November Hunt with Brian Summers
November Kansas Hunt
T.R.U. Ball®/Axcel® Vice President
Brian Summers
Kansas Hunt, Nov 2024 with my long-time friend and hunting enthusiast, Aaron Scott. The first night of hunting, a 10-point buck came out of the woods into the field right at 20 yards. I could’ve shot him on many different occasions as he walked by. I was so very tempted to shoot him but just wasn’t sure if I should. The guide who owned the property had told me not to shoot any young deer and I haven’t always been the best judge of size in the past, especially as the deer in Kansas are much larger compared to Virginia.
I was on the verge of shooting him several times but allowed him to walk off to about 70 or 80 yards. I got two pictures of him as he left. I then wondered what he would do if I grunted a few times. It wasn’t the rut yet, but there were signs that it would be starting soon. After hearing the grunts, he stopped and looked, then slowly came back to my stand. He stopped right under my tree. He then walked away to about 40 yards. I grunted a few times again and I could tell he was a bit confused as he had just come from that area. He circled around and I lost him in the woods.
It was getting darker so I wanted to throw something down on the ground to kind of naturally push him away. I threw my can call down first and it made absolutely no noise. So I threw my rattle bag down and I saw him pop up at 25 yds. He then slowly walked off into the open field and I got down. When I shared the two pictures I had taken to the guide he told me that the buck was a great deer and indicated I definitely could’ve shot him. Others from the group gave me some encouragement saying, “That is a giant!” Aaron stated, That’s a buck I’d shoot any day of the week!” So, I told him that if I saw that buck again during our hunt and had a good and ethical shot at him, then I would take that shot!
Well… the next day, early evening, I saw a very large bodied buck with a big rack in my binoculars walking slowly across the field. He was probably 400-500 yards away. I decided to try to see if I could bring him in with grunts and can calls. He slowly came in my direction and I just kept grunting and calling every now and then to keep him interested. As he got closer, I realized it was the exact same deer from the night before!!
This was it!!
The problem was that he was coming straight toward me and he didn’t give me a good shot at all. He stopped right under my tree, just like he did the night before, and was looking out into the field for quite a long time. Something in the field had caught his attention and he was a bit spooked, flicked his tail and started trotting off. I grunted with my regular voice to get him to stop. Then I started calling him again with my grunt tube. After a short time, he didn’t want anything to do with it and started flicking his tail and trotting off again. So I snort wheezed at him. He stopped immediately, but just stood there. So I wheezed at him again a couple times more.
He came back within 40 yards behind a tree just to look around. I held my bow at the ready position, with my AXCEL Antler Ridge side stabilizer set against my hip as a brace. I prayed to God asking that if He wanted me to shoot that deer, to please allow him to come back to me and give me a good shot. Otherwise, let him run away.
Well, the buck just couldn’t figure out what was going on and he was very interested. So for the next 10 minutes or so, I was grunting, using my can call, and every once in a while snort wheezing at him. His curiosity finally got the best of him, and he started in my direction very slowly. I attached my T.R.U. Ball Short-n-Sweet’R buckle release to my D loop. The problem I faced, once again, was that he was coming straight at me and I had no good or ethical shot. I prayed again as I pulled back my bow cause I figured maybe he would turn at some point. I looked through my peep to the 3-pin AccuStat II scope on my AXCEL Landslyde slider sight. 30… 25… 20… 15…
With my Antler Ridge front stabilizer as steady as could be, this majestic 10-point buck finally turned to the left just under me at about 7 to 8 yards away. I let the arrow fly and heard a big thwack!
He ran less than 100 yards and fell down the edge of the creek where I could hear a loud splash! I was so excited and full of adrenaline!
I immediately got down from my stand to check my arrow for blood and called Aaron, who was still in his stand on the adjoining property.
I tried to talk to him in my excited and trembling speech. I can settle myself down pretty well and am all business before I take a shot at a deer. But as soon as I shoot, the buck fever overwhelms me and I go crazy!!
As I looked around, I couldn’t find my arrow, but I saw the bright red blood trail and set out slowly to find the majestic animal I just shot.
Meanwhile, Aaron arrived in the area pretty quickly, and approached my location from the opposite side of the narrow river.
I was still following the blood trail, and I was walking fairly slowly as I waited for him to join me as I know he enjoys the hunt to track and locate the deer.
When Aaron arrived at the river, he scanned the waters edge with his light and saw him immediately!! He yelled out to me that he had found him!!
I was so excited I felt like my heart was beating through my chest!! I ran over to the edge of the bank and saw my monster buck!!
What a rush!! I raced over to grab a hold of those incredible antlers and was overcome!!
It was such an awesome experience and I’m so thankful and blessed by God to have harvested this amazing 10-point buck and to experience it with my best friend!!
