Kansas Muzzleload 15 Point Buck Sept. 27th 2009 
Written by Douglas Watts
I love the outdoors! Especially hunting, fishing, trapping and the shooting sports.
Little did I know how life's events would play themselves out the day my wife
came home and told me we were granted permission to hunt the 160 acres across
the road from where I had been hunting for the previous 2 years. I did know that I had
spotted a lot of deer on that property, mostly does and the occasional lone small buck.
I have lived in the same small town here on the golden plains of Kansas for 20 yrs
and believe me I have seen some huge deer here, and have even taken some nice
bucks since the days that I first started hunting here all those years ago. Every time
I go into woods or fields I am reminded of just how lucky we are to be able to enjoy
these God given resources and wild ground where life abounds. This is truly the
greatest country in the world to live in.
Archery and muzzleload season both opened on the 21st of Sept. this year. I grew
more excited as the days passed, almost not being able to wait to get my feet on the
new hunting ground we were so graciously allowed to hunt. I scouted only a couple
of times, walking down the dry creek bed that runs the entire length of this little Kansas
farm. I jumped up a couple of does and never went more than a couple of hundred yards
from the road.
On opening morning I walked in to the hay meadow and set up my Ameristep brickhouse
ground blind and settled in. I was on the lookout for the doe that has twins or triplets
every year. This year it's twins. I have passed on her for a couple of years, and just a
few minutes after sunrise I spot her leading her babies across the 40 acre meadow
about a hundred yards away. Over the next two days I see a couple of other does
but they never offer a clean shot. The deer are there so it's only a matter of time.
On the 3rd day of the season I miss the morning hunt and decide to go out at
about 4pm. I spotted a deer trail leaving the hay meadow the day before and decided
I would watch that trail. So on this evening I sneek over to about 30 yrds from the trail
and settle in to wait leaning up against a growth of five trees all growing out of each
other. I'm there for about two hours and thinking I'm not going to see anything I stand
and take a couple of steps to a tree that a beaver has fallen but not quite dislodged
from it's trunk and sit down.
I take off my blaze orange hat and camo head net, get out my cell phone and start
to text my wife to tell her I'm coming home for supper when I hear what I thought
at first was a horse running my way across the hay meadow. I look up and here
comes the 15 point buck on a dead run. He goes right down that trail into the dry creek
bed passing me at about 20 yards. Here I am with my cell phone in my hand my
muzzleloader leaning up against the tree that I had just gotten up from, and here is this
huge 15 point buck running by me at 20 yards.
Just as he hit the my side of the creekbed I bleated at the same time laying
down not dropping my cell phone and standing up taking a couple of steps to
where my muzzleloader was still leaning.
Grabbing my muzzleloader I steadied it against the tree and there he was looking at
me at what I would later learn was 58 yards broadside. I shot and watched as the
CVA Buckhorn 50 cal. with 90 grains of Pyrodex RS pushed that Powerbelt 295 grain
copper top saboted bullet into the huge Kansas 15 point buck and he fell right where
he stood. 3 days into the 2009 muzzleload season Big buck down but not to worry
the hunt still continues because there are still does to harvest and I am well stocked
with anterless tags and for the remainder of the 2009 whitetail deer season you
will find me in the deer woods doing my part to manage the Kansas whitetail herd.
About the Author
Douglas Watts owns Watts Wildlife Taxidermy in Latham, Ks. 620-965-2478
Taxidermy website : http://empowered4success.net/default.aspx
Douglas also owns HuntzoneAmerica.com. Which is currently being over hauled.
www.huntzoneamerica.com
Douglas is a host of a radioshow on blogtalkradio.com called The Rhino
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/TheRhino
Beside being a radio host, and taxidermist Douglas is also a rock musician
and avid outdoor enthusiast involved in conservation projects, and produces and hosts
hunting clinics speaking to youth about the joys of the great outdoors primarily hunting.
Douglas's plans for the future include building a team to produce hunting videos
that are not only entertaining but also informative. Contact Douglas with any questions
or to become part of his team of Deer Hunting Commandos. Douglas@huntzoneamerica.com