WHERE TO FIND THE BIG BUCKS

A Missed Opportunity

EDITOR'S NOTE: This week we'll look at the deer hunter's Valhalla. The state of Kansas has produced some of the biggest bucks in the nation, and this week we'll look at the stories and photos of hunters who've hunted with Brad Harris and Tad Brown, members of the Outland staff, which produces Lohman's and M.A.D.'s game calls.

I hunted for four days with Mossy Oak pro staffer Tad Brown. Every day I saw bucks, and he had two opportunities to take a really nice buck. For the next two days, I'll tell you what I thought about my Kansas hunt. "I've hunted with Brad Harris and the folks at Lohman's a couple of times in Kansas. I've always seen big bucks, and I've always taken a buck, but I've never taken one of those real Kansas gorillas. I will say, however, on both my previous Kansas hunts, I missed at least one, and on one hunt, two really huge Kansas bucks. So, on this trip, I hoped to finally connect."

The first morning Tad and I hunted together, the weather turned really cold. We climbed into our stand before daylight. "We hunted near a green field and saw some small 4- and 6-point bucks and a few does. Before good daylight, we heard coyotes howl. And, I told Brown that if a coyote showed up, I planned to take him. Then Brown warned, "The guides have spotted a 130-class 8-point coming to this field. You may want to let the coyotes walk if you see one, because you could really take a nice buck on this stand."

I agreed to not shoot a coyote. At about 9:30 a.m., I heard the leaves rustling off to my right. As I turned, I spotted a huge buck not 30 yards away running straight for my tree stand. Before I could lift my gun up, the buck stopped right under my tree not 15 feet below me. I knew if I moved, I'd spook him. But as quick as he had stopped, he ran again and made a sharp left-hand turn after taking only three or four steps. As the buck vanished, I heard more footsteps. Looking quickly to my right, I saw the coyote that had been chasing him. I grunted at the coyote with my Lohman's MAD Twist Deer Call. The coyote looked up, spotted me and ran off. Within a minute and a half, I heard more footsteps. This time a second coyote showed up. This coyote had very little hair on his tail and looked like he had a severe case of the mange. Then he vanished. And for the rest of the day, I saw nothing.

That night I was discouraged knowing I'd had an opportunity to take a big 8-point and couldn't get off a shot. Over the next two days, Tad and I saw bucks almost every day we hunted. Although I could have taken several bucks that would have scored 90 to 110 on the B&C scale, the only trophy bucks I saw were well out of range. However, the night before the last morning of the hunt, Harris said he had two spots where I felt he could take that Kansas buck I'd wanted for so long.

For more information about Outland Sports, call (417)451-4438, or see the website at www.outlandsports.com.

TOMORROW: PHILLIPS GETS HIS BUCK