Dad and I were fortunate to draw antelope tags in our favorite unit this year.You might ask yourself, what makes this hunt "unusual". Antelope are pretty common in the west, and there are quite a few of them. There horns are all about the same, just different configurations oof the prongs and different sizes. Well, what makes this hunt unusual is the terrain.
When antelope come to mind, for most they imagine wide open spaces covered with sage, for some it's the grassland praries, only to be broken up by the occasional riverbottom and cottonwood. But for me, it's pine trees. Yep that's right. A scene more appropriate for mule deer and elk.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2112.jpg)
And so this hunt begins. With preseason scouting starting in earnest.
Dad and I headed down for an overnight excursion of finding water and some goats if possible. We went down a few weeks ago, and although there has been a lot of water in the state, the unit seemed extremely dry. We found a couple water holes that wrer there last time we hunted, and decided to check them out as well as search for others. The first nigh tdown we decide to head to a different part of the unit where we heard there was a nice buck. We found him, and a little trickle of water. Here's a couple pics of him. He is the tallest goat we saw. A shooter for sure, even with a broken or weak prong.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2168.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2174.jpg)
COOL!! When does season open?
Congradulations on the Speed Goat tag Ryan!!!!
You have been holding out on me Ryan ;)
Looking forward to the new picks :thumbsup:
Tracy
Last year when elk hunting, our local gunpusher saw a buck at 10K in Northern NM; had never seen one outside the plains before that in over 30 yrs here in NM.
We've got a good many at 10K around here.
So after a short night, we head off to look for water. No water, other than the two ponds, but what we saw was great. Let em back up a bit, the nigh tbefore we went spotlighting, which is legal as long as there are no weapons. We saw about 60 deer and 40 were bucks, with 5 or 6 going to be bruisers. i can't wait to go back down in a couple weeks, there should be a lot more growth by then. I can't hunt deer on this unit, but I love lookin at muleys. I will explain more on the units I can hunt goats on, and what other possibilities await.
So we head out at the crack of dawn, driving small roads (after all this is Utah) and looking for goats. We see no less that 40 goats in the first hour with 25 or so being bucks. I did not find any water, but I found a great trail loaded with antelope and elk sign. A great place to put a tree stand.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2150.jpg)
We then headed to where the ponds were, and on the way ran into these guys, there were 12 in the bunch with 3 or 4 good bucks.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2204.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2206.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2132.jpg)
This is the caliber of buck that I hope to take. There are quite a few that are about this size to this size of goat. There aren't a lot of huge bucks, but I don't care. I killed a small buck last time hunting this unit, so I am looking for something bigger than 8".
The hunt opens Aug. 15th, along with mulies, and ( I love this state :banghead: :rolleyes: ) elk. So I will have 3 tags to try to fill. It's gonna be great.
I don't know how much time I will have in the near future so I will finish this episode.
After seeing the group of bucks we headed toward the water holes. When we got there, we kicked 4 bucks off the water. We then saw 4 other scattered around with another across the fence. This is lookin good! We then went to the other one, saw there was water in this one, then observed another 8 bucks filing through the pine trees towards us. I didn't have my camera with me, because of the rain, but as they scirted us the joined with the others and created another group of 12 or so bucks!. They ran around, sparred and just plain goofed off while we watched them.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2182.jpg)
We drove around a little more and ran into another group of bucks, there were 8 or so in that group.
We will head back down around the fourth of July. We have some work to do at the 2 water holes. So stay tuned, I will be back in a couple weeks with more pics and an update.
:thumbsup:
Here's a couple more pics
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2216.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2218.jpg)
Beautiful bud...good luck to ya! Luv that last pic
"This is the caliber of the buck I hope to take" :saywhat: You lucky DOG!
That is the one thing I really miss when hunting out of state; it is extremely hard to do any pre-season scouting. Going out a few days early doesn't make up for the months of preparation I would like to do.
Make good notes on you maps buddy :D . Those are great looking bucks!
Thats cool! I have only drawn one antelope tag two years ago.I choose the unit because it was my nephews first year bow hunting and needed a place were we could hunt mulies and goats at the same camp.I shoot my antelope at 9000 feet in aspens crazy ah.What unit is that, it sure looks like mountain above my home.Good luck and great pics.That was one of few years I filled all my tags(deer, elk and goat).I am still on that hi.
:thumbsup:
Great pictures! I've seen antelope before at high elevations and in pine forests like that and it always seems so out of place.
I know that they shed and regrow the horn sheath annually, but not really familiar with exactly how that works. Are the sheaths fully grown in your pictures or is there still more to be added through the summer? When do they shed and how long does it take them to regrow?
Thanks for sharing your scouting adventure with us! That can be just about as much fun as the hunt.
Whip,
Antelope shed in December. The old horn is acually pushed off by the new growth. From what I understand, they will grow up into August.
What great pictures and thanks for sharing the story with them. i can't wait for the updates!
:thumbsup:
Great Pics! Go get em' Ryan!!
Good luck with all three tags!
Ryan,
You are probably the only person I can think of hunting Antelope from a tree stand.
That has to beat sitting in a ground blind 115 degrees all day, and chasing out the rattler's in the morning by flashlight.
Good Luck!! Great Pictures!
Don't suppose you will be making it over to the High Country Shoot this coming weekend?
Pat
Thanks for the comments guys. Twitch I could pm you the unit if you want. Hey Pat. I don't think I will be able to make it over this year. I was hoping to. Shane was going to try to make it out bu t he won't as well, I think Ryan will be up. Have fun. Look for more pics in a couple weeks. Man I sure hope these bucks put on some more size!
It would be nice if you would pm me just to know thanxs and good luck.
It was going to be a great weekend to head down and work on the blinds. Funny how this "unusual" antelope hunt is shaping to become a regular one.
So Dad and I head to the waterholes we found last time. they both still have a lot of track around them, and we were still encouraged even though the unit has gotten rain since then.
We started digging where Dads blind is going to be, and luckily the ground was very soft. This pond sits right next to a two track road, and although gets a little traffic, we are a little worried that it will get vandalized or destroyed, but that's something we will have to deal with, and I'm not that worried, and I will explain why later.
We are going to put up mock blinds in an effort to get the antelope used to something being there, we are going to use outr DB blind to hunt out of.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2251.jpg)
We were able to clear out a spot in short order for Dad's blind. We set up the DB and Dad shot a few practice arrows to make sure all was well.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2252.jpg)
We then set up the mock blind, put dirt around it and headed to my water hole, which is only a few hundred yards up the little swell.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2254.jpg)
The picture above is the DB but you will see the mock blind in one coming up.
Our plan is to get down the day before the hunt, take the mock blinds down and put the DB's up to hunt out of.
We loaded everything then headed up to my pond. We drove about 100 yards and out pops this guy.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2255.jpg)
This is one of the best bucks we have seen on the unit and he was bedded 100 yards from my Dad's pond. That got us a little pumped.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2264.jpg)
We got to the pond I will be sitting, dug out a spot (this ground was a tad bit harder!), and did the same routine. Setting up the DB, making adjustments, and shooting a few practice arrows.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2268.jpg)
This is the pond where my blind will be, and this is a pic of the mock blind. My Dads will be to the left of this pic. We then headed to the other unit to set a trail camera and look for more water.
Very cool thread Ryan...very cool!
Thanks Curt. So Dad and I head over to the other side of the unit. I wanted to put a trail camera on the trail I found last time. So we go over, and head out. We set the camera, then decide to drive around. We headed up the same little valley we always see goats in, and sure enough we run into these guys.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2273.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2269.jpg)
Now at first glance there was nothing real special about them. One shooter and three sqibs (small ones). But as we are driving away, something catches my eye and I tell the old man to stop. Throw up my glasses and see this guy.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2275.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2276.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2277.jpg)
What an unusual buck. If you look close you will see 3 horns growing off this bucks head. Now there are 2 shooters in the bunch. This little guy is very cool!
We decide to spend the rest of the evening looking at mulies and mabey some elk.
Now a little about the 2 units I can hunt antelope in. The one on the north, I can hunt antelope, deer, and spike elk and cow elk. In the unit to the south, I can only hunt antelope and elk. The mule deer on this unit are limited entry.
But there is no law against looking. So we set off looking, and found a few good bucks. Sorry for the blur, it was getting a little late.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2309.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2316.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2322.jpg)
That hunt looks like a blast. Good Luck
Thanks Tom. Talk about an awesome hunt, one day I will make it to a Bear Quest!
SO after a short night, Dad and I head to check the trail camera, nothing. The camera must not have a fast speed because there was fresh antelope track and elk track. So I will probably be putting a tree stand there.
We then headed to a vantage point to check out the blinds and watch for a while. I was very curiuos to see the antelope reaction. After about 30 min we watch a group of 5 or so goats, with two shooters head righ tinto Dad's pond! They didn't even slow down. We watch another buck head into mine, the two more groups hit Dad's. This is really looking good even if the mock blinds get destroyed. This was the first morning the antelope had seen the blinds, and they didn't seem to care at all.
So, 6 more weeks til I'm sitting in my DB overlooking the water. With longbow in hand and sharp broadheads in the quiver. Until then...
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2292.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2295.jpg)
And my favorite
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2288.jpg)
Dang Ryan...I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I was you :jumper:
great pics, Ryan, I'll be watchin' this one....
that's some nice bone growin' on some of those mulies! :D
Great pictures and stories Ryan, keep 'em coming. We don't have those lightning bolts in LA and it is great following you guys that chase them.
Hey fatman, how did you get that handle? :confused:
Billy
Great looking area and pictures! Wish I was going with you, I will be in Wyoming the 15th of August but there aint no trees. Keep the great pictures coming.
Mike
Great pictures! :thumbsup: Just being able to scout around and take pictures of that many animals would be as much fun as hunting them to me. :) Good luck when the time comes.
a few hang on stands might be in order as well as the DB. great pics, nice mule deer and that last goat with the straw hanging out his mouth is classic. looking forward to the rest of this thread. :thumbsup:
Ryan great hunt along and pics. Can't wait until the next chapter. Big Ed------------->
Man that is sweet!! 3 of us is headed for Wyoming in September for our first ever Antelope hunt. I wish I could get out there and do some scouting but that is not going to happen. Good luck on your hunt Ryan and I look forward to following along with you and your dad!!
Tim
Great pictures Ryan. Hunting goats in the trees has got to be exciting. Good luck to you and your dad.
Thanks for all the comments guys. Hope to have one more update before the hunt starts.
We probably will be sitting treestands as well.
Good Luck!!! :)
Best of luck and thank you for sharing those pics!! We here in southern New England do not have all the game opportunities of our western brethren... so vicarious hunting is usually the best we do... thanks!
thanks for the pics and the story.I will be waiting for updates.best of luck to you and your dad.
I don't know how I missed this thread before but awesome pictures and awesome story.
Can't wait to see how it pans out. Good luck! Sounds like a success already.
Dang, those are nice bucks. Good luck to you. Great pics.... I am off to Wyoming for antelope in August because they do not grow them in Washington .... regards, Ken
ps... that St Judes auction decal looks great on my truck !! I have had several compliments on it.
Just got back from checking the area again. Didn't see all that many, but I know they are there. I went down with a couple things in mind:
1- check the trail cam
2-make sure the mock blinds were still in place.
Both goal accomplished although not how I would have liked. First the trail camera was fine, had a few pics.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/SUNP0006.jpg)
Here is what was on it. But I also found out my batteries died and only got pics for 2 days out of 14. The flash doesn't work too well either, so I can't tell whats on there at night. Oh Well..
So that makes it good for a tree stand set up. If she comes by she's in trouble.
So then my father-in-law and I head to the water holes. First the one Dad is gonna sit at. Still has a lot of water and the blind is still there. Then mine. Different story. The blind is still there, but the pond is quickly drying up. The hunt is two weeks away, and if it's dry I will have to hunt somewhere else.
If that happens it will solve my blind issue. I plan on shooting out of a DB as I mentioned before. The problem is it's an older style, and my 66" longbow is right at the limit. I'm thinking of just building a blind out of camo netting. (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2371.jpg)
Here's a buck we saw on the way to the blind. Plenty big enough for me!
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2363.jpg)
The best thing about the day was on the way out we run into another guy driving around. We talk and find out his son has a muley tag for the area. I get to talking to him and find out that he is one of the land owners in the area. As I am thinking of a way to get on his land, through work or some other arrangement, he up and invites me and Dad to hunt it. There are always goats on his place and water, as they have stock ponds. My ace in the hole!!
Here is another buck we saw, sorry about the blurry pics.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2374.jpg)
Look at the cutters on him. If he had some mass he would be huge!
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2375.jpg)
So with a little less than two weeks away, time to get things together and practice hard. Speaking of practice what do ya think of my homemade antelope target? Was able to make it lifesize. Sure helps with picking a spot.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2362.jpg)
So here's hoping the pond don't dry, and the elk stay on the same trail. Everything opens the same day, Aug. 15. That means elk, deer, and antelope. Look for another update the week after that. Good luck to everyone!
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2368.jpg)
Thanks for the update!
Looks like the ball is rollin' your way!
Have great 2009 Antelope hunt!
Shoot straight, Shinken
Already one of the coolest threads of the year....and you haven't even hunted yet!
Best of luck to you and Dad Ryan :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :pray:
Ryan...
Great thread, bud.
Do you mind sharing the specs of your camera setup? Those are some great animal shots.
Thanks,
Ray
I agree Curt, Ryan is doing a great job and I am ready to follow this one to the end :bigsmyl:
Tracy
Thanks for the comments guys! They are much appreciated.
Ray my camera is the Canaon Powershot S3IS. I think the newer ones are s5 or s6. I also have a 2.2X telephoto lens, that I use a lot. The camera also takes video, but I need to learn how to reformat the footage to put it on DVD.
Tracy you know I've been putting holes in the target, in fact the shooting is getting a little better. If I have a goat down, you can bet there will be steaks on the La Sal's :thumbsup:
Thanks, and good luck. Speedgoats are fun with a capital "F"
I really enjoyed chasing htem around in Wyoming for several years.
:campfire: :coffee: O Yeah!!!
Tracy
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
Already one of the coolest threads of the year....and you haven't even hunted yet!
Best of luck to you and Dad Ryan :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :pray:
Amen to that Curt!!
Keep up the good work there chief :thumbsup:
Had some bisquits and antelope sausage gravy for breakfast today...
Man can't wait for the 15th.
Just a couple clips of shooting out of the DB. I tink that is how I'm gonna hunt the water hole. What do you guys think? It's one of the older styles, with no black, but it's still pretty dark. I think I will have to blacken my hand and face for sure. One of the clips has the netting, which helps a lot, but it throws me off bad. I would rather spook a goat than wound it.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/th_Shotfromblind1a.jpg) (http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/?action=view¤t=Shotfromblind1a.flv)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/th_Shotfromblind2a.jpg) (http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/?action=view¤t=Shotfromblind2a.flv)
The young man with me is my son. I don't get to see him often, but it's sure fun to have him around. See if you can figure out what the difference is in the last clip.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/th_Shotfromblind3a.jpg) (http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/?action=view¤t=Shotfromblind3a.flv)
Less than a week. Man it's close, and I'm ready. Good luck to everyone here in UT and NV, and CA.Plus you ID, and WY goat hunters. Those are the states that I know are hunting or will be. See ya in a week!!
Looks like you took screen out of center opening or enlarged it a bit. Head out friday myself, good luck. Mike
Awesome thread. I sure hope to see a trophy in it for you!
Yeah, Loox like you opened the window a bit....I wouldn't use the netting either.
Just blacken your hard with something and you'll be eating tenderloins the first time you hunt it!
Best of luck brutha.....I'm excited for you!
Get some, buddy!!
Thanks guys. Yeah, I opened them a bit, seemed to help.
Curt, I'll be eatin them as long as I remember to pick a spot :banghead:
Charlie, I hope so, looking forward to meeting you and the rest of the guys in a couple weeks. Won't be long now!!
Great thread :notworthy: Sure have me pump up! next year I will be done with the waiting period on antelope.I really didn't think I would put in for a while,but now I just getting pumped about it.But this year I guess It will be elk and deer.Now it's time to pack for opener this weekend good luck with your goat hunt. :archer:
Absolutely a great tread ... like reading a good thriller. Best of luck to you Ryan. I'm heading to Wyoming next week to hunt antelope and now you really have me pumped .... be safe, Ken
Very cool Ryan!!! Good luck, can't wait for the next update!!! :thumbsup:
Gettin' close!!
This is a great one already!!!
David
Awesome pictures and story Ryan, good luck to you and your dad :campfire:
Havin a hard time sleeping now. Just a short while before I'm in the blind. Thanks for all the kind words. This reminds me of how I was when I was a kid at Christmas...or last year the day before the opener!! Look for an update Tues or Wed.
Pick a spot Ryan!
We are all lookin' forward to an AWESOME report.
Shoot straight, Shinken
Good luck.
Good luck I'm heading out in a few hours!!!!!!!!
Those pictures are awesome thanks for sharing.
Pick your spot and hold your form. That's my motto this year. Good luck to you. Someday I want a speed goat. Cool critter. Jeff
Great thread! Best of luck to ya!
Well I'm back from the weekend hunt. Before i continue, let me ask you this: Have you ever been so excited for a hunt, and put in the work, done your shooting well, only to have that hunt turn out to be, well, very unusual?
Well here we go, Thurs night I get home from work, and my wife has a concerned look on her face and asks," There was a microburst by the town where you are hunting, is that going to screw things up?" I shrug and say, it's probably good, because my pond was almost dry, now I can hunt it. I shrug off the comment, and try to finish the last day at work.
Fri rolls around and Dad and I finally make it down to where we are going to hunt, we quickly throw camp together and head for the blinds. Our first impression was they got a lot of rain, from the puddles in the road. The next was not so good, you be the judge...
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2391.jpg)
We couldn't believe it. The last pic was Dad's water hole. Well I'm thinkin, that's a bummer, but at least we should have one hole to hunt, Right?
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2395.jpg)
HA! :eek: :scared: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
All I can do is laugh. You have got to be kidding me. Well It's time for plan B. I have a place for a treestand, and we see a lot of goats in the pines while driving around. This allows for great spot and stalk opportunities, with an added bonus, cover.
So the best morning of the year gets here, you know, opening morning, or the first morning you can hunt. I head to the treestand and sit for about 3 hours. Nothing! While Dad went to look for s&s opportunities. I call him and tell him to come pick me up, he had one stalk and was able to close the gap, but shot to the right of a decent buck. Oh well, that's one great thing about this area is the opportunities here.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2398.jpg)
Heer is a pic of a goat we nicknamed "Bulle'" He thought he was king everytime we saw him, he would put his head down, charge a bit, the turn and buck like a rodeo bull. It was actually quite funny. I wished I would have gotten film of him.
Well it's mid morning, and I tell Dad that it's getting awful hot and that we should mabey think about setting up the blinds and hunt the water anyway. So we head over, and guess what? You got ie, ten bucks coming to the water with two being at the water. One was the guy I took a pic of a while back, and he's bigger.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2264.jpg)
Here he is a month ago.
So I've decided the only person that I can outsmart, is Myself :D :biglaugh:
So we sit the blinds until late afternoon, without seeing a single goat, at either blind. So we elect to go look for s&s opportunities.
Before I get to the evening, this unit used to have real good mulies on it. Last time we hunted it, 3 years ago, we saw 3 muley bucks. Well they are coming back, and it's fun to see. Here are some pics of the velvet beauties.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2402.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2417.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2420.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2423.jpg)
And that's not all. I have a sick wife and 1 yr old, so stay tuned for more instalments, soon!
I know what's coming bud, but I can't wait to here about how :thumbsup:
Guru...you are terrible...
COME ON STEADMAN--Don't LAMB this on!
IF you are done hunting, I have a lot more Utah questions and new improved plans :D
Steve, technically I'm not "Lambing" this. LOL. I just have a sick family right now. I can steal a few minutes when the little one takes a nap. Here's another muley pic to hold you over ;)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2436.jpg)
Also a veiw looking back at camp.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2411.jpg)
Thats not fair Ryan. I am going to just have to call and take your time away from posting on the thread! :~)
Maybe I will be patient...
Hope the family gets better,
Nathan
I agree with Guru, one of the coolest posts I've seen.
Ryan,
Great shot of camp. Growing up in Alabama, I've always had a soft spot for pines. Don't see them much here in Kentucky, but I miss the sound of the breeze in the pines. That shot of camp would be heaven for me, sleeping under the pines like that.
Don't have much experience with Ponderosa's, but would love to.
Great thread. Always like to see the scouting/preparation phase of hunts.
Marvin
steadman,
sorry to see those blinds in the water.
how deep is it? perhaps you got a pair of waders... :clapper: for the thread! i wish you all the luck
GREAT STUFF!!!!!!...Thanks for sharing.... :campfire:
Wow! Nice camp scenery; beautiful animals!
Ryan,
Get that family HEALTHY! We're waiting! :D
Ryan, please let us know when we should start poppin' the corn!
I hope that your family's health is restored soon!
Shoot straight, Shinken
I sure hope this adventure gets completed before I go hunting in 9 days! :campfire:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/treekiller/punk.gif)
I've seen your pics TK. I can't wait to read your post when this one is over.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2415.jpg)
So we sit for a while and don't see anything. Dad gets a tad impatient and heads out. I sit for a couple more hours, without seeing anything. I then decide to go hunt with Dad for the rest of the evening. We drive around, and in the valley with the treestand we run onto 3 bucks. I decide to try to stalk them. I make a loop and come in on them. They are standing there at 30 yards, right at the limit. I have a great 12 " buck broadside. I draw back, hit my anchor, pick a spot and let fly. The arrow makes a loud crack, like the sound you hear when an arrow glances off a tree. The buck whirls, goes down hard, gets up, runs 10 yards, goes down again, he gets up and makes a circle. All the while I don't see any blood on him. So we give him an hour and take up the trail. No blood, nothing. Follow his tracks for a good 1/2 mile. No sign of him dragging or even favoring a leg. I figure I glanced off the off leg, which caused the reaction. We saw him the next morning no worse for wear. Man what a bummer, I made a great shot, just 2" low. Oh well.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2397.jpg)
Sunday was spent driving around, glassing for goats and stump shooting. Also for taking pictures. Here's a few.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2425.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2412.jpg)
another of camp
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2436.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2449.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2447.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2444.jpg)
love them mulies.. :thumbsup:
So Sun night I tell Dad I have a real good feeling that someone needs to si the water hole. New problem, when Dad took his DB blind down, the eye screw that goes into the hub and hols the poles in place breaks. Well 2 break. So we are down to one blind. I tell him to take mine and sit his water hole. My old man has taken me hunting since I was 5. he is the reason that i am this passionate about hunting with a bow. So this was a small drop in the bucket to repay him.
So he gets in the blind, I wish him good luck a nd head out to do some s&s.
About 3 hours later I get a call from Dad. He's hit one!! Sweet, I head over to the blind to hear the story.
So he is sitting in the blind and not 1/2 hour after shooting light a dozen or so goats show up. One a shooter, a small buck and the rest does and fawns. They mill around at about 40 yards for about an hour, not sure of the blind. Dad says finally the little guy can't take it any longer and jumps into the pond and starts lapping up water like a lab! I've never heard of an antelope going into the water, but I believe my Dad. Finally the shooter buck commits. Dad draws back, and lets fly. A horrible crack comes from the blind. Dads upper limb strikes one of the poles sending the arrow harmlessly under the buck. The antelope jump and mill around, the buck is out 50 yards or so, confused, but not overly alarmed. Another 1/2 hour passes by, and goats from the same herd drink and feed around the blind. The buck starts to come in again, when the roof of the DB collapses! @#%*$%$ Blind!! The goat jump again, but don't leave. The buck is real thirsty and comes in one last time.This time, Dad cants his bow, comes to full draw and send an arrow into the buck. At the shot the buck runs out, and stops 50 yards away, then beds down. That's when Dad called me, and I high tailed it back. When I got there this is what I found.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/0817091013a.jpg)
I was real excited fro Dad. This is his first goat. I don't have any good pics, because when I got there, there was another buck working into the blind and Dad insisted that I go sit. The buck never came in, and by the time I got to Dad, he had the goat taken care of. He's a little camera shy anyways. I'm going to head back down this coming Sat to try to fill my tag. Here are acouple more muley pics, the last two are my favorites. Enjoy, and more to come...
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2432.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2429.jpg)
AWESOME MAN!
There is a very old saying that I think holds true in EVERY situation:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistance"
Way to stick in there thru adversity guys :thumbsup:
Congrats to your dad! Great story, good luck next weekend! Your photos are great, I never get tired of seeing big bucks. :campfire:
AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME!
That is simply great that your dad had a successful goat hunt Ryan - even with all the challenges - that makes for an even better story when it is surrounded by adversity and OVERCOME!
Thank you for sharin', congrats to your dad, and good luck on your next outing!
PICK A SPOT!
:~)
Shoot straight, Shinken
Keep it up, bud! Love the thread. Great going for the old man!
Todd
Very nice Ryan. Congrats to your Dad.
Nathan
Congratulations!! Nice antelope.
GLENN
Ryan
I sure do envy you bud! But very happy for you at the same time!!! Tell your Dad congrats from us at the Gang, and best of luck to you this weekend!
:campfire:
Outstanding pronghorn, congrats to your dad!
Looks like there's no shortage of mule bucks in the area.
Thanks guys. Nathan I'll try to call you in the next day or two. Ron if you have a bunch of points down here, I'll put you on one of those :D ;)
Thanks for all the good lucks as well, I need all the help I can get!
keep it goin', Ryan :clapper:
Those are some beautiful mulies! How close did you get to them for the photos?
GLENN
Picture perfect! Great story. Nicely done with Pops giving him the shot.
Steadman fantastic story, great photos, those UTAH bucks are amazing, some day..................
BEAUTIFUL!!! Thanks for sharing.
Great thread Ryan! Congrats to your Dad, and good luck to you!
I'm back from another crazy day of antelope hunting. In the morning I decide to sit the water hole. At first light some sage grouse came in, they are sure big birds. Just after them, some does followed by a nice buck skirted the blind by about 100 yards. They surely didn't like it, the buck however, hung out at 60 yrds trying to decide between ladies and water. All of us guys know which urge overtook the buck, as he followed his ladies out of sight.
Now the sun came up and a funny(although not funny at the time) thing started happening. The roof on my DB would, without warning, collapse. The first time it scared the crap out of me! :scared: Then it was annoying, then I was getting a td upset. So after a coulple hours, I said the heck with it and went to spot and stalk. More to follow later tonight...
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2452.jpg)
I tell you what, Ryan, you have had a great season already. The photograghy alone is worth every drop of effort that you have exhausted. I have rarely enjoyed a thread as much as I am enjoying this one. Antelope are moving way up on my list. Thanks for sharing.
Gregg
Sounds like Double Bull might owe you at least one replacement.
Thanks Greg, there are more to come. So I head out from the blind, always on the look out for goats. I go across a river bed and there, down in the bottom is this guy
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2371.jpg)
This is the number one buck on my list if I had a choice. he is not the biggest, but rel unique and I love his horn structure. So I head up the road, and make a circle to get in position. There is a small rivine that leads to the riverbed, and straight to the buck. I sneak on down, get 20 yards from the edge and nock an arrow. Not 20 seconds later the buck steps out, puts his head down and offers me a 25 yard broadside. I then calmly send an arrow right over his back!! MAN!! I missed my buck, at point blank(for s&s antelope). HE also jumped the string, which amazed me, but I flat out missed. The miss hurt bad, and I've replayed it a lot. I have a real hard time picking a spot on animals at the moment of truth. If someone could come up with an execise to improve that, I'd be the first in line.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2368.jpg)
Here's a pic from earlier in the thread. But that's him.
Just concentrate and don't freak out next time.
Just kidding! I am enjoying the heck out of this thread, this is real hunting! As has been mentioned, you have had one spectacular season already. I wish I could have taken half of the pics that you have posted already!
Killdeer :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
SO I gather what's left of my arrow and head on down the road. Throughout the day I had no less than 7 more stalks. Some ended as soon as they started. Some ended when I busted a doe that I didn't see. But a couple others, were a little more entertaining.
After a couple stalks I head down another road(theer are roads EVERYWHERE on this unit) looking for goats when I run onto this guy.He's also the one at the beginning
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2455.jpg)
He is a real pretty goat, and I ended up getting within forty yards, but couldn't close the deal. I then headed to another canyon and found a buck with 5 or 6 does. So I make the loop to get within a hundred yards or so. The does bust me and head up through the pines and over the top of the ridge. Undetered, I head up after them. The goats don't get a lot of pressure, so I figured they would calm down on top. I get to the top and go into stealth mode. I catch the buck just on the lip of the ridge headed back down. I get on hands and knees, keep a pine between us and close to 25 yards. I nock an arrow and send one towards his ribs. 5 yards before the intended target, my arrow gets swatted out of the air like a blocked punt. Only on this antelope hunt do my arrows get deflected by pine trees. The rest of the day was a ball, including one stalk on 4 bucks that kept within 50 yards for an hour, but no shot. And another stalk on hands and knees, blowing out the 2 bucks I was after, only to turn around and see 2 more bucks walk right by where I started.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2462.jpg)
The next pic is the one I went after where the unseen doe spooked. This is a good goat for out here. (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2465.jpg)
Thanks Killie! Yea I need my son to remind me!
To finish up this instalment, I got to take pics of my favorite subject: Big Mulies! As I mentioned before this unit is coming back, and I got some pics of a toad. Of course my batteries ran out while taking pics of this guy, so I don't have pics of the side view, but they are forever burned into my mind. Enjoy!!
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2477.jpg)
Ryan, you're certainly gettin' your money's worth! Keep at it, and good luck on the elk next week....
Kevin
:archer:
Sweet hunt so far, thanks for sharing!
Stick with it buddy, you'll get one!
When do you get together with the rest of the crew?
Head out Wed evening Curt. To bad you couldn't get out here. It's a real bummer about Charlie, was looking forward to meeting the legend and hearing the stories.
Man I might need to get some more arrows, or improve my shooting skills!! :biglaugh:
Head back out for labor day weekend look for an update after that....til then
What happened to Charlie?
Ryan--we've got faith in you :thumbsup:
Thanks fro the comments guys. Steve sent you a pm.
Have fun bud, they sure are into a lot of game!!
Drive safe
Good luck Ryan
Amazing thread and photos Ryan. Can't wait for more. Thanks for your time in sharing.
Well I'm back from driving all over the state this past week. I took some time to go meet and hunt with some of the finest guys I've met. But that will be on a different thread.
I'd planned to stay and hunt on the LaSal's till Sat, then come home Sun. When plans changed for the boys from the midwest, so did mine. They ended up leaving a bit earlier than planned, so I elected to drive 5 hours over and hunt goats for the day. After sleeping, or trying to sleep inbetween bugles all night, I elected to try to intercept the elk in the morning.
At first light, I headed to where the elk have been moving back to their bedding areas. On the way I ran into a nice antelope buck, but was not able to get closer than 50 yards. I waited for the elk that never came, then headed out to look for goats. The first buck I ran into was a nice buck, and I was able to close the distance to 30 yards. I then proceeded to send another arrow over his back. Dang it man! I had just discussed this problem of not picking a spot on the animal with Tracy (KS Trapper) the day before. After relating a similar experience that happened to him he says," Tell yourself to just shoot the bow. Just shoot the danged thing!" So after this miss, I had another talk with myself.
After a quick lunch and some more stalks that amounted to nothing more than seeing the amazing speed of antelope, I ran into a couple more bucks. While studying how to get onto them, I noticed the bucks kept looking back. I decide to work my way around, when I ran into a small buck in a very stalkable position. Now he wasn't the size I was after, but he was bigger than the last one I shot.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/Antelopetouchedup-2.jpg)
The buck above is the one from 3 years ago.
So I made the decision to try for him. A good arrow would be a lot better than some extra horn. So I slowly make my way toward him. Everytime his head went down, I moved closer. And so it went until I was 20-25 yards away. This time I didn't freak out and I did concentrate. I sent an arrow throught the bucks shoulder. At the sound of the loud crack, the buck tore off. I watched as he sped 100 yards then slowed to a walk as he topped a ridge, and then out of sight. I sat down and let the shakes take over, he wasn't the biggest buck I shot at, but the arrow placement was worth it all. As I waited 25 min I couldn't help but think how easy that shot was, i picked the spot, and hit anchor, and sent the arrow where it was supposed to go. But I know it will be an ongoing battle.
I took up the trail, and was able to follow the tracks of a unsteady animal pretty easily. What was concerning was the lack of blood. Did my eye's play tricks on me? Man if I loose this animal, I'm done! All thoughts that raced through my mind. I made it to where I had last sight marked him and looked down the valley.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2497.jpg)
To tell you I was relieved and elated would be an understatement! As I walked up to the goat, all the thoughts of the hard work, countless hours scouting, and time away from my family overtook me. This was a great hunt, one of my best. From the time we found out we drew tags, to the grilling of the tenderloins, this will forever be one of the best.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2498.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2506.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2513.jpg)
So now I will wait for 3-4 years to draw this tag again. You can bet I will be holding out for something bigger, and working on my shooting. Thanks for following along, It's been a blast.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h160/steadman_2006/IMG_2368.jpg)
CONGRATULATIONS on a terrific stalk, awesome shot, and final recovery!
WOW! What a GREAT hunt!
Thanks for sharin' and I hope that the rest of your season goes just as well!
WAY TO PICK A SPOT!!!
Shoot straight, Shinken
Awesome buddy, I knew you'd do it!! Congrats on a fine hunt :notworthy:
Congratulations Ryan!! That's a special antelope for sure.
:thumbsup:
Sorry to miss out on the sharing a campfire with you this time around. We'll just have to make it happen somewhere down the road.
:campfire:
Congradulations Ryan!!!
Super job all around Ryan!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Ryan,
What a great adventure from start to finish. Congrats!!! What a great goat, and great shot!!!!
A remembered hunt for sure...
Wow!!!
Todd
Man that's cool! Congrats and thanks for all the pics.
Congrats on a fine hunt!!! Way to hang in there!!!
Real Nice...congrats... :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Incredible!!!!! What a great ending to great hunt!!!! Thanks for taking us all along with you on this adventure!
That is some fine shooting as well!!
:clapper:
I'm so happy for you. Congrats
Great Job Ryan.
Congratulations Ryan! Great shot, great storytelling and great photography....Can't wait for your next thread. Don and Skyler
Great shot , great hunt and super story , thanks
Good shooting Ryan and thanks for taking us along!
Thanks for all the great comments guys. Hope to see some of you with stories of your own!
Yeah Man! That is the way you do it! :archer: :biglaugh:
That's the way to keep with it! Congrats on a great hunt.
Thanks for letting us follow along. Almost like being there. :clapper:
Great thread with lots of pics.
Great Job!!!!!!
What a great story and a great time! No many can say they stalked Antelope in timber and were successful.
Great job!
Josh
I really enjoyed this one!!Thanks for taking us along.
Bill
Great job!!
Steadman, you rock brother, what a great adventure, love it.
Thanks for taking us with you.
great story, from start to finish! :thumbsup:
:notworthy: :campfire: :clapper:
It was only a matter of time ;)
Nice one buddy :thumbsup:
Ryan,
Way to stick with it, you done good, real good!
Awesome Ryan. Congrats man. That sounds like my type of Antelope terrain/hunting!!!
Really cool Bro. :thumbsup:
Ryan,
Great job, and thanks for takin' us along.
Way to stick with it and close the deal!!
Congratulations Ryan on a well earned trophy and an awesome hunt with your dad!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: I am sure it is a hunt you will remember forever. Thanks for sharing the hunt and the beautiful pictures with us!
Ryan .... a great story, great pictures, and a great ending. Thanks so much for sharing the adventure and excitement.
best regards, Ken
Congrats. on a fine shot and animal. Thanks for taking the time to post all the pictures and the story. Gets my heart pumping thinking about the upcoming season.
Congrats again buddy :thumbsup: Awsome!
Tracy
Steadman, Great animal!Congrats!I knew you'd go back and finish strong the way you're shooting you could'nt miss. Later,Ben
Wow, that was a great read! Congrats!
THAT'S how you tell a story on Trad Gang! We all like great pics.
GLENN
Great hunt, story, and shared adventure. Thanks
I'm running this through again... What a great read and adventure..
Todd
Thanks Todd! Don't you have some preparations to be doing? :D :bigsmyl: :biglaugh:
Congrats Bud!!
That was fun :thumbsup:
Tracy
Ryan - great hunting story....had me at the edge of my seat the whole way....so many opportunities WOW.
Jer Bear
Fabulous stuff, omedeto (congratulations)! :thumbsup:
This is a great story. I like the pictures. It is always fun to see how a hunt plays out begining to end.
This looks to have the potential for a really unique hunt. Good luck, looking forward to the results!
Great read. Thanks for taking us along.
Congrats! This has been one of the best ever threads!! :clapper: :clapper:
QuoteOriginally posted by Bjorn:
Congrats! This has been one of the best ever threads!! :clapper: :clapper:
X2
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
Just saw this....great read! Thanks for taking the time to share
Awesome thread :bigsmyl:
Tracy
Great thread the pics made it feel like i was there hunting with you.
Always liked this one
What an incredible hunt and the photos are priceless! :clapper:
Congrats thanx for sharing!!!