Muzzleloader Magic: Big Kansas 15-point Fooled During Early Season

Passing a solid buck during the 2022 season paid off for Kansas resident John Reichert this September. On Sept. 12, during the early muzzleloader season in Kansas, Reichert shot the biggest buck of his life. A 180 6/8 gross stud with 15 scoreable points and 41 inches of mass!

John and his buddy manage the property they hunt in east-central Kansas and have taken some impressive deer from it over the years. “This buck put on 30-35 inches of antler from last season. You just don’t see too many deer make that kind of a jump,” John says. “The deer had a double throat patch and splits, so he was a pretty easy deer to recognize.

“I am a big proponent of pouring on the feed to the deer on our property once hunting season is over, especially in January through March, after the rut has taken a toll on them.” John works for Big Tine Products, so it stands to reason that he would know the benefits of such a program and how to implement it.

On opening evening of the early muzzleloader season, he sat in a blind and saw over 30 deer, but none he felt like putting his tag on. Then, 10 minutes after he left the blind that evening, his cell phone alerted him with a trail camera photo. His target buck had walked right past his blind!

John hunted the same blind the next evening and this time the deer stepped out with roughly 20 minutes of legal shooting light left.

“I’m not one to let them feed or whatever; when I have a shot, I take it,” John notes. “I didn’t even need to pick up the optics. I knew which deer he was when he stepped out.”

Remember the double throat patch and splits? He still packed them, only he was much more impressive this year!