My Kansas Whitetail

[Rick Mulhern]

KanBuc1 by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you guys!

Mine is above!!

[Don McDowell]

Duammnnn Rick, that's a nice one.
Merry Christmas indeed.

[Rick Mulhern]

Hunted him hard for 4 days Don. I knew his location but there was crappy weather in Kansas. Would freeze at night...then warm up to 75F or so by noon with heavy fog and mist in the mornings. The morning of the 5th day turned off clear though and he showed up where I thought he might. I saw at least 15-20 good bucks over those four days but I had made up my mind that I wanted one like this bruiser. He was aged at 8 1/2 years; teeth worn down almost to the gum line but he was as fat as a hog fed for slaughter!

[Dave Roelle]

Hunted him hard for 4 days Don. I knew his location but there was crappy weather in Kansas. Would freeze at night...then warm up to 75F or so by noon with heavy fog and mist in the mornings. The morning of the 5th day turned off clear though and he showed up where I thought he might. I saw at least 15-20 good bucks over those four days but I had made up my mind that I wanted one like this bruiser. He was aged at 8 1/2 years; teeth worn down almost to the gum line but he was as fat as a hog fed for slaughter!

Very nice Rick !!!!!!!!!!!!!! picking out 'The One" to hunt and having success its the very best way i think-------haven't found mine yet this season, soon very soon

Again great Whitetail Critter

Dave

[Ironramrod]

Mulhern, Congratulations, that's a really nice deer!! Were you using your big .50? Also, did you guys get a chance to weigh him?

Regards

[Kurt]

That is a nice one for sure Rick. It would make a head hunter proud.
Bucks around here will get a rack as massive as yours but they don't make it much past 2-1/2 years old.
Did you take him a little high in the shoulder or was the grass high?
Need a detailed report on this hunt.

Kurt

[Rick Mulhern]

That is a nice one for sure Rick. It would make a head hunter proud.
Bucks around here will get a rack as massive as yours but they don't make it much past 2-1/2 years old.
Did you take him a little high in the shoulder or was the grass high?
Need a detailed report on this hunt.

Kurt

Shot was made on an angle as I was upslope from him. Couldn't shoot for the shoulder as sage grass was in the way so I poked him slightly aft of his shoulder blade...ran about 50 yards before piling up. The blood you see in photo was off my hand as I wiped it there after moving him around for photo. Bullet struck slightly above center getting both lungs. Here's my son Brandon with him:

BranKanbk by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

[Kurt]

Man Rick. I'm not a head hunter but as massive as that rack is he would be on the wall.

Kurt

[Rick Mulhern]

Man Rick. I'm not a head hunter but as massive as that rack is he would be on the wall.

Kurt

I've been hunting whitetails since I was ten years of age...standing on a stump freezing me Irish arse off with a 22 rifle! I knew that wasn't a deer rifle but that's what Dad let me use and I think Dad had me there more for the experience to see if I was going to be tuff enough to fight the conditions of the cold and the walking to where we were going to hunt. Never got a shot with that little rifle but I felt at the time that I could have poked one in the ear! Only year I missed hunting deer was when stationed in France in 1962. I've taken lots of whitetails in earlier years Kurt....you name it antler-wise...I've pretty well shot it....and they all went into the deep freeze for consumption. It's hard to beat fried backstrap or a good rump roast! As the years rolled over my attitude on the type of deer I wish to take has changed from whatever buck showed up to that of a 'head-hunter'! I enjoy hunting these rascals because an old buck is reclusive and smart. The only time their guard goes down is during the rut and then....they're dumber than a box of rocks. My theory on hunting them has been for quite a few years now....get betwixt a bucks bedroom and his kitchen and with lots of patience....a buck is 'walking dead'!!

The head is at the taxidermist shop as of the day I took him and it will make a beautiful mount! My time with my son those five days will be the best of my memories however. Brandon didn't hunt this trip as he bow hunts and this was during the rifle season. He had other business to tend to over those days. God willing.....I hope I'm blessed with being able to do this again next year! The buck was taken with my Remington M700.308 Winchester.

Take care!

[Kurt]

Rick.

When I was a Kid I was raised on the Farm. This Family took me in as one of their's and put me through School and I lived with them about five years.
Every evening when I fed the feeder calves a big buck would jump the fence and work his way up to the feed bunk and eat with the cattle. One day old George said tonight I'm going to put that buck in the freezer, been feeding him for a long time. George took a .22 in the milk house and opened the window and when that buck bellied up to the feed bunk ole George put a hole through his forehead. That buck dropped like a rock and never moved and the cattle never even moved.