Hunters go for the big deer in Mo.

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. — Deer hunters on a farm west of Chillicothe borrowed a page from the fishermen’s book recently.

They were talking about “the big one that got away.”

As they trudged back to deer camp at midday after spending several frustrating hours in their tree stands, they looked up in surprise to see a trophy buck not far from their base.

They quickly raised their rifles and took aim at the big deer as it chased several does up a hill. But the hail of gunfire failed to stop the buck.

“Must be wearing a Kevlar vest,” one of the hunters said.

Several of the hunters scrambled over the hill to see if one of the shots had somehow found the mark. But there was nothing there.

No blood. No deer.

Just another story for the campfire on a future Missouri deer opener.

“That looked like a 12-point buck,” said Ben Serres of Raymore, Mo. “That was the one we were looking for.”

Richard Hamblin nodded and added, “When you’re shooting at a running deer that’s 200, 250 yards out, you have to get lucky.”

Hamblin also was lacking good fortune earlier in the morning when he was with his 11-year-old grandson, Zach. In the darkness, they saw a big 8-point buck come close to their tree stand. But once shooting hours arrived, the buck left.

“He just snorted and took off running,” said Hamblin, 62, of Freeman, Mo.

And so it went. When the deer season opened in north-central Missouri, a group of hunters who traditionally have something to show for their opening-day efforts were reduced to talking about missed opportunities.

Yes, they saw the big deer this region is known for. But the big ones got away.

“We normally have three or four deer down by noon on opening day,” said Mike Hamblin, Richard’s son. “Last year I had a big 7-point buck by 6:45 [a.m.]

“I saw 10 deer in the first hour. But not this year.”

Mike Hamblin sat in his tree stand and failed to see a deer in the first two hours of hunting Saturday. His luck changed when he got down and began walking draws, kicking up four does and one buck. But none was the one he was looking for.

“We’re spoiled,” he said with a smile. “There are so many big bucks up here, we pass on a lot of smaller deer.”

That’s life in northern Missouri, which has become the deer-hunting capital of the state.

Today, farms such as the ones owned by the Hamblins’ relatives are prime whitetail country — big Conservation Reserve Program fields laced with woody draws and thickets.

The deer love that combination of open land and timber . . . and so do the hunters.

You should have seen Chillicothe on Friday night, the eve of the Missouri deer opener.

Hunters dressed in orange ballcaps took over the town, filling motels, restaurants and convenience stores.

Evidence of that growing tradition also could be seen on a farm west of town. A group of hunters set up a traditional deer camp at the edge of a pond, then gathered around a campfire to swap stories about past openers and the big deer of the past.

They told tales about everything from collapsed tree stands to 16-point bucks. But most of all, they celebrated the return of their favorite time of the year.

“We start looking forward to the next opener the day after the deer season ends,” Serres said. “This is our thing.”

Indeed, Saturday was all about tradition for this group of hunters. The Hamblins were represented by three generations of hunters — from Richard, to his son, Mike, to Mike’s son, Zach.

All have colorful stories about past hunts on the farm in north-central Missouri.

Mike remembers going several years without taking a deer when he first got started. Then he made up for lost time by shooting a 14-point buck, a true trophy.

“I came up the day before the gun opener to get my stand ready, and I saw this big buck,” he said. “I had brought my bow with me, so I tried to get it close enough to where I could get a shot.

“I grunted a couple times and he walked within 14 yards.”

Since then, Mike has taken several other big bucks, including a 10-pointer on the last day of the season five years ago.

“Mike loves to hunt deer up here,” Richard said. “And I think he’s passed that down to Zach.”

Saturday’s opener also was a chance to get together with old friends, some of whom have been hunting with the Hamblins near Chillicothe for 10 years.

“We have deer on my farm near Freeman,” Richard said. “But this is our traditional opening-day spot.

“We’ve had some good hunts here over the years. But the real fun of it is getting together with friends and family.

“I don’t even carry the gun anymore. I just take Zach out.

“Seeing him take a big deer would mean a lot more to me than if I shot it myself.”