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With only one day back in Minnesota between trips
I had to get re-equipped FAST.
We had a crew of four going on the next trip to Kentucky so two people were flying and two were driving. I needed to wash all my hunting gear, get it scent free, and reorganize by the following morning. I arrived 7 hours late from New Mexico because of delays in Roswell. This caused my layovers to run short and I missed my flight from Dallas to Minneapolis. All of us know how expensive it is becoming to fly, and airline baggage fees keep rising. So I needed to get my gear packed, washed and ready to send with the crew that would be pulling out the next morning.
 This meant waking up every two hours to change loads of laundry so everything would be clean and ready for the next trip. Fortunately, I have no problem sleeping on planes, and this trip to Kentucky was no different. Out like a light from take-off to landing. Once we landed, the air was crisp and it was off to the Gametrails Lodge. The property is a huge piece of contiguous land that is extensively managed with help from the QDMA. Last year they took nearly 500 does in hopes of getting that one-to-one buck to doe ratio.
Their efforts proved to be very effective and the bucks were very competitive – we hit the rut in perfect timing and deer were on the move. From the first morning on, we watched bucks chase, bucks fight, and small bucks confused by their new hormones running through their blood. The toughest part is deciding when to squeeze the trigger. For TV purposes any mature buck 125 or better makes for a great show. But here we were passing bucks left and right that would meet this standard. Easier for the hunter than for the camera girl, I think…
The second to last evening we had a buck come through that really tested us. He was a 5x5, decent mass, and high tines. Lucky for this guy he came by just as the camera started loosing light. We decided to pass on him, but watching him walk by the blind at 30 yards was tough, really tough.
 Luke and I made a deal that we would hunt hard the next day, but if this buck showed up again we were going to make him a movie star. As luck would have it, nothing bigger showed itself throughout the following morning. Now we were on our afternoon spot and the clock was ticking.
As the last hours drew near I wondered if we had made a bad decision the night before. Just as I was pondering these thoughts, deer started entering the field. It started with a young high frame buck that we saw the night before, if he showed up twice maybe our guy would too! A smaller deer ran out of the wood line with our guy right behind it. We took our time, carefully looking this buck over and making sure it was the same one. We made the decision to take him, and as soon as I gave the OK that I had sufficient pre-roll, Luke took the shot – and made a perfect shot at that.
Another last minute buck down, but another great show for next year! |
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KENTUCKY 
