In order to get a complete understanding of the story of Kreuger, we must go back to the Wisconsin gun season of 2010. During 2010 I was after one key buck that had luck earlier in the season when my arrow would strike a sapling directly in front of him. I had many trail cameras up to capture where this big eight point (known as Santana) was cruising. During the gun season I had one of my Covert Scouting Cameras overlooking a bedding area with a small quantity of corn. Everytime I went to look at the pictures I hoped I would get pictures of Santana. However, a couple new bucks would catch my eye. Two 2 1/2 year old bucks were making this area there number one hangout area. One of these bucks would be named Repeat (seen on 2012 hitlist page) and the other would be granted a special name because of his rack looking like that of the horror movie character, Freddy Kreuger. So that was it, this buck was deemed as Kreuger, and instantly I started thinking about what this buck could become.
Well the 2010 season came and went as quickly as the hunting season always does, and once again the season ended which meant that preparation for the next season begins. The spring and summer started off slowly as I wasnt really getting any pictures of the key bucks or shooter bucks in general. However, this wouldn't change my pre-season tactics. I still kept my mineral sites active and the Frigid Forage food plots were flourishing. Little bucks were the norm for most of the season until the end of July when finally my hopes and dreams were lifted when a buck from the 2010 season would show up and show his impressive ten point rack. This buck nonetheless was Kreuger. Once Kreuger showed up on the property, he made the Monstser Raxx mineral sites and Frigid Forage food plots his normal go to places. I was able to get hundreds of pictures throughout the whole season, but he would never show his face in daylight. As the season progressed I got a pretty good idea of what he had on top of his head, but was on the edge whether or not I wanted to take this magnificent animal.
The months kept going by and still no sign of Kreuger in the daylight. I hunted as hard as ever just to at least get a look at this big boy. One afternoon on November 5th I would get that opportunity. However, as sneaky as this future stud was, he eluded me and snuck up through a thorn/briar patch and that was the last I would see of him. After the rut started come to a close, our Wisconsin gun season opened up.The only thing I could think about was if Kreuger had eluded the "orange army". Thanksgiving day I thought I had seen the last of Kreguer when a tall racked buck came busting out of the woods. With no time to think or hesitate, I pulled back the hammer on my T/C Omega and let the Barnes Bullet fly at the big ol' whitetail. However, when I came up to the buck I would realize that I had not ended the saga of Kreuger. Instead I had unleashd the jaugernaut at a mature buck we had named "The Ghost" (See his story under the hunting stories link on the news page).
Gun hunting ended, and I was happier than ever, having harvested my biggest whitetail in Wisconsin to date. However, Kreuger was still on my mind, and I wondered if the ten point had made it through the shotgun and muzzleloader seasons. My cameras were placed over a Frigid Forage turnip plot in hopes that I would get him feeding. Leaving my cameras out, I headed down to Iowa to film a buddy for Haastyle Hunting. While sitting there in stand I wondered if the big boy would waltz into the plot. Upon my return I hurried back and checked my camera. I was overly excited as to what I saw.
Kreuger was in the plot everyday and well I even watched through videos as he would slowly come back with both antlers, then one, then none. However, after countless hours shed hunting I would have nothing to show other than finding the buck known as Santana dead in a fenceline.
Now with the 2011 season over and Kreuger shedded out on my property. Once again we were back into "preparation" mode. The cameras went up, the food plots got planted, and the wait began for the 2012 hunting season to begin. The summer started off just like 2011 had. No big shooter bucks were showing their face except for the buck that roamed the woods with Kreuger back in 2010, Repeat. The summer cruised on and I began to think that all I would be chasing is this small racked four year old whitetail known as Repeat. There was nothing wrong with chasing a mature animal like this, but all I could think about was if or when Kreuger would pop up on the Covert cameras.
Now with the 2011 season over and Kreuger shedded out on my property. Once again we were back into "preparation" mode. The cameras went up, the food plots got planted, and the wait began for the 2012 hunting season to begin. The summer started off just like 2011 had. No big shooter bucks were showing their face except for the buck that roamed the woods with Kreuger back in 2010, Repeat. The summer cruised on and I began to think that all I would be chasing is this small racked four year old whitetail known as Repeat. There was nothing wrong with chasing a mature animal like this, but all I could think about was if or when Kreuger would pop up on the Covert cameras.
Well on the morning of July 13th, 2012 Kreuger finally would show himself on one of my Covert cams, and boy did he make a statement with his first picture of the season (seen in picture to right). He was back, and well as you can see his rack absolutely exploded from the year prior. Like the previous years Kreuger kept on coming back after his first appearance of the season, but once again all at night. I can easily say that he had my full attention throughout the season. All I could think about was getting a chance at this unbelievable Wisconsin whitetail.
The season progressed this way as the calendar kept pushing on. July....gone, August...gone, September...gone, October....gone.... November... FINALLY HERE!!!!
The season progressed this way as the calendar kept pushing on. July....gone, August...gone, September...gone, October....gone.... November... FINALLY HERE!!!!
The rut was finally here and well, all I can really say is that I was super pumped to see if Kreuger would finally make a mistake. As the intense rut progressed I never did see Kreuger. However, one night while up at my girlfriend's, I got a call from my dad. He had spotted Kreuger while scouting from his gun stand. Finally a daylight spotting of this big boy. I hurried up back home. I checked a camera near my main stand that was set up in a big willow tree overlooking a turnip plot. I climbed up into my stand, but couldnt wait to get home and check the card. So what can a guy do in this situation? I put the card into my video camera and checked out the pictures. Sure enough I had a daylight photo of Kreuger in my food plot! I couldn't believe it. I made a commitment to this stand and had a feeling it would be "The One". However, saturday night would only give me a 2 year old nine point to watch. The next night however would be a different situation. I was back in in the willow stand waiting for the action to start. I wathed multiple bucks chasing doe, but no Kreuger. Around 4:00 pm I scanned back to a trail leading up to my plot, and sure enough there was the beast standing on other edge of my plot. I couldn't believe that I could possibly get a shot at this stud buck with my bow! However, as luck would have it, Kreuger saw a doe across the marsh and walked out of my dreams.
Finally I had a sighting of Kreuger while on stand. However, between working and other filming obligations for Haastyle Hunting, I wasn't able to hunt Kreuger again until the Wisconsin gun season. My Covert cameras would end up telling me that Kreuger was making the Monster Magnet Frigid Forage food plot his stomping ground during the rut. I was torn as I saw picture after picture of Kreuger by this stand in the day light hours. All I could hope for would be that payback would be served by a 250 grain TEZ Barnes Bullet during the gun season.
Finally I had a sighting of Kreuger while on stand. However, between working and other filming obligations for Haastyle Hunting, I wasn't able to hunt Kreuger again until the Wisconsin gun season. My Covert cameras would end up telling me that Kreuger was making the Monster Magnet Frigid Forage food plot his stomping ground during the rut. I was torn as I saw picture after picture of Kreuger by this stand in the day light hours. All I could hope for would be that payback would be served by a 250 grain TEZ Barnes Bullet during the gun season.
Saturday November 17th, 2012 was opening day for the Wisconsin firearm deer season. Like all of the years prior I loaded up my T/C Omega with Blackhorn 209 and a deadly 250 gr. TEZ Barnes bullet and headed to my stand. The morning started off to a great start with seeing five bucks chasing and dogging does. However, not one presented a rack big enough to make me want to cock the hammer back on my smokepole.
The morning then got very interesting when I heard four shots coming from my neighbor only about 300 yards away. I watched the direction and caught movement. A doe came cruising through an open CRP field and ran up into my hardwoods. I waited for something else to come behind, when all of a sudden, I seen a big body deer coming out of my marsh. I put up my gun and sure enough it was my big hitlister "Kreuger". He was zig-zagging like a mad man with his nose to the ground. All of my mouth grunts and yells couldn't stop the big boy . Off into my woods he went.
Once in the woods I could still see his big 11 point rack glistening in the sun and right next to him was HIS doe. I thought "Oh yeah, keep on lockdown and stay with your girlfriend". I was able to glass and film the buck all day in my hardwoods with no shot. Around 1 pm he decided to come back into the CRP for a snack but I could tell he almost sensed that something was up and with that he went back into the woods. I thought that this was the last time I was going to see him. I put my head in my hands with frustration.
The day continued and light slowly drifted away. However, within a half hour of last light, deer started piling into the field, both bucks and does. With only minutes to spare before the first day of season would
end I watched a yearling doe come out into the corn field, and right behind her was "Kreuger". I settled into my T/C and let him walk into my crosshairs at 100 yards. BOOM SHAKA LAKA!!! The Barnes Bullet went on its way!!!
After the shot he stood there all rutted up and still trying to tend his doe. So with my nerves making me shake like a leaf, I attempted to reload my muzzleloader. With powder spilled and the dropping of primers I finally got the gun loaded and shot again at Kreuger. His doe took off and he followed. I couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. I called my dad and we discussed a game plan. It was decided to let him sit for an hour and then we would go track him.
After thirty minutes the anticipation got the best of me. I had to get out and look for blood and potentially the best buck of my life. We drove our Kawasaki Mule out to the spot where I figured Kreuger stood when I shot. NO BLOOD! I started getting worried that I may have missed. Not once, but TWICE! My dad and I searched vigorously for blood but no such luck. I turned to my last ditch effort, deer trails and body searching. I wasn't in the woods for more than ten minutes when my flashlight would catch the body of a big deer on the ground. Attached to this body was none other than a 160inch 11 point rack. I GOT KREUGER!!!! I couldn't ask for it to happen any better. My dad and I together when I find my biggest buck to date, simply awesome.
He is by far my best buck to date and ends a 3 year quest for him. Still on cloud nine about harvesting this incredible whitetail. I thank God still for letting me follow this buck for three years and ultimately harvesting him. Also, a big thanks to my sponsors for helping me grow, capture, and harvest this whitetail. Thanks to my family and friends. The biggest thanks I have easily goes to my father, Dan Haas. He stuck with me from season after season following this big whitetail, helping me put out mineral, working on our food plots, and putting game plans together. GOD IS GREAT!
The morning then got very interesting when I heard four shots coming from my neighbor only about 300 yards away. I watched the direction and caught movement. A doe came cruising through an open CRP field and ran up into my hardwoods. I waited for something else to come behind, when all of a sudden, I seen a big body deer coming out of my marsh. I put up my gun and sure enough it was my big hitlister "Kreuger". He was zig-zagging like a mad man with his nose to the ground. All of my mouth grunts and yells couldn't stop the big boy . Off into my woods he went.
Once in the woods I could still see his big 11 point rack glistening in the sun and right next to him was HIS doe. I thought "Oh yeah, keep on lockdown and stay with your girlfriend". I was able to glass and film the buck all day in my hardwoods with no shot. Around 1 pm he decided to come back into the CRP for a snack but I could tell he almost sensed that something was up and with that he went back into the woods. I thought that this was the last time I was going to see him. I put my head in my hands with frustration.
The day continued and light slowly drifted away. However, within a half hour of last light, deer started piling into the field, both bucks and does. With only minutes to spare before the first day of season would
end I watched a yearling doe come out into the corn field, and right behind her was "Kreuger". I settled into my T/C and let him walk into my crosshairs at 100 yards. BOOM SHAKA LAKA!!! The Barnes Bullet went on its way!!!
After the shot he stood there all rutted up and still trying to tend his doe. So with my nerves making me shake like a leaf, I attempted to reload my muzzleloader. With powder spilled and the dropping of primers I finally got the gun loaded and shot again at Kreuger. His doe took off and he followed. I couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. I called my dad and we discussed a game plan. It was decided to let him sit for an hour and then we would go track him.
After thirty minutes the anticipation got the best of me. I had to get out and look for blood and potentially the best buck of my life. We drove our Kawasaki Mule out to the spot where I figured Kreuger stood when I shot. NO BLOOD! I started getting worried that I may have missed. Not once, but TWICE! My dad and I searched vigorously for blood but no such luck. I turned to my last ditch effort, deer trails and body searching. I wasn't in the woods for more than ten minutes when my flashlight would catch the body of a big deer on the ground. Attached to this body was none other than a 160inch 11 point rack. I GOT KREUGER!!!! I couldn't ask for it to happen any better. My dad and I together when I find my biggest buck to date, simply awesome.
He is by far my best buck to date and ends a 3 year quest for him. Still on cloud nine about harvesting this incredible whitetail. I thank God still for letting me follow this buck for three years and ultimately harvesting him. Also, a big thanks to my sponsors for helping me grow, capture, and harvest this whitetail. Thanks to my family and friends. The biggest thanks I have easily goes to my father, Dan Haas. He stuck with me from season after season following this big whitetail, helping me put out mineral, working on our food plots, and putting game plans together. GOD IS GREAT!
 |  |
RSS Feed