Michael Pearce's Kansas Outdoors

Many people have a lucky number. Josh Landis, 15, has a lucky day.

The last two years he’s filled his deer permit with nice bucks on Sept. 20. His dad, David, said his son has needed all of that luck.

Josh Landis, 15, shot this buck almost to the minute when his father jokingly requested on Sept. 20. He shot a similar buck on the same date last year

Because of school commitments that date has been the only day they’ve been able to be afield during the youth deer season.

The farm they hunt, owned by Josh’s great-grandfather, is leased to other hunters during all other seasons.

In 2008 they made the long pre-dawn drive from their Newton home to the 600 acre farm near Cedarvale.

After seeing nothing but does and fawns in the morning they were walking along a stone fence when Josh saw a nice ten-point buck bedded about 50 yards away.

He made the shot with a .270.

This year’s hunt was on the same date and followed a requested schedule.

“We were so tired when we were driving down I told Josh it would be nice if he shot one by 10 and we could be having lunch at the café with his great-grandfather at noon,” David Landis said. “I told him that would give us time to shower and still be home by four that afternoon.”

Their early morning wait in a pecan grove brought only sightings of does and fawns and the young hunter wanted a buck.

Mid-morning they decided to do a slow walk and scout for a place to hunt that afternoon.

They rounded a bend in a creek bed when Josh saw a small buck looking at them and a bigger nine-point buck moving off.

“I got kind of lucky that the bigger buck turned around and came back to look at the smaller buck,” he said. “He turned broadside and I shot. He jumped and ran up the bank and I thought I’d missed him.”

David Landis was confident the buck was well-hit. They found it easily.

The buck had obligingly traveled up and out of the steep creek bottom and died in a field where their pick-up could reach it.

“It was kind of funny how everything fell into place. I checked my watch when we found the buck and it was 9:59,” he said. “We made it to the café by noon to have lunch, showered and made it home at about four.”

Since, he’s made sure his son knows just how well things have gone the past two years.

“There are a lot of hunters out there who’ve hunted 15 or 20 years and never taken a buck like either one of these,” he said. “But he’s done it twice and has hunted a total of about eight hours. It’s all been pretty special.”

In 2008 they made the long pre-dawn drive from their Newton home to the 600 acre farm near Cedarvale.

After seeing nothing but does and fawns in the morning they were walking along a stone fence when Josh saw a nice ten-point buck bedded about 50 yards away.

He made the shot with a .270.

This year’s hunt was on the same date and followed a requested schedule.

“We were so tired when we were driving down I told Josh it would be nice if he shot one by 10 and we could be having lunch at the café with his great-grandfather at noon,” David Landis said. “I told him that would give us time to shower and still be home by four that afternoon.”

Their early morning wait in a pecan grove brought only sightings of does and fawns and the young hunter wanted a buck.

Mid-morning they decided to do a slow walk and scout for a place to hunt that afternoon.

They rounded a bend in a creek bed when Josh saw a small buck looking at them and a bigger nine-point buck moving off.

“I got kind of lucky that the bigger buck turned around and came back to look at the smaller buck,” he said. “He turned broadside and I shot. He jumped and ran up the bank and I thought I’d missed him.”

David Landis was confident the buck was well-hit. They found it easily.

The buck had obligingly traveled up and out of the steep creek bottom and died in a field where their pick-up could reach it.

“It was kind of funny how everything fell into place. I checked my watch when we found the buck and it was 9:59,” he said. “We made it to the café by noon to have lunch, showered and made it home at about four.”

Since, he’s made sure his son knows just how well things have gone the past two years.

“There are a lot of hunters out there who’ve hunted 15 or 20 years and never taken a buck like either one of these,” he said. “But he’s done it twice and has hunted a total of about eight hours. It’s all been pretty special.”

Josh Landis shot this 10-pointer on Sept. 20, 2008. He shot a similar buck on Sept. 20 of this year