5 min read
Three Years. One Hard Wind. A 233-Inch Kansas Buck
A three-year chase ended when a hard Kansas wind gave Drew Yarmer a chance to crawl within 20 yards of a 233-inch non-typical.
The buck, the why, and the gear
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Three Years. One Hard Wind. A 233-Inch Kansas Buck.
Drew Yarmer first saw the Kansas buck in 2022. By 2024, the big non-typical was known around the area, hunted hard by neighboring landowners, and still managing to stay alive.
The break came on a day when 35-plus mph winds canceled Yarmer’s work. Those same conditions put the wind in his face when he found the buck bedded with a doe about 200 yards away. What followed was a slow crawl, a 20-yard range, and one disciplined shot. Let’s dive in.
The Buck
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Kansas whitetail · Bowhunting · Ground stalk · August 25, 2026
7.5
YEARS OLD
26
POINTS
233 6/8
GROSS
Yarmer’s history with the buck started in 2022, when he saw what he figured was a 160- to 170-class deer following a group of does. He would not see it again that season. In 2023, after Yarmer tagged a different 130-inch buck, the giant reappeared on trail cameras with an oddly distorted rack that looked like the result of an injury.
By 2024, the buck was no secret. Dozens of people knew about him, and surrounding landowners were hunting him hard. A week before Yarmer finally connected, his father-in-law saw the deer at 65 yards but did not have a shot. That sighting mattered because it confirmed the old buck was still active and still using the area.
On the successful day, high winds were gusting over 35 mph. After a slow morning sit, Yarmer headed toward his truck and spotted the giant following a doe. The pair bedded in knee-high grass roughly 200 yards away. With the wind blowing hard into his face, Yarmer belly-crawled to 100 yards, stripped off his backpack and bow quiver, then kept inching forward. His final range was 20 yards. When the doe stood, he drew. The buck stood next, and Yarmer made the shot.
𐂂 Field Fact
The three-year chase ended with a 7.5-year-old, 26-point buck that measured 233 6/8 inches gross and 225 2/8 inches net non-typical.
The Woodsman’s Edge
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A hard wind can ruin a sit. It can also open a stalk.
Yarmer did not force the issue from 200 yards. He used the conditions, broke the stalk into smaller decisions, and kept his attention on the shot instead of the antlers.
𐂂 Use wind as information, not permission. A strong, steady wind in your face can help cover sound and keep scent moving away from a bedded buck, but only move when the route is safe and the wind stays dependable.
𐂂 Break a stalk into checkpoints. Yarmer paused at 100 yards to shed his backpack and quiver before closing the final distance. Less loose gear means less noise and fewer things to manage when the moment gets tight.
𐂂 Build a pre-shot routine before you need it. Yarmer kept telling himself not to look at the rack. The lesson is simple: once the buck is in range, stop hunting antlers and start executing the same anchor, pin, breathing, and shot process you use in practice.
The Camo Gap You Notice Too Late
Most camo setups look fine at home. The weak spots show up when the wind changes, the temperature drops, or the sit runs longer than planned.
Kings Camo builds hunting apparel and layering systems for different seasons and pursuits. If your fall setup needs a refresh, this is a good place to look before opening day.
Kings Camo builds hunting apparel and layering systems for different seasons and pursuits. If your fall setup needs a refresh, this is a good place to look before opening day.
The Field Call
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Would You Take The Shot?
110 yards. Giant buck bedded with a doe. A 35 mph wind is blowing straight into your face.
You have enough knee-high cover to stay low, the deer have not detected you, and your proven bow range is 30 yards. The wind is steady, but closing the distance means leaving the safety of your original setup and committing to a ground stalk.
What’s your move?
Tap your call to see why Dale would use the hard wind and close the distance.
Gear Bench
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Bushnell R5 Broadhead 2 Rangefinder
$299.95
Dale’s note: Yarmer’s last check before the shot was a 20-yard range. That is exactly where a dedicated archery rangefinder earns its place. The R5 Broadhead 2 is built for bowhunters, with ±0.3-yard accuracy out to 150 yards, a 0.3-second response time, and an ActiveSync display that adjusts as the light changes. On a close stalk, I want one clean number, then I want the rangefinder put away so I can get back to the shot.
The Last Word
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Three years of history did not end because Yarmer finally got more aggressive. It ended because the conditions gave him a reason to be aggressive.
A week earlier, the buck was seen at 65 yards and lived another day. On the successful hunt, a hard wind covered the approach and stayed in Yarmer’s face while he crawled from roughly 200 yards to 20. Then the mental work mattered just as much as the physical stalk. He ignored the rack, went back to his routine, and made the shot.
That is the balance mature-buck hunting keeps asking for: patience until the conditions are right, then commitment when they finally are.
A week earlier, the buck was seen at 65 yards and lived another day. On the successful hunt, a hard wind covered the approach and stayed in Yarmer’s face while he crawled from roughly 200 yards to 20. Then the mental work mattered just as much as the physical stalk. He ignored the rack, went back to his routine, and made the shot.
That is the balance mature-buck hunting keeps asking for: patience until the conditions are right, then commitment when they finally are.
Would you make a belly crawl on a bedded mature buck with a hard wind in your face, or wait for him to move first? Reply and tell me.
Wait for the window. Then commit.
Dale Richey
Big Buck Journal
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