Well, I bought my 2010 hunting license this morning while in town. Our late season for bucks closed a couple days ago and voided any unfilled tags. Iowa now has an antlerless deer season that runs until Jan. 31 with any weapon legal, even centerfire rifles. Why centerfires are not safe in Iowa the rest of the year but suddenly become safe after January 10th is a good question. Too many shed bucks are killed at long range as "big does" for meat between now and the end of the month. Seems like awaste of the resource to me, but those are the rules. Since I was going to have to eat road kill this year, I bought a doe tag to maybe put some meat in the freezer with my bow this week. I took a stand at 2PM this afternoon. The field edge I was watching has hundreds of pawed up grassy patches where deer and turkey have been digging down to get something green. At 3:30pm, with the sun shining down, I looked up to see a big non-typical walking right to me like he was on a string! He walked up to 15 yards, then turned broadside and spent over five minutes pawing the grass every few feet right in front of me. 8X5. He was a standing typical six points on the right antler with two long NT points that totaled about 14". Very massive, bladed beams and tines. He all but begged me to let one loose, even turning to look the other way from 15 yards broadside! What luck! To make matters worse, last week when we had all the sub-zero temps, my camcorder started making weird noises so I pulled it from my pack in case the grinding of the motor might do some damage to the camera. I always carry a pocket digital zoom in my pack as well but day before yesterday I downloaded some photos and left it sitting on my desk. No camera! The great buck finally walked on by and went back into the timber 75 yards from me. He never knew I was there. I passed up a lot of nice bucks this past season because I had set a 160" or better minimum, 5 1/2 years old or older, inside the 20 yard line as my goal. Kind of ironic this big guy would have filled the bill a little over two days after the buck season closed. Makes you wonder if they know... My adrenalin rush lasted for over an hour after he walked away. Tomorrow, I'll have both cameras with me for sure!

Too cool buddy!!  But too bad about the camera though, that would have been great to see someday....

If you would have had the camera, you wouldn't have seen him:)  Deer seem to know that:)

Keith

Gene,it always seems to work that way on big bucks.    
Good luck on getting a doe for the freezer.

You're never going to get that meat in the freezer as long as those bucks get in the way.

If I had even an ounce of your "bad luck" Gene, I'd' be damn content!!!!!


justin

neat and heartbreaking story  

LOSER.....  8^)  bw

..I didn't get the one I wanted either.. Deer season ends Jan 24th here in central Fl so there's still a chance.

Its like they mark the calendar! Great time of year to see what got away. No center fires up here, just the bottom two county tiers in Iowa. Still a lot of bucks die without antlers at smoke pole range up here. Maybe you can eat some feral Tejas hog ifn the deer elude you.

I think that would have made me cry!  I don't understand what some states are thinking with these late antlerless seasons in which any weapon is legal.  We have the same thing in Illinois, (minus the centerfire rifles) and our own DNR has stated that 25% of the antlerless deer killed during this seaon are shed bucks and button bucks.  Seems to me if they wanted to have an antlerless season that Late September would be a better time.

What Barry said.

I think the wildlife officials get a send out a copy of the hunting regulations each year.

That is a cool story Gene. The chance to spend time with such an awesome deer is an unforgetable experiance.

What Barry said.

Great story Gene, and Barry your not right.     Better luck next year and cant wait to see you guys at the show coming up.

Yea but thats what keeps us going back the unknown adventure.
Every time I take the camcorder nothing shows up and when I leave it home I kill a deer.
I probably would have dropped my bow.
Sounds like another great memory Gene.
Terry

Face it Gene....you're just not good enough.......

Hey...I thought I was the only guy who had Murphy hunting with me...!

okay...I feel better now.

Kevin

QuoteOriginally posted by Barry Wensel:
LOSER.....  8^)  bw

        Brotherly love at its best. TOO FUNNY!