Knight.54
Well-known member
I’ve been applying every year in Kansas for the muzzleloader deer tag and the mule deer stamp since I first learned about the process after my first trip there in 2009. I’ve drawn the mule deer stamp 3 times. I filled one in ‘11. I think I had it again in ‘16 or ‘17 and saw an absolute hog that I hunted for a week but never got close to. This past year the stars aligned again and I drew the tag again.
A few years back I got invited on a pheasant hunt with a group of guys through a common friend. We’ve all become great friends and have started to branch out our bird hunting trips but still meet up to chase pheasants in December. So this year I was super excited for our trip. The bird forecast wasn’t good but we’d be diverted by my deer tag, get a few birds along the way and enjoy the great company of one another and our dogs.
My buddy had some good deer located so we had places to look, also had a few pictures he’d taken of some deer he’d seen throughout the fall.
Hunting with a muzzleloader in that wide open country can seem daunting. You can’t see that far where I come from…
We found this guy in a milo field with three other bucks and about ten doe. I was able to get in front of them and get a great opportunity to take a shot. My ThompsonCenter and Leupold performed flawlessly and I got to notch my tag.
Absolutely not a DIY hunt. Without local friends, knowledge and access I wouldn’t have killed this deer. But I’m lucky to have the friends I have. I can’t afford guided hunts.
I have made some great friends in many places that have helped me live my hunting dreams. I’ve got places I can hang my hat and feel like family in several different states. I am blessed to have the generous friends I have.I can’t describe the the last minute or two of this hunt and do it justice. Just know that the sight of those deer moving through the glistening frosted milo in the early morning light will be forever etched in my brain. That few seconds where I realized I was actually going to get the chance to pull the trigger on this buck was the highlight of my season, followed closely by the sound of the bullet hitting the deer.
I’ve killed my biggest deer with my muzzleloader, whitetails and muleys. I love the pressure of having to make one good shot. I turkey hunt with a single shot for the same reason.
I’m not a numbers guy. I had one deer I killed scored because there was a guy scoring another rack and offered to do mine. I really don’t care. But we all want to kill a big ‘un. I won’t have this deer scored but I do know one number about him, and that’s 32 3/4” wide outside…
I’m awful proud of him and the shot I made at about 150 yds. I’m also awful thankful for the friends I’ve made hunting and the places I’ve been able to walk, immerse myself in.
I hope I get to hunt a muley in Kansas again!
