Rut Update November 21st

I haven't been out in the woods or really talked to anyone who has been hunting recently, but from what I have observed driving to and from work the big bucks have been on lock down the past week or so.  During this period the big boys aren't cruising as much but the little bucks really chase.  Because the bucks have been on lock down with hot does the past week or so, a good majority of the does have been bred.  Now is the time the big boys should be more visible looking for hot does.

There was also a little excitement at the farm this past weekend.  My niece (Megan) was hunting and came in on Sunday around 11 AM and let everyone know that she shot a good buck.  She watched him run out of sight and her and her boyfriend came back to the house.  Megan was not quite sure she put a great shot on him, but her boyfriend who was with her thought it was pretty good and said there was blood where Megan had shot the deer.

After looking at some trail camera pictures, Megan's boyfriend determined that he thought she shot a big 3 1/2 year old that was off limits.....Randy Savage.  Randy Savage is a deer that has the potential to jump from a 160" deer to a 180" deer next year.

I suggested to give the buck 2-3 hours before we go back out and look for this buck based on Megan's thought that she put a marginal shot on the deer.  Well, after an hour had passed, the bf wanted to go look.  I had made my recommendation, but there was no convincing otherwise..........so we picked up the trail.

After following a very light blood trail for a couple hundred yards, the trail started to pick up and we found the arrow......good bright red lung blood.  The arrow only penetrated about 4-6 inches and this is when I knew we were in trouble.  Then after looking at the blood after the arrow fell out, I could definitely tell the blood was pretty fresh and suggested that maybe we should get out........but I was out voted.

Long story short, we found where the buck had layed down and then no blood.  The posse grid searched the area for about 3 hours and never found the buck or anymore blood.  Because we never found the deer, I cannot confirm that the buck Megan shot was Randy Savage.  Hopefully this spring we will come across his sheds and he will show back up on camera.

When I guide hunters or hunt with my wife at LJS Hunting Lodge, I always emphasize five keys to finding the deer after the shot:

1. See where your arrow hit the deer
2. Was it a pass through?  If not, how much of your arrow was hanging out of the deer
3. Watch how the deer acts as it runs off.
• Did it kick and take off (heart/lung shot)
• Did it run a little ways and then stop and walk with it's tail down (gut/liver shot)
4. Watch the direction the deer runs
5. Listen, you may hear the deer go down

If you feel like your shot was less than perfect, you need to back out and give the deer some time.  What's the difference if you wait 6 hours to recover your deer?  The difference could be actually finding him.

My analysis on Megan's shot was that she hit the deer a little forward (which she thought is where she hit the deer) and probably caught some shoulder or rib.  Due to the lack of penetration, she probably only got one lung.  I did a little research on single lung hits, and here is what Bill Winke said in a response in the "Ask Winke" section of Midwest Whitetail:

"The only shot that is very hard to recover that causes death most of the time is the single-lung hit.  I try really hard to avoid that.  If I think I might get just one lung, I try and wait for an angle where I can get the liver too.  That usually results in a quick kill."

Remember the five tips above when you shoot a big buck.  It is always better to back out and be cautious than to bump a wounded buck and never find him.

Muddyhunter

Rut Action

After the past week and a half being pretty slow in southern Iowa and northern Missouri, the action is finally picking up.

My buddy Chad Lathrop shot a nice 11 pointer on the Muddy Ranch this morning.

Chad's buck


 My Wisconsin friend Tom shot a great buck in Missouri today as well.




Tom's buck

To top it off, Shawn Luchtel from Heartland Bowhunter who was hunting a farm outside of Albia the past week shot a nice buck last night.  I got a chance to hang out with the HB boys and share deer stories on Sunday evening.  Great guys!

Shawn's buck

I also heard today that Bill Winke shot a giant 190"+ buck.  I am sure Bill will update his daily video blog with an update on his hunt today.  The big bucks are for sure on their feet. 

Now with the does coming into heat, more big bucks on their feet, responding to calls, and cruising for hot does I am pushing Katie to get back in the stand this weekend to try and knock one down.

The next 3-5 days should be great.  This is the type of action I was expecting last week, but warm temps have kept does from coming into heat and big bucks knew the does weren't ready.....now they are.

Muddyhunter

Rut Update November 7th - First Bow Buck

The archery season has come to an end for me.  I shot four does and one nice mature buck.  The deer still don't seem to be chasing yet.  Katie still has her tag, so there could be some hunting left in store for her.

Today was my brothers last day in the stand, and he got it done!  I put Ryan in the Logging Road stand this morning and after a few hours, he got a shot at a young 8 pointer.  The buck came in following two does.  The buck stopped at 30 yards and Ryan took the shot.  The arrow hit home....a perfect double lung shot.  The buck ran 60 yards and expired. 

Ryan just purchased a bow this summer and participated in quite a few 3D shoots with me to get ready for deer season.  Now that Ryan has gotten his first deer, he is a deer hunting fanatic.....I have created a monster!

Plans are already being made for next year.  I am going to try to do some new bow and product reviews in the next month or two.

Muddyhunter

Rut Report November 3rd - Big Buck Down

Yesterday (November 2^nd) started out slow with a hunt on the logging road.  There were a few does and a nice, young 10-point buck that came through.  Because the action was slow, I shot a nice doe; double lung shot and watched her expire 40 yards away.  While I was field dressing her, I watched a nice buck work up a ravine and into a large CRP patch.  I got the doe out as fast as I could to get back in the stand.

I took the doe to the locker and donated her to the HUSH program, got back to the house, ate a quick lunch, and headed back to the stand around 12:45.

A little background to this story……..

On Saturday (October 29^th) I sat in Tom’s Stand and watched a couple good bucks about 100 yards to the east of the stand move through.  The spot the deer were moving through is where a funnel empties out into a chunk of timber and then moves to a crop field.

New Stand Location



The next day, Katie and I moved the tree stand from the food plot over to this spot (yellow dot).  The red dot is where Tom’s Stand is located.

Fast forward to November 2^nd……….

I headed out to the stand around 12:45.  I had a feeling after seeing the good buck when I was dressing the doe I shot a few hours earlier. I knew the bucks were starting to move with a cold front pushing through Iowa.

When I got in the stand it started raining hard for about 5 minutes.  I had a feeling once the rain let up the deer would start moving; I was right.  I watched three does walk right past Tom’s Stand.  Then in the distance on the opposite edge of the funnel, I saw a big buck stand up.  I glassed him and he looked like a shooter, so I threw him a soft grunt which stopped him, but he kept walking away.  I then gave a snort wheeze, which generated the same reaction. 

After showing no interest, I figured the bucks still weren’t responding to calls quite yet, but I decided to go for broke because I had nothing to lose.  I grunted as loud and aggressive as I could.  In a split second the buck wheeled around and sprinted towards me.  I grabbed my bow ready to shoot, but then the buck stopped about half way from me.  I threw a soft grunt at him and that’s all it took. 

He ran the rest of the way, I came to full draw, and I had to baa pretty loud to stop him.  Once he stopped, I settled the pin on his vitals and squeezed the trigger.  I watched my lighted nock disappear right behind the shoulder and the buck gave a big kick and took off.  I watched him expire 50 yards from the stand.

I am very proud of this buck.  He definitely isn’t the biggest buck on the farm, but is probably one of the oldest.  I am guessing this buck is at least 6.5 years old.  He is one of the biggest bodied deer I have ever seen.  He probably weighed around 300 lbs before I field dressed him.  The buck green scored at 142”. 

This is the second year in a row that I took a buck on November 2^nd.

I think it’s important to remember while taking a huge 180” giant is what we all strive for and see on TV, taking a mature buck that helps manage the deer herd and improve the genetics and age structure is important as well.

With this cold front passing, the next few days should be a great time to be in the timber.  Katie still has a tag and my brother Ryan is coming Friday to hunt.  Hopefully there will be a few more deer stories to share.

Muddyhunter

Rut Update - November 1st

I will attempt to bring you an update on my southern Iowa hunting every few days.  I have been hunting since Saturday, October 29th and hunting has been so-so to this point.

Saturday morning I sat in the Logging Road stand and seen approximately 15 deer.  Mostly bucks, but no shooters.

Saturday evening I sat in Tom's Stand and my wife was about 300 yards away in another stand.  We got in the stand about 2 PM and right off the bat, I seen the Big 8 100 yards away chasing a doe hard.  He was heading towards the stand my wife was in, so I text her that a giant was coming.  She didn't even get the text and he was there.  He had lost the doe and was standing at 30 yards.  Just as my wife released her arrow, he was running to find the hot doe........the arrow sailed just over his back.  The night wasn't too bad for me; I seen the Big 8, plus two other shooter bucks, just couldn't get them to come.  Katie did shoot a coyote Saturday night which is her first comfirmed bow kill.

The past few days have been slow with bucks not responding to calls.  Katie and I have both seen good bucks, but because they will not come to calls, it has been difficult to get them within bow range.

The next few days should get things started.  There is a cold front coming through tonight that will drop temps about 20 degrees and switch the wind from the south to the north; which works better for most of my best stands.

Hopefully in the next few days I will have a picture of a buck or two with Katie and I sitting behind it. 

Muddyhunter