THE “12 O’CLOCK” IOWA BUCK

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It was finally here! My second trip to Iowa for the year and my hopes were high. I would be hunting November 11-15th on a private farm in West Central Iowa. After spending the last 8 out of 10 days chasing a specific buck here in Minnesota without any luck I was really looking forward to this trip. Instead of hunting one specific buck I would be hunting 5 different bucks we had on camera that would all go over 140”. To say I was excited about my chances of putting a tag on one of these guys is an understatement…I was JACKED UP!!

The first morning brought high hopes as the skies were clear, temps were low and winds were light. About an hour after first light I spotted my first deer, a doe with a fawn. Knowing the rut was in full swing I got ready as I figured a buck wouldn’t be too far behind. Just like clockwork a small 8 showed up within 5 minutes. I watched the doe and fawn get harassed by the smaller buck for about 10 minutes before he finally gave up and moved on. As luck would have it I sat the entire day without see another deer! For those of us that choose to sit all day during the rut you know first hand how physically and mentally draining a day like this can be. That being said I was exhausted and ready to get some sleep for the 4 full days I still had ahead of me.

Day 2 (Nov. 12th) brought much warmer temps and strong winds out of the SSE. I elected to switch stands to better suit the strong winds and direction the wind was coming from. I would be hunting a large ridge that connected one thick bedding area of cedars trees to another. My goal here was to catch a buck either early in the morning returning to bed or intercept a “midday” buck that would be out scent checking. The early morning came and went with only a lone doe to come through my area. It was now 10:30am and I knew it was time for lunch…at least that’s what my stomach was screaming! I quickly ate my sandwich and a candy bar as I knew the magical “midday” time was about to happen (11am-1pm). Just before Noon I caught movement off to my right and when the deer finally came into view I could tell he was a shooter. He was alone and scent checking for a hot doe in the middle of the day. He somehow managed to get by me just out of range so I quickly grabbed the grunt call and gave him two short and loud grunts. He immediately turned and looked my direction. A minute later he was turned back around and heading straight for my shooting lane 20 yards in front of me! Once he hit my lane a soft mouth grunt was all it took to stop the buck in his tracks. A second later the 2 blade Rage was on its way and found it’s mark. I watched as he ran off and could see blood already coming from him.

After waiting an hour I got down and confirmed the hit was good and started to track him. At the end of the 100 yard blood trail lay my deer and a reward I won’t soon forget. All the long hours in the tree had finally paid off with a good buck! He is a main frame 10 point with 4 addition points that were all over an inch long. He grossed 157 6/8” and netted 146 6/8”. He has some cool character and I will be proud to put this guy on the wall. Even better was the fact that after taking the shot I immediately looked at my phone only to find out I shot him at exactly 12 o’clock Noon!! My plan had worked to perfection and I had harvested a “midday” buck scent checking for a hot doe. The one piece of advice I would like to offer everyone at IDO is to always try and hunt the (11am-1pm) time frame during the rut. More times than not big bucks will get on their feet and move during this time to scent check. It’s a strategy that has paid off well for me over the years!! Good luck to everyone else still looking for fill there tags in 2009.

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  2. Great buck with a ton of character, and a great story to boot. Obviously just to be on-stand at noon, you’re a dedicated whitetail hunter that’s more than earned the buck you’re holding.

    Thanks for sharing, and good luck on your MN hunt!

    Joel

  6. That’s a great deer but I know the one in MN is still eating you up… Considering I am the only one to see it alive maybe you should let me take a shot at since you got a dandy this year already

  15. Congrats again Buddy!

    Wow, a great story to go with a even better buck! 12 noon can be a great time to hunt. On my sits this year at that magical time, I have yet to see a shooter but plenty of nice 2.5 year olds and some 3.5 year olds. Here are a few bigger pics of that Nooner Buck!

  21. Congrats on a great Iowa buck!!!… .. I am going out for the second time this weekend.. hope to have the same luck as you did!… again congrats!

  23. Congrats Steve what an awesome buck!!!
    I also shot one of my does at noon last week, if a guy can tuff it out for the all day sit it can and does pay off.

  26. Great buck Steve and great story! The old saying is…the longer you stay in your stand, the better your chances get… Your perseverence paid big dividends!

    Perhaps you saw my report on my first Iowa hunt…I am DEFINITELY going to get back there as soon as I can!

    BTW…Love that camo your wearing!!!

  27. Thanks for all the kind comments guys. It has been a great year for me and I have cherished every day I’ve been in the stand chasing deer with my bow!

    Congrats again on your great Iowa buck Tom! It is a fun place to hunt, I just wish it wasn’t so limited and expensive so everyone had the opportunity to hunt there if they choose to.

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