[beeep] does

NdIndy

NdIndy

New member
I'm on year 2 bow hunting antelope, ready to finally get one. So tonight after work I do a quick speed scouting session of a piece of land just outside town and see a buck I've been after for both seasons now in an excellent spot. Usually he's flying solo but tonight he's got his herd with him. Their location is too good to pass up without an attempt though.

So I'm fully camo'd up, assuming you're talking business casual, and work my way almost into the middle of the entire herd. By laser the farthest animal is 70 yards, and my buck is only 35 yards away, but no shot. He's a little down hill and I need another 5 yards of me forward or him moving, and as far as the herd knows, I'm not there. All I see is butt's.

I'm just waiting... then 1 doe changes feeding directions and best guess, catches the outline of my head above the weeds in what little light was left. Stares at me for 5 minutes while I pretend to be a bush. Eventually she decides to run and takes the herd with her.

The profanity as I walked back to the truck was extensive. If I could ID her specifically I would switch to doe hunting this year
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Especially spot and stalk Antelope. As many Elk as I have killed with my bow I honestly have to say that spot and stalk Antelope is in the top 5 toughest hunts in North America with a bow. Your talking not just one animal but a whole heard with vision equivilant to a 10 power pair of binoculars in an environment with very little cover and tons of hazards on the ground (snakes, cactus, yucca). You got your work cut out for you. Blind hunting goats on a waterhole is a piece of cake by comparison. Ever think of trying a range cow decoy? I know some people who have had luck with them. In another month a buck antelope decoy will work well too.
 
NdIndy,
Sorry you didn't connect, but you did have a good stalk.
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I've never hunted in the west, but would love to try it...and live there too.

It's called hunting, not getting.
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Keep after 'em brother, you'll get one before the season's over.
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Good hunting, Bowhunter57
 
In never has ceased to amaze me how an antelope can pick you out, just as you described. You're in position, you got the upper hand, you've been in range for several minutes, and then BAM, a set of eyes locks on you as if you're wearing a flashing beam light on your head. Get used to it, I figure ya got about 8 to 10 more of those experiences to get through before your lucky break comes. You'll get used to it eventually and accept the fact that "that's spot and stalk antelope for ya".
Good luck. I'm using a rifle for antelope this year which will seem like a cake walk compared to the years of archery chasing them.
 
Hehehe, I've thought about the cow decoy but haven't tried one yet. I do have an antelope decoy that I used last year, it got me within 70 yards a few times but he's not much to hide behind.

Today's story:

I've got some private land this year with a windmill on it, and lots of terrain. It's about an hour north of where I was last night. Looking forward to hunting this area. Rancher forgot to turn on the pump though. So I drove up today to turn it on and drop a camera, of course there's a herd already there. I drop the truck about 1/2 mile out and make it about 100 yards before I see the buck on top of a hillside, busted before I even drove through the gate. But I try anyway, get about 120 at best before they push off. To be expected really.

I get to the windmill turn it on and make sure it's pumping. Against all common good sense I leave my bow there while I run back to get my truck. 1/2 way there I look to my left and on the same hillside I just crawled over is an even nicer buck than the 1 I just ran off. Surprised me a bit since I had just tromped through there. Ignore him, grab the truck and run back to the waterhole. As I'm setting up the camera I turn, and there he is at 270 yards. Followed me to the hole. I'm in full on plain view, truck right there, and I'm up and down over a fence. Not exactly being stealthy. But he's staring at me. I glass him a bit and decide he's pretty darn nice.

After a minute or two of this, he starts coming in, straight at me. I go back to my truck and grab my bow, back to the wide open spot I was in, and he's still coming. I figure not hiding has worked so far with him, so I keep working. He trotted up to 79 yards just to see what I was doing but wouldn't come any closer. The whole time I'm thinking, there is no way he's going to walk right up to me, holy crap, he's walking right up to me
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. I shoot to 50 usually, but if he had crossed inside 70 I would have had a decision to make.

So far, this is being a fun year
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i bet we had 20 bucks and 70 to 100 doe's come past our blind yesterday but Moseley is looking for this one freak.
mike got his but the freak never showed up.
it is much harder to hunt a individual animal then a species of them.
my hat is off to you and you have your work cut out for you.
hunting is what bow hunting is all about getting is a let down because then you have to wait a whole year to do it again.
I'd rather hunt big all season then take a little buck the last day then shoot any buck or bull in the first week.
here in Wyoming we always have rifle season to fall back on if Mr big never comes true.
problem is i only have room for one bull elk mount so when rifle season comes i'll shoot to fill the freezer because i want my elk mount to be a bow killed bull.
 
Same boat I'm in. I haven't seen near those numbers, but I see no reason to take a doe or a small buck this early in the season. And I've chased off more does than care to think about. I've found the big guy 2 days running and would like to take him period. But on the other hand, a decent buck with a bow is a pretty good trophy all by itself. If one presents itself, I'll probably take him and let the big guy hopefully get bigger for next season.

If that doesn't happen, I know where I'll be going once the -06 comes out of the case.
 
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