Team 7 Shwacker Barrel

I’ll let JZ do the honors…he shot a stud


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I was scrolling through comments on Todd’s buck facebook posts a few days ago and a lot of people were talking crap about Justin. Well done on shutting them up lol I think I called he would shoot a bigger deer than him this year too. Happy for you man looking forward to watching it. I was enjoying following your short videos too.


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I'll be home tomorrow and get an update posted on Sunday, but here's a pic for now. Second to last day of pounding KS public land and this big joker came right by at 18 yards. Put the arrow right where it needed to be and he went 120 yards before piling up. We taped him at 165".

 

Way to go

 

Love it


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Awesome buck man!

 

What a buck… congrats

 

What a TOAD!

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Anybody hunting this evening?

 

Nope. Got our church small group at our house Sunday evenings. Hunting public land tomorrow AM. Hunting it Friday night and I think I know how the deer are moving on that property given the pressure that’s there. Gonna hunt a creek bottom I think they are traveling. Hoping to get on that big 8 I saw last week.

 

I'm not giving up, just waiting for these persistent winds to die down. I won't hunt in 25-35mph winds.

 

I'm out for my last afternoon hunt before going back to work Monday. Nothing so far. Yesterday was a good morning. About 8 a.m., I saw two bucks running a doe. One was a buck that I would have shot. He was an eight or ten point, probably around 125". I had him walk with 40 yards, but he was hard quartering to me, and there were too many limbs in the way. I just needed him to walk 20 more yards. He turned and went over the ridge. I have seen more shooters this year than I can remember. I just haven't been able to seal the deal.

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Ahhh...the first day back to work after rutcation is always the worst! lol

Full KS story below for those interested:

Last year was my first year not going on an out-of-state bowhunt of some sort in a LONG time, and I was not a fan. Knowing I wasn't going to draw an Iowa tag until 2026, I put in for a Kansas preference point last year, planning to draw this fall. I had a few friends who did the same, and we decided to get together and go pound the public ground with the rest of the non-resident yahoos.

With only one weekend to scout out of state this past Spring, I decided Iowa was more important, so that's where I went. When you wait 5-6 years for a tag, you want to make sure to put in as much time as possible. Kansas was going to be a sight-unseen type of trip where we e-scout, put some boots on the ground when we get there, and get after it.

I left home on November 7th and arrived in KS mid-day on November 8th. Fortunately, one of the first spots I scouted, I kicked up some bedded does and found a couple of very fresh scrapes, so I figured that was as good a place as any to get started.

Over my first two full days in KS, I saw 20+ deer in this spot, including two bona fide mature shooter bucks, and a handful of great up-and-comers. This included one beautiful young buck with double drop tines that I passed at 5 yards. There was clearly a hot doe in the area, and I was in the thick of the rut.

However, by Day 4 this spot had started to go cold and I was seeing fewer and fewer deer with each passing sit. By the morning of Day 6, I was down to seeing no deer at all. Temps had warmed up, and I tried a few other places in the evenings with no luck.

My buddy Matt was on a spot with some good activity about an hour away, so he told me to get my butt over there and we could tag-team this draw together. Our other friends had gone home, and it made sense if we were closer to one another in case somebody shot one. After tearing down my set for the morning, I packed up all my gear and made the drive to where he was.

That afternoon was 72 degrees, so we weren't expecting much action. Matt went to the area he hunted in the morning, but in a new tree that offered a much better vantage point. I pushed past where he was at, going about 225 yards up the draw to a spot where several trails and woodlines intersected. I was planning more for the following morning than that afternoon, if we're being honest.

About 45 minutes before dark, I spotted a buck working straight towards me. I threw up my binos and confirmed it was a decent 8-point, so I grabbed my bow and got ready. As he approached, I couldn't quite get a bead on how big he was or which side of my tree he was going to pass on. When he finally committed to my right, I started freaking out a bit as I hadn't scouted that direction and had no idea where the trails were, if I could shoot to them, or how far away they were.

I pulled out my rangefinder and ranged the trail I thought he was on at 35 yards. A bit longer than I like to shoot, but a shot I'm more than comfortable making. I dropped my rangefinder, dialed my sight in, and started to draw back as he entered the opening.

He cleared some brush, and as I took a closer look at his body size, I decided he wasn't the deer I wanted to shoot. So, I let my bow down and watched him walk past.

As I'm texting Matt to let him know the buck was headed his direction, I hear him start thrashing a cedar tree. Not just rub it, but absolutely THRASH it. He was making more noise than I've ever heard from a deer rubbing a tree or making a scrape. It was to the point of being surprisingly loud.

Just then, I glance to my left and see another deer cruising past on the hillside, about 60-70 yards above me. I didn't even need to put up my binos to know this was a definite shooter buck. When you see a legit shooter, you just know it.

The buck is making his way parallel to me, likely passing out of bow range as he heads to destinations unknown. However, he too heard the tree trashing taking place behind me and snapped his head up to listen. After just a few seconds of analysis, he made an abrupt 90-degree turn and began heading straight toward the sound.

Every time I get into a tree to hunt, I envision where I want a deer to walk to give me the perfect shot opportunity. When I did that from this tree, I pictured a buck coming down the pipe, right where this deer was heading.

With every passing step, I expected him to stop and look up at me, to veer off course, or otherwise do those things mature bucks do to avoid somehow getting shot. But, as fate would have it, that didn't happen this time.

He marched straight in, and I put a perfectly placed arrow through both lungs at 18 yards. It could not have happened any more perfectly.

The rest of the story is mostly me sending out texts to friends and family, and feeling entirely unworthy of the experience I just had. I'm not the only person who has stared into countless sunsets and wondered when it was going to be my turn to shoot a buck like this. Why did it finally happen to me?

Countless factors could have put me, Matt, and these two deer in different places at this exact time. But for just one brief moment, we were all exactly where we were supposed to be.

 

That first line is my reality today too. Sitting here about to eat a couple bacon and egg sandwiches and contemplating my favorite time of the year is over again. It’s never long enough. It was fun following your story on Facebook.


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Congrats man. When it works out like that it’s meant to be and all you can do is say thank you.

This morning I hit some public an hour north. After two hunts here I’d seen enough action and sign to hunt the creek bottom. Had 3 does come in tight and then a fork horn. I’ll be honest and say the thought crossed my mind on ol forky. Public land= check. Recurve in hand = check. But ultimately when he gave me the 15 yard broadside shot I just could t do it. Too easy despite my challenging situation of post EHD fallout here where I live. I also know next week I head to northern Ohio next week for 3-4 days of Thanksgiving at my in-laws. Huge deer herd, several big bucks and time to kill.

Saw the 3 does one more time at 11 and then had to hop down. I’ve never hunted much public land outside of elk hunting so it felt good to put myself in stick bow range of some deer.

 

Today is my first day back to work also. Saturday morning will be opening day of Oklahoma rifle season. I will be picking up my rifle. Oklahoma only allows 1 buck with modern gun. I'm hoping to get one killed early so I can hunt the remainder of the season with my bow.

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Breaking rut report from the living room. We have a fairly decent 8 pushing a doe in the field, followed by a 6 or 8 that has nothing left but a main beam and one tine. Heavy rains with lightening and hail ensued shortly after the sighting, pushing the all deer back into cover. Nearby cameras, one at each end of the field just inside the edge, caught some of the action.



The victim of, what seems to be multiple beatings….


And another male suspect who is about to receive more said beatings.

That’s all the updates we have for now. Back to you guys. Disclaimer: Camera man couldn’t get the phone and binoculars to align for live footage

 

Had a buck show yesterday on the neighbors I haven’t seen yet. I was over an hour north hunting public. Came back and got service and saw this guy was in front of the stand at 9am. Came back at last light and bedding in front of the camera to mock me.

Gonna see if he will try it again tomorrow after a full day of rain today.

 

I might have to buy a Missouri tag I’m just not ok with being done chasing bucks till next October.


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Both of the shooters on my lease were out in daylight last night, and I got them all over the farm last night as well. I fear they may not make it until Monday with the gun season starting this weekend. But we'll see!

That bottom deer is super run down from the rut and he looks like a little 3 year old right now. He went into November with a neck you couldn't get your arms around. Crazy how much things can change in a couple of weeks.