Kansas Whitetails - The Reckoning

What a cool looking deer! That filming hunts isn't what it's all cracked up to be. You did well under the conditions and had a great cameraman following you. Congrats Randy and Spitz and Loren should make a great episode.

Randy I think you'll have some of the best episodes you've ever had this season (minus the dude with you on the heli hunt). It should be a great season of TV.
 
beautiful non-typical Spitz. any whitetail hunter would be proud of that one. nice splits on that old dude.
 
good job guys---I give you major props for doing this on foot--should make for a great program also.....kudos again......chris
 
Spitz is a man of few words, or maybe I am just a long-winded kind of guy.

This morning was a great start. We watched that buck and his does for over a mile, just praying they would come north and cross the boundary of the WIHA. Almost as if they hunting gods wanted us to fill a tag today. They made a straight line, right to the corner of the boundaries.

The buck was pushing a young doe and she was obviously a late cycle doe. He was oblivious to anything and where she went, he went. Where she went was north and over the fence, right into our hunting area.

They were almost 1,000 yards to the SE of us. The dilema was whether or not these deer would come straight west down the fence line, or follow the sparse creek bottom that was right below us. We debated what would be the best option.

It was decided to hedge the bet. Drop off our glassing knob and get closer to the boundary fence and further down the bluffs above the drainage. I decided to stay back, as two guys were more than enough noise, movement, and scent. Things were looking too good from my perspective. From up high, I could see the deer and Spitz/Loren in the same frame of the spotter.

I could swear the deer were only 200 yards from these guys. But, as we all know, it is hard to judge distances that objects are apart from each other, when glassing from afar. Finally, the deer decided to follow the brush line to the south and jump the fence, back to the private from where they had come.

What the hell? I was in disbelief, expecting a shot to have been fired. When the guys returned, they informed me that the buck was behind some scattered trees and the distance was not 200, but rather over 450. No doubt they made the right decision.

I was pretty disappointed, as I knew we would not have many other opportunities where bucks might e down below us. Seemed like they were all out in the big flats and on the dead run before we could get the cameras rolling. Oh well, that is the gig I have signed up for. Time to move on and find the next chance.

The next chance came as a big surprise. Spitz had the plan that we would walk completely through the WIHA. We would drop on truck on the SE end and we would drive the other truck to the NW end. The SE wind would work to our advantage. This would be a four mile walk, but by dropping a vehicle, would not be the eight mile round trip it would otherwise be.

As we were driving to the NW end of the area, I thought I spotted something out in the CRP of a private property next to the WIHA. A quick look from the binos made it apparent that these were deer. And, one looked to be a decent buck.

Before we could really get much of a look, the deer dropped into a coulee and were out of sight. The only real hope was to keep driving north to the WIHA boundary and hope the deer kept going NW. If so, they might go far enough north to cross onto the property we could hunt.

As we sat there on the corner of the WIHA, glassing straight west, I almost fell over when the first couple does came running toward our hunting grounds. They stopped and cautiously looked out in the winter wheat field 100 yards in front of them. While the does watched for danger, up behind them came another doe and slowly trotting was a buck.

Spitz put the spotter on the buck and instantly said he would shoot that buck. We were hidden behind some hay bales and the wind was perfect. All we needed now was more luck to bring this group of deer to our side of the fence. We must have been living right this week, as we had no more than discussed that possibility when the lead doe started forward and leaped the fence. She fed in the wheat field as the rest of her clan followed suit.

The question then became, "Now what do we do?" Any of you who have seen a Kansas wheat field knows that winter wheat is sparse and about 3 inches tall this time of year. Only 550 yards away, but with this little cover,may as well be five hundred miles away.

One thing in our favor was a cross fence about 500 yards out to our west that ran north and south. The fence served as a big catchment for every tumbleweed that had blown that direction. The tumbleweeds had provided enough shade and cover for a little grass to grow.

The deer were feeding right next to this row of weeds and grass. If they stayed where they were, Spitz and Loren might be able to use the cover provided and sneak closer. We really had no choice. These deer were up and feeding, very visible, and lots of vehicles were driving around. Every time a vehicle drove by, the deer were on high alert, acting as though they were ready to bolt.

With that, I stated I would stay at the hay bales with the spotter. Again, another body was just more complication. In short order, Spitz and Loren were on their hands and knees, trying to get a closer shot.

The guys were not out very far, when the deer moved to the south fence line and bedded. They probably saw this happen, but I was doing my best to give signals of what had happened. The remainder of this stalk probably took twenty minutes, but for me to be watching it all and being able to see the deer and those guys in the same field of view, made it an excruciating wait.

I watched as the guys were discussing their options. Could not imagine what they were going to do, because the deer were bedded in a strange place, relative to where these guys would come up the brush line. I could see no imaginable way that Loren could get the camera set up with out the deer seeing him. If the deer saw Loren, they would bolt and Spitz would not have a shot.

There was a gap about ten yards wide in the pile of brush and tumbleweeds. I saw those guys split up, with Loren going to the right side of the gap and Spitz to the left side. I was about to come unglued. We never split the shooter and the cameraguy. This was a major risk.

Not being there with them, all I could do is take comfort that Loren would not do this without thinking it was the best possible option, though still with significant risk. Spitz had already seen three or four opportunities slip away due to the complications of filming, so Loren and I felt obligated to do everything possible to make this opportunity work.

It was amazing how close these guys were to the deer. From my angle and distance, it looked as though Spitz could spear the bedded buck. Loren was now set up next to the brushline, which I took as his best attempt to stay hidden, but also get the footage.

I saw Spitz move forward to his side of the opening. The does all rose to their feet. The buck stayed bedded. The does were moving toward them, knowing something was afoul. The buck stayed in his bed, for what reason, I don't know.

The does were now staring down these guys. Nothing they could do was going to change the game - the gig was about to be up. One doe started to trot off, causing the buck to stand and look toward the danger.

What all happened at that point is not clear to me. I saw deer scattering and the does giving it the onion. The buck slowly trotted behind them. I watched through the spotter as the buck folded in mid-stride. The term "bit the dirt" was appropriate as he landed face first in the wheat field.

I couldn't believe it. Normally, we don't allow running or trotting shots. In the case of Kansas, we really have little choice. Spot and Stalk hunting in this open country almost always involves moving deer.

At 60 yards, Spitz felt it was a shot he could make. And he did it in fine fashion. Now my big concern was whether or not Loren could film it and what his angle would look like. It doesn't take much change of angle to result in completely different perspectives.

I was trotting across the field, hoping with all my hopes that Loren got this shot. As I got close, that was my first question to Loren. His comment, in cool fashion was, "What do you expect?" Code word for, "Yeah, I got it, you idiot."

We have reviewed the footage and it is amazing that Loren got everything. His perspective is a little different than what Spitz had, but is great. Because Loren had to set up so low, the buck looks skylined, even though it was your standard Kansas wheat field shooting.

To see all this come together so well, when the odds were that something would be messed up is very exciting. Spitz was able to take a great buck. Loren did his normal great job. And we are leaving Kansas with two great bucks, taken on WIHAs, all recorded on film as spot and stalk kills. Not sure we could ask for any more.

Can't thank Spitz enough for the headache we represent with our demands as we attempt to first and foremost, acquire the best possible footage, and secondarily, kill the nicest animals we can. Thanks Mike, it has been a great time.

And thanks to Loren for again getting the story and the hunt recorded on video, allowing us to continue telling the story of hunting as it occurs for the average hunter in America.

What a season it has been.
 
Big Fin said:
Dude, either you have changed your cell # since you sold this place, or you don't know how to download pics. Spitz told me that you were first in line to get the first photo. The text confirmed delivery. Now quit your whining. :p
Click to expand...

LOL... I did get pics. Hence the OYOA 1 DEER 0 remark, I see that number has been changd to 2/0 but only see one deer picture. AZ402 hooks a brudda up as well.

I didn't read in there that Spitz was wearing the same underwear he did when he came hunting with us. Did he tell you that story :D :D

Congrats fella's on what looks like and is always a great hunt, story and adventure. You guys put the FUN in Fantastic..... OK, I can't spell ;)
 
Sweet looking buck. Congrats on a great hunt guys. Now hurry up and get home so Randy can get Season 2 mailed out to me. I love Season 1, but I've got every line memorized and have no football games to watch this weekend.
 
Great job on great bucks, in an area with a lot of pressure, Congrats to both of you, and Randy, thanks for sharing this site with us.
 
Congrats on a nice buck, Spitz. I think this show should be a good one.
 
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