It’s that time of year again…summer is coming to an end and fall is quickly approaching. Last year the Driven team kicked off their deer season at Wicked Outfitters for the Kansas youth season with Pat’s son Carson. Carson hunted hard and put his time in, but things just didn’t come together. This year, we kicked off the same way with Carson heading back down there looking for some redemption!
We had two reasons for going to Kansas; first is to get Carson a big buck, and second to meet the guys from Caterpillar® and the local dealer Foley Equipment. We are very excited to announce that we are now partnering with Caterpillar®, and will be using their products and attachments in the field for land management and hopefully hauling some big Midwest bucks out of the woods this fall!
Before heading to the woods, we met up with our friends from Foley Equipment, Craig Noland, Zane Tschanz, Jake Mankin, and Tony Mana. They are the local Cat dealer for the area we were hunting, and delivered our new 259D CAT® with an assortment of attachments tailored to our needs in the field and the outdoors.
The 259D is a very versatile tracked skid steer that will be perfect for working on our food plots, managing vegetation, and putting in ponds and water holes.
The guys from Foley Equipment showing us how to use a landscape rake to prepare food plots!
Carson sitting in the new Cat machine!
Clint Walker and Whitney Fouts, owner and operators of Wicked Outfitters have really put their time in this summer and have been getting pictures of some huge deer on their Eyecon trail cameras. One in particular that Carson had his eye on was a buck they nicknamed Shooter.
Shooter.
After putting out a little Evolved Habitats Driven Dirt Bag, we settled into the blind with high hopes.
Not long before dark, deer started making their way across the field in our direction. In the back of the line, we could see a big white velvet rack coming. Everything seemed like it was playing out perfect, but just before the deer got into Carson’s shooting window, something spooked them and the field cleared. Another disappointment, just like the previous year, but Pat stressed to him….that’s hunting! You have to stay patient and persistent and eventually it will pay off.
The next evening, we headed back to the same blind, hoping the deer would show back up. Sure enough, the deer started to filter back in, and Shooter appeared in the distance. Carson was zoned in, and when the buck finally gave him the opportunity, Carson let the hammer down on him with his Thompson Center Venture .270. The buck ran 30 yards and tipped over! Carson was pumped! He had just knocked down a giant Kansas velvet buck!
That is one proud dad! Pat was just as excited, if not more than Carson!
Carson also had a doe tag in his pocket, and while we were still in the blind after he shot his buck, a doe appeared on the woodline. Clint had talked to Carson about doing some doe management if he had the chance, so Carson jumped at the opportunity and harvested a big mature doe. It was a double!
After recovering both his buck and doe, it was time to get them out of the woods and back to camp. Good thing we had our brand new CAT®. We loaded them up and had them hanging back at camp in no time!
When we arrived back at camp, we also found out that Tim Anello with Inside Outdoors TV also on the Outdoor Channel, and his daughter, Hannah had also had some luck, and harvested a big velvet 8 pointer! Congratulations Hannah!
What a youth season and start to the year at Wicked Outfitters!
Thanks to Clint and Whitney. You guys have an unbelievable place and operation. The hunting and quality of deer that you guys have is outstanding, and we love coming down there every time.
This is Carson’s second year hunting in Kansas and it hasn’t been easy. He hunted hard and fought through frustration and disappointment. He has learned that sometimes it doesn’t work out how you plan, but you don’t quit because you don’t succeed the first time. You keep going, and stay DRIVEN!
Special thanks to Caterpillar® and the guys at Foley Equipment. We look forward to working with you to enhance the properties that we hunt in the hopes of another very successful year.
Wicked Outfitters
Clint Walker, Whitney Fouts
www.Wickedoutfitters.com
816-918-4325
Foley Equipment
Kansas City, MO
816-753-5300
www.foleyeq.com
For Information on Cat® products visit: www.catresourcecenter.com