Great 2 days in Missouri

[Rhino]

After taking my big 8 on 11/1, I was on the sidelines in MO until the gun season opener on 11/10.  After making making a short trip home I arrived back in MO the afternoon of 11/9.  My buddy was still there bowhunting.  Although he hunted several areas most of his attention was in a area where we'd had a real nice typical 10 on cams.  That afternoon he saw him again.  Never got inside 70 yards.  Needless to say, he was headed there on 10/10 for the opener of the MO gun season.  Opening morning it was 13 degrees with a breeze so I wasn't going to sit in a tree.  I chose to hunt an area where I'd seen a 14 point that I also had on cams from ground level using my short pop out turkey blind and chair.  I set up inside the edge of a fresh cut corn field ~300 yards N of the S end and ~250 yards S of the N end.  The field is less then 100 yards wide.  Saw a nice 8 point opening morning along with several small bucks, a few does and lots of fawns.  Left the blind there and went back that afternoon.  My buddy had seen the big 10 but couldn't get a shot off with him in high gear behind a doe.  I saw more of the same including the same nice 8 I passed that morning except a lot closer for a a few pics this time.  Here's 2 of them.

About 3:45 though I heard a shot from my buddy's direction.  Neither one of us are hunting where we had a cell phone signal.  That evening when I arrived he is all smiles with his big 10 point.  I was thrilled for him.  He'd had terrible luck so far this year.  The plan was (as usual) get daylight pics the next day after my morning hunt.  With a perfect wind...back to the same spot.  I figured it was just a matter of time before either one of the 2 shooter bucks I was after in that area would show up behind a doe.  The morning started out pretty slow compared to the 1st morning.  I'd see a few small bucks early and a lot of fawns but not much else.  About 8:45 a doe appears close to one of my bow stands ~140 yards NW of me.  She eases in and the buck we'd just referred to as the 14 point appears behind her.  He turns broadside and starts working a lick branch.  I got that!  Lower the boom on him and he runs into the cut corn field falling ~10 yards from our farm road through it.   My kind of tacking and drag! 

I head back to camp to get my buddy.  1st words out of his mouth..."you must have killed...you're back too early".  I tell him the story then we go get mine.  We've been hunting together for ~30 years now and this is the 1st time we'd ever had the opportunity get pics together of trophy bucks.  His 10 point gross scores 155 3/8"...my 13 point scores 156 7/8".  The 14th point (a short kicker point) was partly broken off with 3/4" left so 13 points score.

It was a GREAT deer season for me in Missouri this year!  Tagged out there now...time to hunt the MS home turf.

[MUDRUNNER]

Geez Rhino....couple of great bucks. Congrats! Seems like you guys have that farm dialed in.

If he makes it that 8 is going to be a giant next year. You have more patience than I do lol.

[wtnhunt]

Congratulations again Al.  Great season for you and great deer, both yours and your buddies.  

[Rhino]

Thanks guys...bagging that big, wide 8 on Nov. 1st made it easier to pass this 8.  If I hadn't, this one would have taken a dirt nap.

[Ravin R10 man]

GREAT is an understatement. AWESOME season  is closer to what you guy's had

[fly]

Truly amazing! You all are sure doing something right!

[bennet0120]

Congrats! That's an awesome haul.

[DowninWhiteys]

Great Bucks.