A most unusual Antelope hunt THE END!

steadman · August 18, 2009, 07:10:00 PM

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.

Here he is a month ago.
So I've decided the only person that I can outsmart, is Myself :D

steadman · August 18, 2009, 07:15:00 PM

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.

And that's not all. I have a sick wife and 1 yr old, so stay tuned for more instalments, soon!

Guru · August 18, 2009, 07:17:00 PM

I know what's coming bud, but I can't wait to here about how

Steve O · August 18, 2009, 08:22:00 PM

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

steadman · August 18, 2009, 10:12:00 PM

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

Also a veiw looking back at camp.

Nate Fikkert · August 18, 2009, 10:28:00 PM

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

kbetts · August 19, 2009, 09:03:00 AM

I agree with Guru, one of the coolest posts I've seen.

Marvin M. · August 19, 2009, 09:27:00 AM

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

saumensch · August 19, 2009, 05:02:00 PM

steadman,

sorry to see those blinds in the water.

how deep is it? perhaps you got a pair of waders...

for the thread! i wish you all the luck

Terry Green · August 19, 2009, 05:10:00 PM

GREAT STUFF!!!!!!...Thanks for sharing....

Benny Nganabbarru · August 19, 2009, 05:15:00 PM

Wow! Nice camp scenery; beautiful animals!

Steve O · August 19, 2009, 07:07:00 PM

Ryan,

Get that family HEALTHY! We're waiting! :D

Shinken · August 19, 2009, 07:10:00 PM

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

Tree Killer · August 19, 2009, 07:12:00 PM

I sure hope this adventure gets completed before I go hunting in 9 days!

kbetts · August 19, 2009, 07:31:00 PM

I've seen your pics TK. I can't wait to read your post when this one is over.

steadman · August 19, 2009, 07:56:00 PM

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.

steadman · August 19, 2009, 08:03:00 PM

Sunday was spent driving around, glassing for goats and stump shooting. Also for taking pictures. Here's a few.

another of camp

fatman · August 19, 2009, 08:09:00 PM

love them mulies..

steadman · August 19, 2009, 08:23:00 PM

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.

steadman · August 19, 2009, 08:26:00 PM

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...