When Kansas Smiles ~ Emily's KS Whitetail Buck

This November I arrowed my biggest whitetail to date.  I had a blast hanging out with my husband, Troy, in Kansas for this hunt.  I am blessed that he puts up with me in the tree stand, and is willing to follow me around with a camera to capture our hunts on film.  Although just between you and me, I think he is trying to catch all those moments he is familiar with... the times I fall in holes, trip in the dark, and almost shock myself on electric fences.  It's bound to happen!  Filming is a new endeavor for us, and we are enjoying the challenge.  He caught the kill on film and I'm thrilled to have it documented, so I can relive the moment over and over. 

But before you watch this hunt, let me tell you the story briefly ...
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Originally I had the 3rd week of November scheduled for my whitetail hunt in Kansas.  Troy had gone out the last week of October to finish setting stands, check trail cameras, scout and do a little hunting.  After seeing the deer movement and witnessing indications of pre-rut activity.  Troy and Evan convinced me to move up my vacation time to get out there while the bucks were cruising through the area.  They had seen some nice shooter bucks and it was definitely time to get in the stand.  So on November 2nd I found myself sitting in a tree stand, and was excited for a week long of hunting.
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After several days of hunting in crazy wind and rain, on Thursday morning we settled into our stands, and it didn't take long for the bucks to emerge from the woods.  Troy worked a rattling sequence, and the first buck came running over the top of the hill straight towards us.  We had the full attention of a little curious fellow, who looked around perplexed when the fighting bucks were no where to be seen.  He began feeding below us.  A few Muley Does then arrived and I watched as they leaped the fence-line 20 yards from our stand.  Momma jumped over and her yearling, acting unsure of the springs in her legs, nosed the fence line and then ducked underneath.  Perched twenty feet up in a huge cottonwood tree, I was enjoying spying on the deer below me.  Better than a dollar movie on a Friday night with a bowl full of popcorn, I had a front row seat to my kind of entertainment!

It didn't take long for a few more bucks to make an appearance.  A young 8 point that we had named "Movie Star" showed up and began feeding towards our tree.  Another year or two, and he will be a buck worthy of his name.  I'm not big on naming deer, but we couldn't resist ... because he loaded up our trail camera with not dozens, but hundreds of photos of himself.  He had it coming.  If you are going to be that much of a diva, then I'm calling you Movie Star.  A pic from this angle, then the other ~ front, side, rear.  We had it all.  Camera hog!

As I sat watching Movie Star, I initially had a little debate in my head ... should I shoot him?  Or let him walk?  I knew I should let him walk, but he kept hanging around and tempting me.  I quickly convinced myself that he needed a chance to grow up, so I quietly sat there just watching him.  If he stayed any longer, I might as well grab a bowl of popcorn.

While Movie Star had my attention, there was something else going on in the field behind me, from Troy's view.  He was hanging out on the opposite side of the tree, filming the buck I was about to shoot ... I just didn't know it yet.  Due to the size of the tree, and not wanting to spook the buck heading my way, he was caught and couldn't reach around to give me a heads up.  Instead he whispered... "don't shoot Movie Star, big buck coming."  Yah... I never heard that.  But it all worked out.  He couldn't see me, so he didn't know I was at full draw .. until I let my arrow fly.    ​

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Grab a cup of coffee and watch how it plays out... ​
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