DAY 1

When Kent asked me where my nonresident license was it was like someone hit me with a baseball bat - I had forgot it. So Kent said, no problem we can just download one from the net. So at 10 PM we logged on to the KS Dept. of Parks and Wildlife website and filled in the forms. But the site hung at the authorization step. After an hour of trying, it was useless - I threw in the towel.

Part of my goal for this trip (beside shooting a nice buck) was to get some good video footage. So I decided to climb in a stand anyway with my video gear. Of course I knew that since I couldn’t hunt, I’d probably have a trophy buck come in. Little did I know.

I wasn't in the stand 20 minutes when a small (by KS standards) 8pt came in and began feeding. He stayed for nearly a half hour. Then he became nervous and ran off. A really nice 10 pt came right in and gave me several shot opportunities – I would have shot him in a heartbeat. Argggghhhh.

	Buck 1 - 7:15 AM
	This was the first trophy caliber buck to come in. He gave me several shot opportunities had I not screwed up and forgot my license.

	Buck 1 - 7:15 AM
	He chased the does around a bit, then made a scrape. He was not rutting all that hard but that will likely change within a few days.

An hour later, some movement caught my eye off to my right. Three coyotes were working their way to me. But while I watched them, I saw the shadow of another buck (with a big rack) moving my way. I dared not move, and then he showed up underneath my stand. He was a super-heavy 8-point – that I would have shot in a heartbeat. Argggghhhhhhhhhhh.

	Buck 2 - 8:15 AM
	This super-heavy 8pt came in while I was watching coyotes. Check out his neck in this picture - he's rutting hard.

	Buck 2 - 8:15 AM
	Whoops! He made me, then went crashing off - but I had several good shot opportunities from 8-20 yards before then. What a hog.

He spotted me, blew, and then ran off. But I had a full 2 minutes of broadside and quartering away shots at distances from 8 – 20 yards before that happened.

Several does came in and fed around my stand until 10:15 AM. Kent and I had discussed a pickup around 10:30 AM so I began to gather my gear. But movement caught my eye through the woods. I caught a glimpse of a superb buck, a 9 Point, moving toward the does. This was too much. Three PY bucks in one morning – and I had no freaking license. The buck must have been reading the “mature deer manual” since in the course of 5 minutes he chased a doe, made a scrape, grunted, and made two rubs.

	Buck 3 - 10:15 AM
	No, this picture was not taken by Mike Biggs, it was taken off my video camera where I shot 5 minutes of quality footage of this great buck. He came in and made every buck gesture in the book. His G3's are weak but he has great mass and would easily make the book. He made my book.

	Buck 3 - 10:15 AM
	The buck was kind enough to let me film him making a rub. He really worked over this tree!

Somebody pinch me. Three PY bucks the first morning, all giving me perfect shot opportunities and all I could do is video them.

ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!

Afternoon Hunt

The first order of business was to try the KS Game and Parks website. Luckily this time it worked and I was now hunting again. Kent and I discussed the wind and the afternoon hunt – we decided to go back to the same tree. Two of those bucks were not alarmed – maybe they’d come back.

	Does - 4:00 PM
	These does kept me entertained. But of course, no bucks came in now that I had my license.

But as my luck would have it, all I saw were does. They kept me entertained. It seemed that a young fawn was getting the ire of a doe, but every time she kicked the fawn, the fawn’s mother would come over and give her a can of whoop-ass. That went on for over an hour until they fed away towards the alfalfa fields. I did hear one buck fight, and saw some chasing off in the distance. What a day!