Rhino Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Oh boy where do I start...to say the least I had a fantastic bowhunt in Iowa this year. Lots of deer seen along with the biggest buck I've ever seen alive. Dwarfed my official B&C buck that I have on the wall from 2004. Also a lot of young bucks seen with a fair percentage of mature bucks. All total I saw 78 bucks from the stand with 7 of those 4 1/2 years old or older. On most of the days I stayed in the woods from daylight to dark. I took one afternoon off when the temp went above 70 so with the exception of scouting and hanging stands the 1st day I spent 10 1/2 days hunting on this trip. The biggest buck I saw was on my 3rd morning hunting. This buck caused me to make myself stay an extra 5 days in the Iowa woods. It was about 8:30 in the morning when I saw him herding a doe up against a river but on the wrong side for me. This buck took my breath away and really shook me up for the rest of the day. Watching this buck on the opposite side of the river for about 45 minutes bordered on torture for a hard core whitetail hunter. He's easily over 200" but due to the distance the pics I took of him are a little fuzzy. I honestly think he would net 200 typical. The incredible mass of this buck doesn't show up well in the pics. The closest he was from my stand was about 75 yards. He's a main frame 6x6 with kickers. Brow tines are in the 10"+ range with G2's and 4's also in the 10"+ range too. His G3's were a little longer in the 11"+ range. G5's were about 5" and 6". That's my conservative estimate anyway. His spread was in the 20" range with his main beams over 26". There was only 4" to 5" tip to tip between the end of his main beams. I know, hard to believe but I have a 27" main beam buck on the wall so I know what one looks like. Both G2's had nice kickers on them, especially the right one. You can easily see the kicker on the left G2 in the left blowup pic below but remember, that 1st tall tine you see in that pic is a brow tine. What doesn't show up in any pics, thanks to the distance is the row of sticker points he has facing forward on the extra long brow tines. I've put my 4 best pics together and blown up the best of the 2 showing a frontal view and a profile view of this monster buck. I know I sounded like a babbling idiot that evening trying to tell my friends about this encounter. All in all I had several close encounters with mature bucks but unfortunately the ones in range had busted tines. These 2 pics of the buck below are of one that was inside the 25 yard line 3 different times. These pics were taken on his 2nd visit while he was only 6 steps from my tree. As you can see the right brow tine and G2 are broken off. The beep from my camera got him to look up and smile for the camera. Here's a pic of a 9 point I passed up on the last afternoon. He's a 3 year old and should make a fine buck in a year or 2. He was just inside the 30 yard line when I took this pic. The last picture is a shooter I got one afternoon on one of my trail cameras. I never saw him. The ironic thing is at the time this buck stepped in front of the trail camera I was hunting in the woods covering a funnel about 60 yards due east of that big oak tree you see behind this buck's tail. Just my luck he chose to go in the cut corn rather than pass through the funnel that afternoon. One other exciting encounter with another great mature buck was on my 5th afternoon hunting. I didn't get picks because I was trying to get a shot at him. Even with a broken G3 on his left side he was easily still over 150" gross. He was about 20"wide, G2's between 13" & 14", the right G3 was about 12", left G3 only had about 2 1/2" left on it, G4's were about 6", with a bright bone white rack. He also had a kicker of his right G2 and 2 kickers of the left G2 adding up to 13 measurable points. When I saw him he was traveling a trail that would leave him at least 75 yards to the east of my stand. I gave him a growl followed by 2 guteral grunts to get his attention. Worked like a charm. He turned and walked toward me hanging up on a high spot a little over 40's yards east of my stand. No clear shot there either. He stood there for about 5 minutes looking for that other buck he heard before turning and walking off. Dang...close but no cigar. Sorry for the long post but I really only hit the high points of my 12 days up there. Oh...yea I ate my tag but it was a fantastic hunt. Seeing that big 200+ class buck was worth the trip on its own. I will remember that hunt forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Sounds like you had a great time, Rhino. Were you at an outfitter's or were you on your own?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinch314 Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Good times good times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Looks like some great bucks!I would say that was a great hunt from the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Wow. I feel heartbroken, and I wasn't even there! Great story Alan. There's still a lot of excitement in your "voice." Those are some tremendous bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted November 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Great story Alan. There's still a lot of excitement in your "voice." Your right Chris. I'm still going it over and over in my mind. Took me several hours to go through my notes and type up hunting journal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Sounds like quite a trip Al. Some really nice bucks there, what a great experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 WOW WOW WOW!! We was just wondering about you the other day, we figured you was chasing monster whitetails. Sounds as if we was RIGHT ON!! Sounds like you have a great hunt. Thanks for the pics.....yup that buck is a MONSTER :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kid Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 them all were dandys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whttlbucksteve Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 That is a great looking buck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WEBBY Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 great pics bud!! WOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogg6 Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Great pics and thanks for sharing the story of your trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrow32 Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Sounds like you had an awesome hunt!! Hunt of a lifetime right there without taking a deer. That first buck is a monster sure would like to see one like that one day. Nice pics and thanks for sharing the great story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Sounds like you had a great hunt! Great story also! That buck is definitely a monster. BTW- You're back just in time to hunt the Mississippi rut! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest adrenaline_junky Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Great pics and a great story. Sounds like you had an awesome hunt. This story just goes to show that you don't have to tag-out to have a great time in Whitetail Country. Maybe next time good luck to you this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcs3344 Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 what an awesome hunt and story and some great pics to go along with it ! great hunt get em next year ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Great pictures with a great report, Al! It just goes to show that you don't have to kill anything to have a great hunt. I had the same experience this year in Illinois and Kansas. My only regret is that I did not get any pictures of the action. I saw some giants from afar and passed on many bucks that would have turned some heads that did come into shooting range. One close Illinois encounter where a little fork horn messed up the chance of killing a 170 typical from the ground still has me second guessing the should of, could of, would of's ! It was almost deja vu when I rattled in a 150 class from 200 yards across a cut bean field only to have a doe bust me from behind as I positioned for the shot. That was in Kansas. The hard part for me as I am sure it is for you is the fact that once you pretty much get it figured out it is time to come home. Regardless, the experience will last a lifetime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointing_dogs_rule Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Nice pics and congrats on pasing up those smaller bucks. Living here in Iowa I also pass on those and encourage others too pass also. It takes alot, however, it is worth it in the future. Where in Iowa do you hunt?? I am in northeast Iowa. PM me if you want. good lcuk to all the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest J-Daddy Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Sounds like you had fun here in Iowa...If you dont mind me asking what county were you hunting in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted November 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 The hard part for me as I am sure it is for you is the fact that once you pretty much get it figured out it is time to come home. That's true ruttinbuc but I'll be back again to apply what I learned about that property. That's the 1st time I set foot on it. It may take 3 years to draw a tag again there but I took plenty of notes. BTW, sounds like you had a great hunt too ruttinbuc. Dog, I'm sworn to secrecy about where I was hunting. All I can say is southeastern Iowa. Some property I used to hunt up there was taken over by an outfitter after he found out about the big deer on it. Can't risk loosing access to this place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 It was a great hunt Rhino...! My plans are for Iowa next year. I have done a bit of research on some state land and a federal piece that is hardly noticed. I will have to see about the return to Illinois or Kansas. My Kansas trip was the second time in, but to be honest I was a bit disappointed. In 2004 I saw one other hunter. This year there were quite a few and it did make me change up the game plan a bit. I guess word gets out and before you know it..... I don't blame anyone for keeping their spots a mystery in todays game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest J-Daddy Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Rhino, that's cool man I understand...I was just wondering what are of the state you were in...I figured it was southern Iowa since that's where 99.9% of the big boys are. I'm in N.W. Iowa, we got alot of pheasents but not alot of B&C Bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Insane! I cant imagine seeing that many "Shooters!" Awesome pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griz Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Alan that is awesome... Great pics and story to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSGB Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Great pics and a cool story to go along. Sounds like an awesome hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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