Seth Spire waited six years for an Iowa deer tag. When the opportunity finally came, a morning trail-camera picture and advice from friend Lance Porter changed the direction of his hunt. In episode 4 of A Hunter’s Legacy, the Missouri bowhunter tells Mitchell Fox how an October afternoon became a season he will never forget.
The buck was part of a longer story: learning to bowhunt without a dedicated mentor, getting more interested in preparation, and finding friends willing to help make a special hunt happen.
Learning to Bowhunt in Missouri
Seth started deer hunting around age 11 after completing hunter education. His early seasons involved Missouri rifle hunts and deer drives. Bowhunting caught his attention through old hunting videos he watched on school snow days.
He got a bow in his early teens and began figuring things out. Some early sits were as simple as a lawn chair tucked into weeds. His interest became more serious around the end of high school and during college.
Friends helped along the way, but he also learned by doing. Choosing a stand, paying attention to conditions, and then looking back at what worked gradually gave him more confidence. Even after years on familiar farms, Seth says there is always something else to learn.
A Camera Picture Changed the Plan
For the Iowa trip, Seth had planned to take an extended break from work and move between Iowa and Missouri. He had already spent two days hunting the Iowa property without seeing the buck he wanted.
Then, while he was in Missouri hanging a camera, a new picture arrived from Iowa. It was around 7:30 in the morning, and Lance had an idea about where the deer might be bedding.
Seth changed plans, took the rest of the day off, and headed to Iowa. Instead of returning to the same setup, he tried the stand Lance suggested. The location was near water, and they hoped the buck’s movement would bring it through.
Two Bucks on the Same Trail
Seth reached the stand that afternoon. Around 5:30, a nine-pointer came along a trail close to him. It was a deer he might have considered on a different hunt, but he let it walk.
Roughly ten minutes later, another rack appeared over the ridge. The buck worked a scrape and rubbed a tree before following the same trail. The encounter gave Seth the chance he had spent years waiting for.
After the shot, the deer disappeared into thick timber. The sound of its movement stopped quickly, but Seth could not see where it had gone. Without that certainty, excitement turned into a long evening of questions.
A Sleepless Night Before Recovery
Seth called Lance and explained what happened. Rather than walking through the area where the deer might be, he took a much longer route out of the property.
They talked about bringing in a tracking dog, but decided to look the next morning first. Seth barely slept while replaying the shot and wondering what the search would bring.
The answer came quickly. They found the buck within the first few minutes, only about 60 yards from where it had been hit. Seth described it as a 170-class deer, the kind of buck he had hoped the Iowa tag might give him an opportunity to hunt.
The People Behind the Hunt
Seth was grateful for Lance’s help and access to the property. After waiting so long, he admitted part of him almost wished the season had lasted longer. He also knew how fortunate he was that the opportunity came together.
His enthusiasm extends beyond the harvest. Scouting, food plots, trail cameras, and learning the ground have become parts of hunting he enjoys in their own right. The preparation gives the season meaning before a deer ever walks into view.
Hear Seth’s complete account in episode 4 of A Hunter’s Legacy. For the same hunt from his friend’s perspective, read Lance Porter’s story about mature Iowa bucks and helping Seth fill his tag.
