It's been an interesting start this year, back in July I broke my ankle while fishing with a guest here on the ranch. Antelope hunting in one of these strap on walking boots isn't ideal. While my preferred method is to spot and stalk these critters it was pretty much out of the question this year. Bare toes, cactus and thistle thorns don't mix well either... ;)
We opened Aug 15th here and with the heat the bucks just we not interested in the girls at all. I had put up a blind a buddy sent out but being pretty claustrophobic can barely stand to sit in it. Usually have too many windows open for it to work and can't seem to figure out how to shoot out of one either. Also another buddy helped me put up a ladder stands and a tripod on water holes/tanks.
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When I set the blind up I decided to give it a try and crawled in the next morning at daylight. Within an hour I spotted a dozen does/fawns and a decent buck trotting my way. They came right in with not a care in the world with the buck shoving his head in the tank only 12 yards away. He had his butt facing me so I waited till he stepped away from the tank but then the girls were in the way. I patiently waited till he stepped in the clear right into the middle of the shooting window, still at 12 steps I proceeded to send an arrow into the dirt right under his chest. :banghead: I really hate blinds, jealous of the folks that can use and shoot out of em but just not for me, I've just gotta have some wide open space...
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Follow a couple weeks of close calls but no shots then yesterday morning I slipped into the ladder stand on the old pond. Just after daylight a couple does and their fawns came in but I hadn't realized there was still a decent puddle of water at the far side of the pond. Naturally they went to it instead of the much bigger pool under my stand. At nearly 30 yards I decided to let them walk and was still kind of holding out for a buck since Montana hadn't offered any bonus doe permits this year.
A couple hours passed and out of a nearby draw several more does came trotting in right to the same hole of water. Following up the rear was a nice buck that I'd seen a few times. He shoved the girls out of the way and went right to watering. He was sidewize to me and perfectly still so I decided to try him. Turns out 29 steps was too far, once again I stuck a shaft into the dirt under his his chest. After an initial start they settled down and went right back to the water again but I just sat and watched thinking I would moved the stand after they left. An hour later that task completed I headed back to the house for lunch and to get a little work accomplished...
Before I realized it was nearly 5:00 in the afternoon and I knew I didn't have time to sneak into the tripod so decided to make a short trip down to a ladder stand in a small alder bush I'd put up a couple days before. I watched a few antelope going under the fence and watering in the river and the alder was the only thing close enough. These are typically kind of wobbly but work for me. I just gather up a bunch of the small branches, wad them together, throw a ratchet strap around the whole mess then tie back to whatever is handy to help stabilize things. I'd also cleared a shooting lane thru the thick willows and alders to where the tracks were the thickest on the river bank.
The stand is only 300 yards up the river from the house so it was a short run on the ATV but on the way I spotted a buck and doe heading toward the river. I knew it was going to be a close call getting to the stand before they were within eyesight of me so I just ran the ATV into the brush bailed off and made for the stand. They got in sight before I could get in so I was moving like molasses in January but finally made it into the stand. A few minutes later the doe slid right under the fence, bailed into the river and swam to the other side leaving a frantic buck on the wrong side of the fence. The silly buck spent nearly 30 minutes deciding he could get under the fence he'd probably been under a dozen times. I nearly tried him thru the fence a couple times but was just too worried about getting tween the wires cleanly.
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Finally he ducked under and trotted by not 4' from my ladder but going too quickly for a shot. Then to top it off instead of going to the cleared shooting lane he went up the river ten yards further the drove his nose into the water. This left me with a 20 yard shot but it would be thru the brush. By leaning far to the right I could see his shoulder clearly with his head behind a clump of grass and a hard quartering away angle. I drew back concentrated on the little bare patch of hide behind his shoulder and let fly. He tried to spin away at the sound of the shot but spun right into the arrow taking it just below the ear at the base of the skull. Dropping in his tracks his head went into the river and he was drowned by the time I got down to him. While not intentional it just don't get no cleaner than that, a really short blood trail for a cripple and not one bit of blood shot meat... ;)
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Thanks
I was shooting my trusty old Toelke Whip 57#, AD Trad Heavies and 285 grains up front tween the 125 BH adapter and a 160 Griz. The arrow is the blue fletched one in the pic that my buddy Mike Gerardi gave me a few years ago. That arrow and the same BH has put down five or six critters now. Hope you enjoyed my story.
Well done Doug!I am glad you used a arrow from Mike,he is a great guy!
Good one!
Way to go Doug! Nice goat
I knew I was going to come back to this thread.
At the time I finished reading the 1st entry I said to myself, "This story ain't over yet." make a mental note to get back here.
I'm sure glad I did!
Nice read and nice speed goat.
Thanks for sharing.
God bless,Mudd
That was really cool Doug. You know what they say. it is better to be lucky than good. :laughing:
Jack
Congratulations on a great start to the season. Thanks for sharing your hunt with us.
:thumbsup: sounds like that arrows got some mojo
Way to go Doug! Glad you didn't need those 8.5x Swaros to track. They are going elk hunting :) Good luck with the short-leg walker. Those things are annoying!
Beautiful 'lope! Congrats!
Awesome! Congrats!
Nice buck! Congrats!
:thumbsup:
Eric
Way to stick with and do it the hard way. That looks like a great goat. I am hoping to take one in the rut in two weeks when I head to Wyoming.
John
Thanks for telling your story Doug.
Hi from Mo.
awesome, good job
Good job Doug!! Some great eating!!
Doug...for a walking disaster on two feet just waiting for an accident (seems like it the last couple years lately) you sure are doing fine thinning down the herds of critters 'round here!
:thumbsup:
Awesome! Congrats on an easy track!
:thumbsup: :notworthy: Well done......
:thumbsup: :notworthy: Well done......
:thumbsup:
Nice recap. Thans for sharing. Good looking bow, too.
Well done Doug! :clapper:
Nice one. Way to make the best of what life hands ya!
Had that happen a couple years ago only arrow went right down the ear canal into the brain stem. Craziest thing I ever had happen bow hunting.
Congrats! :clapper: :clapper:
Congrats!
Congrats again brother...thanx for the e-mail this morning :notworthy:
Congrats and thanks for sharing! Nice goat! :clapper:
Hey Doug, How high was your stand? I have often considered this technique for Pronghorn.
Some times it's better to be lucky than good ... fine story Doug
Awesome Doug!!!! Good Going!!!
Doug,
can you sit in that stand open right along a watering hole and have game come in close for a shot without freaking out? That is just amazing to me!! Totally different creatures I guess.
Nice work! I think speed goat will be my first western animal (someday...hopefully)!
Thanks for sharing.
Congrats!
I have got to get after a speed goat one of these days!
Bisch
Way to go Doug. Now it's Mikes turn.
No meat wasted on that shot Doug...nice going.
Thanks a bunch guys, appreciate it.
A few asked about my stand set up. While I'd much rather spot and stalk when I'm hunting bucks I've been doing this for a few years on water holes. Usually only use two sections of a ladder stand putting your feet maybe 8' high at the most. I occasionally get busted if a deer wanders by but never have by an antelope. Up here at least they just never look up.
Here is the set up I used last year to fill my doe tag and thus lead to putting together the tripods this year. Believe me it took some getting used to sitting out in the middle of nothing like that but it worked like a charm. Had numerous deer and one 6pt bull walk by this one. Guess they just thought I was a big ol ugly eagle sitting up there. That is ladder stand rigged onto a 2x4 tripod.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/gotahunt/R0010963.jpg)
Awesome and well deserved, congrats :thumbsup:
Ha ha thats awesome! I never would have thought... Again congrats Doug!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great read and buck!
Well done Doug :clapper:
Goats out of a tree. Just don't hear about that method very much. Way to adapt.
Congrats Doug!! Great story and adventure. I am booked at Spearhead in 2014 and I am wishing I was out there right now waiting by a water hole.. :thumbsup: :clapper: :jumper:
Nice job and a great animal.
Great job, Doug.
Congratulations! Nice story and really good pictures. Thanks for sharing! :clapper:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Great story, thanks for sharing!
Congrats on a fine hunt, and great pics.
Congratulations Doug! I'm glad that foot is not stopping you.
Congratulations dug.I appreciate the pictures of your setups.Where I hunt there is very little cover or terrain for stalking and I've been tempted to try a tripod but just wasn't sure if it could work.This may just push me to give it a try.That's pretty crazy that they won't look up at something so obvious but the are quirky animals.
Nice story!
Great goat!
Not bad for a crippled guy.
Wish I was that good.
Irv Eichorst
www.truesouthadventures.com (http://www.truesouthadventures.com)
Glad that ol'boy turned out to be tender. :coffee:
Cool story Doug & nice goat !!
Nice! looks beautiful out there
:notworthy:
Nice one, Doug! Glad that ankle didn't keep you from getting out there :thumbsup: !
Claudia
Hey Doug,
Congrats! I'd have to agree, kind of strange sitting up on top of the tripod with no cover? But it obviously worked like a charm!
Keep us up to date as the season move forward.
Tim
Nice!
Good shooting and congratulations!