I drew a good antelope license this year. I heard a Wisconsin guy was going to be sharing camp with us, I had no idea he was a trad guy. I ended up really enjoying Todd's company. We talked a lot of bows, and he has a very nice shooting Voodoo longbow.
I have not heard from Todd (Bowmania) since Wednesday, I hope he gets one and posts some pictures when he gets back!
I am a crummy trophy hunter, and even though I burned quite a few points I chose to shoot a small buck which I could not be more happy with.
Here are some pictures of the hunt. I have lots and I couldn't decide which ones to share, so I'll just share a bunch of them.
Another trad hunter in our group killed this guy.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110757.jpg)
Got to see tons and tons of does and fawns.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110783.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110792.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110804.jpg)
The first day was super windy and the wind was blowing a lot of water out of the tank. Lots of the antelope chose to drink out of the small puddle instead of the tank.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110806.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110807.jpg)
I put some wire up to try and drive the antelope to one side of the water tank which gave me a better shot. It didn't always work.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110816.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110822.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110829.jpg)
This big one was the first mature buck that came to water, 14 hours after I crawled in the blind. He drank out of the puddle like the one in the pictures above so I had to relocate myself in the blind and shoot off my knees. I had taken my boots off and placed them against the wall, but one of them fell over and my bottom limb hit the boot when I shot. My arrow was practically doing cartwheels and missed its mark. He was a nice buck. Here he is leaving...DANG IT!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110844.jpg)
I also had a few other visitors.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110874.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110878.jpg)
The third day I was so tired I laid down before it was light enough to shoot. I never do that and intended to just lay there until it was light enough to shoot. I don't know how long I slept but when I woke up this was laying outside of the blind. I hope a big one didn't come in but I guess I'll never know.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110880.jpg)
Here's a funky little dude.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110895.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110898.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110886.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110892.jpg)
There are a lot of really nice antelope in this area. But three days in a hot blind can do crazy things to a guys mind. With a busy archery store to get back to and a ten month old son at home I started to look a little harder at some of the smaller bucks.
When this guy came in to the water hole I asked myself if I would be happy to shoot him and the answer was a resounding YES!
So I shot at the 41st antelope to drink from my tank in two and a half days. 100 yards later there he lay.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1110902.jpg)
Not the biggest out there, but big enough for me! This is my first antelope.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P11109071.jpg)
I used my Hawk recurve and the big Snuffer, 200gr point. The arrow passed through him like butter. The shot was no more than 15 yards.
There were six guys in our group (four trad shooters) including Todd (Bowmania) and everybody killed a buck by the third day except Todd. Todd had some nice bucks that gave him shooting opportunities as of Wednesday night but he was waiting for something a little nicer.
Congratulations and great pics! There is nothing wrong with that antelope!
I hope you are just being modest. That is a great antelope. Congratulations!
Very nice and thanks for posting, that's something I'd like to try someday.
:archer:
I like that !!This is the first year in about 15 that I am not out there.
Mike
QuoteOriginally posted by DW:
Congratulations and great pics! There is nothing wrong with that antelope!
Of course, I am very proud. It was a lot of fun and I think I'm going to start looking at Wyoming a little harder. I had an absolute blast and I want to do a lot more of this antelope stuff!
Congrats
:clapper: :)
Hey man, don't even think about that not being a very nice Pronghorn. It is indeed a very respectable goat for sure. I would've done the same thing as you, but only sooner! I know what ya mean about thinking about the kids and stuff at home while you're out there. Hey, I've got three young'uns of my own. I don't hunt near as much now as I did before the kids were born. I just sometimes feel like I'm missing out if I'm gone from home too much, especially when they're young. Not saying I don't love to hunt, but I just don't go as much as I used to. I do seem to appreciate hunting more now than I ever did and I also get more enjoyment out of it now because my kids are into hunting as well.
Someday I would like to make a trip out west and try my hand at hunting antelope. It seems like it would be very rewarding to bag one with trad gear.
Good job!!
Thanks for sharing.
John
Congrats on a beautiful Antelope! Well Done, and your pics are excellent also. Thanks for sharing with us! :thumbsup:
:clapper:
Really nice antelope buck. Thanks for the great story & pix.
WOW that's a real nice antelope! Thanks for the hunt along for us eastern boys!
Congratulations
Glenn
Good for you!
Thanks for the story and great pics....Bobby
Congrats on the fine antelope. Though I haven't hunted them in over twenty years, I often tell other archers to try an antelope hunt. If the weather is good, it's a blast.
Congratulations :clapper:
Nathan
Nice antelope and lots of great pics.Looks like you where hunting the honey hole for sure,with those laying around.
very nice. congrats
What did you shoot those great pics with? You must have had a good zoom...
Great job, thank you for the trip :)
:campfire:
Congrats on a nice buck!!! Great pic's.
Coming from someone that has never shot a pronghorn with a bow.......I'd say that's a pretty nice speedgoat!!!!!! Congrats.
:clapper: :clapper:
Congrats and thanks for taking me with you
Congratulations sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice goat! Thet sure are fun to hunt. :thumbsup:
Way to go Tommy!! Congrats! I hope you can take some good pics for us next year on our Caribou hunt on The North Slope:) Don't forget, you said you would carry mine out whole:) LOL!
Good job, thanks for sharing!
I love the pics and the story! Congrats on a dandy buck :thumbsup: Unfortunately, I am going to miss going out there this year, but I love seeing the experiences of others :thumbsup: .
Claudia
QuoteOriginally posted by Hawkeye:
What did you shoot those great pics with? You must have had a good zoom...
I have a Panasonic FZ20 which was all the rage on the hunting forums like 6-7 years ago. It's getting old and the focus doesn't work when it's super cold but it has been a great camera for the money. It does have a 12X zoom on it, but most of these were so close you wouldn't really need much.
Congrats on a nice goat.Great pics thanks for sharing with us.
Good stuff!
I just heard that Todd (Bowmania) killed a buck. That makes 6 for 6 on the trip including 4 trad guys. Hopefully he can post a picture on here for us!
Nice story and good results. Any speed goat with a trad bow is a trophy in my eyes! Blind or not, they're no cinch!
Very nice! Congratulations on a fine antelope and sharing your hunt with us. Incredible pictures! I had to even show my wife the quality of your pics!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
looks like NM
Nice buck Tommy! And thanks for the help today when I visited your shop. I'm launching lazers now...
Joshua
:thumbsup: Really nice Buck Tommy!
I have been on 4 or 5 antelope hunts now, and haven't even had a shot at one! I'm jealous,(lol) be proud, that's a great buck and given the opportunity, I'd sure have shot him.
Have a great season!
sammy
Congrats! Nice buck for sure! :thumbsup:
Great story amd wonderful pictures. Congrats on your buck. He is a dandy in my book! Got a question for you.
Did you brush your blind in, concealing it along cover strips or did you place the blind right out in the open? I would love to hunt goats someday and just wanted to pic your brain on your successful pronghorn set-up.
Congratulations on the Goat. Glad you got to meet Todd he is a real great guy and good friend
To repeat good pictures and story :thumbsup: Lesson learned...take nap shoot Antelope ;)
Nice goat and good shooting!
QuoteOriginally posted by longbow fanatic 1:
Did you brush your blind in, concealing it along cover strips or did you place the blind right out in the open? I would love to hunt goats someday and just wanted to pic your brain on your successful pronghorn set-up.
No we stuck it right out in the middle of the plains, but two weeks before the season we set up mock blinds with t-posts and burlap. Two days before the season we set up our real blinds, staked them down, and put carpet on the floor which really makes a difference in comfort. It helped, but there were still antelope who did not like the blinds at all. Everybody talks about getting all blacked out but all I was wearing were green boxers when I shot mine! HA!
Great pictures, good story..thank you
I am not familar with a Hawk Recurve. Who makes them and could you go into detail a little about the bow? Thanks
Man, I could so relate to what you were saying about thinking about your young kid at home and wouldn't you really be happy with this animal... Been there, felt that!
Awesome pictures and good job on the shot.
highPlains,
Thanks for sharing your successful tactics. That is awesome!!! I hope to have that kind of experience myself. Well done!!!
Dennis
Great pics and story! Also, that's a nice looking bow/arrow combination. Love the dual-colored feathers!
QuoteOriginally posted by duncan idaho:
I am not familar with a Hawk Recurve. Who makes them and could you go into detail a little about the bow? Thanks
Made by a Colorado bowyer named Mike Beckwith. He makes them bombproof. For example, his tips are bigger than most, but that is because he claims he would rather have a more durable tip than a few fps, which I personally like because I abuse the heck out of my bows. He uses a lot of phenolic in his risers, and in testing he has dry fired his own bow over 20 times with no damage.
Beckwith has been making bows for an awfully long time and folks in Colorado are quite familiar with him. His bows would rate right up there with any of the fastest, more commonly known bows. He is a true bowyer with an incredible amount of knowledge, and he is a good hunter as well (first hunter to kill a moose in Colorado with a bow). He is not very well known nationally but his bows are most definitely worth a look.
One other thing about these bows, he does not use a CNC machine but he builds his risers and limbs off of a form that allows any limbs he has ever built to fit any riser he has ever built. Not a common thing for a custom bow.
He builds three different length risers and three different length limbs. My personal bow is his short riser and medium limbs, making a 56" bow. Mine has 59# yew limbs.
Sorry for the long write-up.
Way to go very nice buck and story, gib
:clapper: :jumper: :jumper:
A beautiful animal. I would have been ecstatic! Good job!
I added a lot more pictures of this hunt to be blog on the website in my signature if anybody is interested in checking them out.