Kansas Muleys

[nhenry]

I left for NWK at like 6:00 last night. Got here at 12:30 mountain time. I set my alarm for 5:00 and shut it off when it went off because I was tired as hell still. So I actually got to the field around 9:00.

Day 1:
Of all the starting days I’ve had, this one takes the cake for being the worst one… but oddly enough I’m not discouraged.

It was friggin windy. 70mph gusts. A big ol haboob went right over me for a couple hours. A fire was burning the countryside 2 miles away. Very little animal sightings.

Darn it, the day just had a bad night and took it out on me.

After hiking for a couple miles, I glassed up a water trough (one of those big roundies used for cattle) and two pronghorns were drinking from it. One was inside of it, which made me chuckle. I watched them for about 10 minutes because it’s been several years since I’ve seen one.

All throughout today I’ve seen lots of signs that deer are there, but I only saw one deer the whole time and she was stotting away from me bumping her. The area is beautiful, very good for mule deer. Maybe the wind kept them down.

Like a darn dummy I left my snacks in the car so I went without food today. Luckily I had a big breakfast. I’m hungry.

Pics:
(The pics make the ground look flatter than it is)

 

[p_ham]

Talk about open country!

 

[nhenry]

Talk about open country!

As far as the eye can see…

And if you stand on a tuna can you can add ten miles to that

 

[fishing4sanity]

Good luck and I'll be checking back for updates.

 

[nhenry]

Good luck and I'll be checking back for updates.

Thanks I appreciate it

 

[WNC2500]

Enjoying the pictures, and absolutely wide open for sure.

 

[nhenry]

Enjoying the pictures, and absolutely wide open for sure.

it’s supposed to be a nice, clear day tomorrow so I’ll try to get pics of animals since the spotter and binos won’t be shaky

 

[kansasdad]

Glad your anchor rope held up to the wind. Squeeze it slowly at game time.

 

[nhenry]

Glad your anchor rope held up to the wind. Squeeze it slowly at game time.

There’s nothing that wears me out quite like the wind. How’d Wichita get it?

 

[kansasdad]

Nothing habood-like here but the winds switched around 1 and temps started dropping. Easy 30mph after the sun went down. We will have winds switch 180 degrees three times this weekend.

 

[Jbotto]

Following! Best of luck to you!

 

[Johnny Bravo]

good luck !

 

[nhenry]

Day 2:
Second verse, same as the first, but with my dad and cold instead of wind and less pronghorn.

My dad, an experienced Kansas muley hunter (literally told me that he’s never mounted any because guys around him called 180s small), joined me and really taught me a lot of what I was missing.

There was a sh*t ton of sign we found, a lot of which was fresh in the last day, but no deer at all today. Don’t know where they disappeared to. The sheer size of the place (16 thousand acres of uninterrupted land) had to have something on it.

Saw some greater prairie chickens. Have a license for them but forgot my 22.

Got in about 8 miles of hiking (again) and came back early. Our legs were all stove up as soon as we got out of the car back at the house.

I’ve come to my conclusion:
Mule deer are a myth invented by Hunt Talk.

Obligatory pic:

 

[Jbotto]

I’ve come to my conclusion:
Mule deer are a myth invented by Hunt Talk.

I might agree with you. I only see them when I have Whitetail tags or when I can’t be hunting.

 

[fishing4sanity]

View attachment 253480

I'm liking this part of Kansas!

 

[nhenry]

I might agree with you. I only see them when I have Whitetail tags or when I can’t be hunting.

Man I just want to SEE them

 

[nhenry]

I'm liking this part of Kansas!

Purty ain’t it?


And don’t you be getting any ideas. This empty land is MINE to get frustrated at

 

[tarheel]

Nothing habood-like here but the winds switched around 1 and temps started dropping. Easy 30mph after the sun went down. We will have winds switch 180 degrees three times this weekend.

In the two years I lived in Wichita the wind was the worst feature. It never stopped, only changed velocity and direction.

 

[nhenry]

Guess what gang?
It’s time for day 3:

Lots. Of. Deer. It was beautiful out today. No wind, 44°. I was in a t-shirt.

My dad and I went to a Kansas-owned area this morning and on the way, we saw a big pronghorn buck. Good sign.

When we got there, we were immediately greeted by two muley does crossing the road. Also a good sign.

Driving into the property, I saw a forky whitetail chasing a mule deer doe. Guess he likes em big.

Met some guys who told us there was a herd of 19 does with a pretty decent muley in it over yonder, so we thanked em and headed that way.

When we got to the northern edge of the property, we saw a big deer a half mile away, so we stalked within 200 yards of it. I got it to stand and realized it was just a huge doe. Probably would have shot it if I realized it was a whitetail. That was a lot of meat. I let it pass though.

On the way back, a little too late, we saw a deer off the road. I glass it up and it was a HUGE whitetail buck, but it only had one antler. That one antler had 5 tall tines. So I tried to sneak my way onto the property. It was already alerted to my presence though so it scampered off. Big ol friggin deer.

But I’m going home empty handed for now. Next weekend I’m hunting with my buddy where we’ve both killed decent bucks, albeit whitetails. Maybe a muley’ll step out.

I’m ecstatic about today. Didn’t even need something. I saw about 20 deer.

Didn’t take any pics today. Too much action. Here’s a picture of Matthew:

 

[nhenry]

An update to all this, sorta:

I’m helping my buddy tag out this weekend, but on sunday I’m hunting with my uncle for me. Got some permissions today so I’m keeping my hopes up. If not, tag soup’s on the menu.

Wish me luck.