, winded us, broke out, I mewed, she stopped, 55 yards, but she stopped for a second looking for the others.

I'm in the same boat, I have 160 acres. I find if I lessin the pressure during the harder times, aka, muzzle loader and rifle season, sometime I'll get good bucks that'll hide out on me. I also hammer the does during early bow season, and leave them alone as season passes. Obviously farther into season, more does = greater chance to have a big buck cruising your property. I don't shoot any young bucks, so what if the neighbor shoots em, I did my part and gave em a chance, they can't shoot all the young bucks I pass up!!! As for the dogs go, I'm pretty sure if you talked to the local gamewarden with the landowner you might have more luck in getting enforcement on the dog situation, but I'm thinking you may have already taken that approach?

What unit, bow or rifle?

That's one thing I like about my job. I was walking the beach the other day talking to boaters, getting them to pick up their trash, ran into two guys, started talking to them. I told them I was ate up with deer hunting, and have never shot a booner, so they ask for a business card. They said they'd give me a call, and shooting one on them would be NO PROBLEM! LOL, I'd like to claim that I'm not holding my breathe, but I am! I also found out that I have permission to hunt MORE land in southern Kansas, cause the gentleman isn't guiding hunts this year!

Hope I get to compete, I just found out I have more land in Kansas to bowhunt, and what's even better about it, I live 30 minutes away!

When I was young my dad kept telling me we'd go, we never did, until last year. We went for the first time last year with a bow, either sex OTC elk tag. I was on a GOOD bull, only 2 miles off the road! We ended up going back the last weekend, and I nailed a cow, I had two opportunities at shooting an elk, and well, the second one I scored. It was awesome, and we plan on going back for a long time, as long as they sell OTC tags.

LOL, guess I won't be entering, I'm still a year or so from reaching 100 posts!

Let me know if you decide to, where and when, I might be able to give you some advice.

How does the contest work? Pictures? Antlered only, what they score?

I'm farther west, I hunt west and east of Arkansas City, where the Arkansas River runs into Oklahoma. I hunt in Osage and Kay county in Oklahoma, Cowley and Sumner County in Kansas. In Osage there's several ranches +30,000 acres. So I find it kind of funny how people back east brag about having 1,000 acres. When you hunt one pasture that's 800 acres, it kind of spoils you. You and I know it only takes 80 acres if that to hold a BIG BUCK, if they have food, water, and cover. Especially when they get pressured, they hide ANYWHERE!

Bama, I hunt in northern Oklahoma, southern Kansas and Colorado.