Elite Answer getting it done in Iowa

After several trips to Iowa to try and fill my tag we finally hit some cold weather. Even though the rut was winding down the cold front that moved in on the 26th had the deer on their feet and on the fields early. My filming partner Pat and I were seeing some good bucks and quite a bit of bumping and chasing going on as the bucks had many doe on the fields to investigate.

On the evening of the 27th Pat and I filmed the pictured buck off and on for over 2 hours as he fed on corn and then went straight to pushing the smaller bucks away and checking every doe on the field. Twice he chased doe’s within 60 yards of us but each time we struggled to get a shot opportunity as the doe’s would pick us each time we made a move to sit up over the ground hide we had made. As the evening drew to a close and with over 40 deer (including several shooters) in the field we knew we would be back the following evening.

On the afternoon of the 28th as we took many practice shots up at the truck at 50 & 60 yards we discussed our plan for that evening. We decided to go to our original ground hide that we had made that Monday evening and although we felt that we would be pushing it due to the wind direction we had to try it again. With warm weather moving back in we felt it was now or never. When we had crossed the creek and slid into our ground hide I took a bottle of Code Blue doe urine and sprinkled it liberally in front of us on the dead-falls and brush in order to add some form of a cover scent. Now we just needed to wait!

By 4:00 that evening we had deer all around us, unlike the other evenings we had deer working the creek line behind us with several deer walking within 20 yards of the blind while out in the corn more and more deer were piling onto the field. Soon we had several good bucks on the corn unfortunately they were at least 300 yards away and were not showing a great deal of inclination to head our way. By 5:00 I was getting concerned that we would run out of camera light but we now had 3 bucks that were within 150 to 200 yards. I hit the horns hard for about 15 seconds gave 2 loud grunts and sat back.

All 3 bucks immediately lifted their heads and began to move in our direction to investigate. The first 2 bucks staying out at about 75 yards to try and get our wind, yet not reacting to us in the slightest. Looked like the Code Blue was doing the job! The third buck the largest of the 3 worked in closer to 47 yards before beginning his walk in front of us. Now Monday night when this happened I had the same situation and shot over that bucks back so I was positive I would hold low this time. As he came into my lane I did not realize that he had moved 10 yards closer (same thing that happened the other night) and when I shot I once again went over his back obviously using the wrong pin for the second time in 3 days. To say I was upset would be a massive understatement! Luckily this deer ran out about 70 yards in the corn and stopped.

As I grabbed another arrow and ranged the deer, I told Pat “I know I can make that shot”. The buck remained motionless and broadside as I drew my Elite and put my 60 yard pin on him, this time when he dropped he should drop right into the shot. For once my plan worked! The Rage broadhead blew through the buck and the rest is history.

I’m certainly glad we had practiced our long range shooting that afternoon but with a bow like the Elite Answer and my Spott Hogg sights it was just a matter of me finally using the right pin. I can’t thank my long time friend Aaron “Wesley” Volkmarenough

Iowa buck taken at Tails of the Hunt in So. West Iowa

for putting us on all those deer. Pat and I have hunted with Aaron at “Tails of the Hunt” for over 12 years and we have always had great hunts!

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