Antelope Reports!
- Thread starter cnelk
- Start date
This guy showed up not too much later ... here he is at 40 yards.
This is a good, representative buck ... but this place has LOTS of them, and it was too early. Also, this is at 40 yards ... right at my comfort level, and it\'s not too comforting when you\'re shooting at pronghorn ... they drop like rocks sometimes.
This is a good, representative buck ... but this place has LOTS of them, and it was too early. Also, this is at 40 yards ... right at my comfort level, and it\'s not too comforting when you\'re shooting at pronghorn ... they drop like rocks sometimes.
The rancher drove by ... not knowing I was at that waterhole ... and scared off a bunch of pronghorn ...
No worries ... It\'s great to get a chance to talk to him and we drove around for a half-hour or so and visited other waterholes. Pronghorn on all of them! He brought me back and dropped me off.
I got some work done (laptops are great) for an hour or so and then the does started coming in. None without babies stopped on my side of the pond, so ... they were comfortable and bedded down 100 yards from my blind. Live decoys!
No worries ... It\'s great to get a chance to talk to him and we drove around for a half-hour or so and visited other waterholes. Pronghorn on all of them! He brought me back and dropped me off.
I got some work done (laptops are great) for an hour or so and then the does started coming in. None without babies stopped on my side of the pond, so ... they were comfortable and bedded down 100 yards from my blind. Live decoys!
OK ... so by then it was about noon ...
I had about 8 does bedded nearby ... 100 yards, in fact ... and then this guy shows up. Now, he\'s not exactly what I was looking for, but he is WIDE, and I don\'t have a wide pronghorn skull at home yet. He hung around at 40 yards ... for about 20 minutes.
Shoot? \"No, don\'t shoot.\"
Shoot? \"No, don\'t shoot.\"
That was my conversation for a while.
Then he was at 38. Then 36. Maybe if he gets to 30 I\'ll shoot. Then 34. Hmm. He stood broadside ... and looked away.
I had about 8 does bedded nearby ... 100 yards, in fact ... and then this guy shows up. Now, he\'s not exactly what I was looking for, but he is WIDE, and I don\'t have a wide pronghorn skull at home yet. He hung around at 40 yards ... for about 20 minutes.
Shoot? \"No, don\'t shoot.\"
Shoot? \"No, don\'t shoot.\"
That was my conversation for a while.
Then he was at 38. Then 36. Maybe if he gets to 30 I\'ll shoot. Then 34. Hmm. He stood broadside ... and looked away.
Wanna know what happened next?
I missed, that\'s what. Shot right over his back. He dropped a little, but I biffed the shot, too. My excuse? Shooting from the edge of a folding chair, leaning forward. But that\'s not enough of an excuse ... not at that yardage.
I\'m glad, though ... He trotted off ... walked, really ... and took his bedded does with him ... not really worried, and allowed me a way to get out of the blind without spooking them.
I\'ll be back tomorrow. And I\'m still waiting for \"the big one\" to show up ... I\'ve seen several in the area that are better. Additionally, I\'ve got two doe tags, and if a dry doe shows up in the right spot, I\'ll be posting a photo of her tomorrow night, too.
I missed, that\'s what. Shot right over his back. He dropped a little, but I biffed the shot, too. My excuse? Shooting from the edge of a folding chair, leaning forward. But that\'s not enough of an excuse ... not at that yardage.
I\'m glad, though ... He trotted off ... walked, really ... and took his bedded does with him ... not really worried, and allowed me a way to get out of the blind without spooking them.
I\'ll be back tomorrow. And I\'m still waiting for \"the big one\" to show up ... I\'ve seen several in the area that are better. Additionally, I\'ve got two doe tags, and if a dry doe shows up in the right spot, I\'ll be posting a photo of her tomorrow night, too.
Brilliant!
Too bad I gave away my dekes when I moved to Wyoming.
I moved my blind before leaving today ... the pond is oval, so instead of sitting on the end, I\'ll sit in the middle. 20 yards or less to anywhere on the pond.
I\'m not too disappointed about not getting one today ... I had, in total, 5 mature bucks visit the pond today. Not all got their picture taken. Some were bigger, and I needed my hand on my bow, but never got the shot I wanted, or couldn\'t decide if it was time to drop the string.
Frankly, I like rifle hunting them more ... my son will be there, and that\'s always a good thing. But we have 6 tags all together, and I should start decreasing that number. And what a great time to be out ... it\'s been \"forever\" waiting to hunt, so I\'m glad to be one of the first out of the gate.
I did do some shooting tonight ... nothing wrong with the bow, and I\'m \"on\" to 40, though I\'ll try to limit my shots to a more reasonable 30.
More photos tomorrow night.
Too bad I gave away my dekes when I moved to Wyoming.
I moved my blind before leaving today ... the pond is oval, so instead of sitting on the end, I\'ll sit in the middle. 20 yards or less to anywhere on the pond.
I\'m not too disappointed about not getting one today ... I had, in total, 5 mature bucks visit the pond today. Not all got their picture taken. Some were bigger, and I needed my hand on my bow, but never got the shot I wanted, or couldn\'t decide if it was time to drop the string.
Frankly, I like rifle hunting them more ... my son will be there, and that\'s always a good thing. But we have 6 tags all together, and I should start decreasing that number. And what a great time to be out ... it\'s been \"forever\" waiting to hunt, so I\'m glad to be one of the first out of the gate.
I did do some shooting tonight ... nothing wrong with the bow, and I\'m \"on\" to 40, though I\'ll try to limit my shots to a more reasonable 30.
More photos tomorrow night.
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,345
Dang John! Sorry to hear that. This might be a stupid question, but have you ever practiced from a seated position? I know with rifle hunting, if you adjust what position you are shooting from, your view can potentially change with a scope. I\'m wondering if the same thing can happen with a bow?
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
Awesome reports so far John. That wide racked buck was very cool! :upthumb:
I hope something even bigger comes in and you drop him today! :dance2:
My 2 cents, even though I am sure you already do it. Pick that one hair, on the one spot you wont to hit, and don\'t take your eye off it.
When I first started out I made the mistake of just shooting at an area. My groups were a lot wider and bigger. Now that I pick my \"exact\" spots that I want to hit, it closed it up.
Good luck today! I cant wait to see what you put down. How long have you have your blind up if you don\'t mind me asking?
I hope something even bigger comes in and you drop him today! :dance2:
My 2 cents, even though I am sure you already do it. Pick that one hair, on the one spot you wont to hit, and don\'t take your eye off it.
When I first started out I made the mistake of just shooting at an area. My groups were a lot wider and bigger. Now that I pick my \"exact\" spots that I want to hit, it closed it up.
Good luck today! I cant wait to see what you put down. How long have you have your blind up if you don\'t mind me asking?
\"cohunter14\" said:
I think that\'s what happened.
And no, I haven\'t practice much from a seated position, and not at all from a blind.
Here\'s the deal:
I\'ve gone over and over and over how I missed this weekend.
Brad asked: \"Target panic?\" I really don\'t think so. I\'ve dealt with that before (and read Bernie Whatshisname\'s book) and it didn\'t have that feel.
Maybe just buck fever? Again, I\'ve had that, and I felt really calm here.
Here\'s what I think: I think Peyton Manning has bad days, and so do I. Big deal. Get over it, move on, and don\'t let it get in your head.
Now, I think I\'ll go re-read Brad\'s posts from the first week of elk season last year ... that oughta make me feel better! :lolno:
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
John, it happens. Sometimes I have to get an arrow in the air on a live animal, just to get the nerves out of the way after waiting all year. Take a Mulligan on this one, your next shot will connect.
As far as getting the lopes to your end of the pond...the Moo Cow Decoy cover on the SLIP System works well also. Provides a \"confidence decoy\"...and also shoves the antelope closer to your blind. It worked great in that scenario for these two guys:
As far as getting the lopes to your end of the pond...the Moo Cow Decoy cover on the SLIP System works well also. Provides a \"confidence decoy\"...and also shoves the antelope closer to your blind. It worked great in that scenario for these two guys:
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,345
\"Deertick\" said:
John, I know I commented on this on your other thread, but if I were you I would definitely practice some shots from a position similar to what you have in your blind (seated, etc). Make sure that you are hitting your mark there. I would eliminate all possibilities that YOU can control before worrying about \'target panic\' etc.
Great report and pics, Deertick! I only had two days myself and managed to make a very low odds stalk on about 30 does (just had doe tags). I let them get all the way to 25 while sitting on a fence row with almost no cover. When they were within 30 I drew and they ran out to 60. I settled my pin and let fly but they were gone when the arrow got there. Saw a bunch but never could get closer than about 80 yards after that. I\'ll be back at it this weekend and will report back. Good luck to all!
