well actually, last night, a buddy and i went out kinda looking for antelope for me/scouting for gun season which starts here in a week or so. he has a buddy coming from oregon for the opener. anyway, we looked at a lot of country, and although our antelope numbers are way down (tags in this area down from 1500 3 yrs ago to 350), we saw a lot more then i figured we would. we did find a basin somewhat close to where i live that had 3 small herds in it and some water in the bottom. so, i came home, picked up my blind which id forgot, and drove back out and set it up right at dark..
heres my blind, along the water..
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h333/huntnmuleys/elk%202012/brad2012antelope1blind_zps9818c968.jpg
so this morning, right at first light a doe walks in, but doesnt water. shes just feeding, and alone. finally she feeds away. shortly afterward a coyote comes by, but hes in a hurry. moves by at 15 yards, but was moving quick and i didnt figure id hit him so didnt shoot. then things slowed wayyyy down...
about 3 hours later, im sitting there reading a bugle magazine, sunk wayy down in my lawn chair. i have a shooting stool in there and the lawn chair to relax in. anyway, id looked around a few times and saw nothing, but was surprised to hear something walking in the mud near the water. i knew it was antelope, and poked my head up. sure enough, 3 does and a dandy little buck....
it took me a bit to get organized. my bow was leaning against the blind wall on the other side and the shooting stool was centered but in the back. i got the bow ok but didnt think i could get to the stool, as one doe was acting a bit nervous. so, i knelt in an uncomfortable position mid blind and started to draw on the broadside buck. at this point he turned straight toward me and drank so i slowly let down. after he drank though he turned to a nice quartering away angle. i dont range things buy im guessing 27 or 28 yards. i picked a spot and let it fly...
heres the hole in the mesh where my arrow went... (http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h333/huntnmuleys/elk%202012/brad2012antelopearrowhole_zps2fc46615.jpg)
and to be honest i dont think ive ever made a more accurate shot! i absolutley centered the spot i was looking at, hit him mid body came out up by the shoulder on the other side, a complete pass though. that arrow hit so much right where i was looking, i honestly feel if it had been an arrow nock i was aiming at id have robin hooded it. my best shot for sure..
and the cool part, he turned, trotted about 5 steps (less then 10 yards), stopped and looked at the does, and fell over!!
here he is... (http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h333/huntnmuleys/elk%202012/brad2012antelope2thereheis_zps66eb5e1a.jpg)
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h333/huntnmuleys/elk%202012/brad2012antelope5_zps7ed167b1.jpg)
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h333/huntnmuleys/elk%202012/brad2012antelope7_zps323c8a1c.jpg)
hes no monster,but a dandy buck, and a lot of fun. to be honest, that was my first ever antelope from a blind. public land of course...
Awesome, congrats.
Wow! You're having quite a year! Congratulations on your antelope! Great pictures too! :clapper:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
:thumbsup: :notworthy: Very nice!!
Awesome!!!!
Great season you are having!
Congrats!!
Great job :readit: :thumbsup:
Good Shoot'n!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Iflytrout/Pictures/buzzards.gif)
Keep it going! Congrats! A great year for sure!!
Congratulations on a great shot and goat.
Nice, this is your year! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice! Congrats!
Keep ripping them Brad, Your on fire. :thumbsup:
Very nice, i hope to have some luck next week. I'll be south of you in unit 9 near lusk. My group is rifle hunting, but I'll be packing my bow too. I hope to sit on some water holes too.
Just wear plenty of orange if your sitting then, lotsa shooting that time of year man. Good luck and be safe.
I plan on it. Will have orange on me and my blind ;0)
Man you are making meat this season. Way to go!! If you are not careful you are going to need another freezer! Congrats, he is a beauty!
Way to go buddy. Shooting through mesh always messes me up. You make it look easy.
Congrates on a fine buck. Great pics also. :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Excellent!
Good job Brad! :thumbsup:
When ya heading out after your bison? If you need more freezer space, mine are getting low. :biglaugh:
Nice 'lope brother!
Your on a roll, congrats!!! :clapper:
Good shooting sir and a fine looking animal!
QuoteOriginally posted by Shedrock:
Good job Brad! :thumbsup:
When ya heading out after your bison? If you need more freezer space, mine are getting low. :biglaugh:
ive got a contact over there sorta keeping tabs on the bison for me, and he says right now would not be a good time. if my little dream works out, my next 7 off some will be on land i can hunt. well see...
Brad fine lope there.congrats
Thats too cool. :thumbsup:
Congrats!
Congrats! Awesome Hunt!
Hummm??? Let's see here...
Bull Elk.... Check
Muley Buck... Check
Antelope Buck... Check
Bison... Status Pending... LOL...
Some poor Buffalo is going to get one in the ribs pretty darn soon. :)
Congrats Brad... You are having a banner year... again...
Well done..!..... :thumbsup:
I seriously need to move to Wyoming. Hows the whitetail hunting around the Sheridan area?
Wow, awesome buck! Dang, am I jealous. What a great year so far! Go gettum'
QuoteOriginally posted by Panzer:
I seriously need to move to Wyoming. Hows the whitetail hunting around the Sheridan area?
ive never hunted whitetails around there myself, but i know there are plenty of deer. i think the bigger problem would be private land/finding a place to hunt. but what is public might be good in bowseason!
Very nice. Congratulations!
Congratulations on a heck of a year! :clapper:
Great Job! In the pic it looks like another blind or something behind yours. What is that?
Just curious.
Mike
Nice. . . some day, I want a picture just like that, but with MY smiling face in it.
ChuckC
nice.....!
That other blind looking thing is whatever is making the water seep. Some kind of old we'll or something, this is oil country. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but in a drought, its a spot to put a blind!
:bigsmyl:
Congratulations! Wish I could head out again next year! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:clapper: :clapper: