Here's how it will work. I will post two photos of a buck antelope, my son took this past week. I will post one photo of just him and his buck so you can see what a nice critter he took. That will be attached to this post.
The second photo was not taken so much as a trophy photo, but one I wanted to take, just to see how sharp all you Bowsiters are, and at the same time, a way to win a prize.
My next post will be how this contest will work and how it will be scored.
After that post I will post the second photo and the one you will use, from which you make your judgments or guesses. Along with the second photo, I will set the stage of the shot. The rest is where your judgement comes into play.
Please refrain from posting any comments or questions until after I have made subsequence posts I talked about above. Thanks so much and have fun!
After looking at the entrance wound, and considering the arrows exit, please answer the following questions with one word only.
Example: 1-1 (That would mean you chose the first of 5 answers on question 1. Had you chosen answer no. 2 then you would post 1-2. Question number two would be answered 2-3 if you thought the third answer was the correct answer for question no. 2.
Your score will be determined by the correct answers you give. Each possible answer, to each question, will have a number by it. That will be the number of the score on that question, should you be right. There will be no deductions, should you be wrong, other than you don't get a not score for that question.
There will be 5 possible multiple choice answers to each question. And like I said each question will have a point total behind its number, but before the question. That would be the number of points you score should answer the question correctly.
For example: Question 1-What's the best bow site on the world wide web?
1-5 Bowhunting Net 2-4 Bowsite 3-3 Archery Talk 4-2 etc. 5-1 etc.
Had you chosen the correct answer to that example question, you would have score 4 points. The proper way to place your score to that question would be like this.
1-2 (That would be question one and answer 2)
Had you chosen another, then you have had no score.
The person or persons answering the most questions correctly will get an additional 15 points added to their score.
Okay let's play. Next I will post the reference photo.
And by the way the winner will receive from me a high resolution photo of either a mule deer, a pronghorn, or a bull elk. You then can have made up (at your cost) a canvas print, metal print, or regular print, or just use as your desktop for free. You will have to agree to limit this to one reproduction of your choice. I still own all rights to the photo you may choose.
The arrow passed through on the shot.
Question 1 What organ or organs did the broad head hit.
Answers to question 1
1-5 It past through the heart!
2-4 It past through both lungs.
3-3 It hit one lung and nicked the liver.
4-2 It hit the liver and stomach.
5-1 It hit just the stomach.
Question 2 What distance did the animal go before succumbing?
Answers to question number 2.
1-5 It made it less than 30 yards.
2-4 It made it almost 60 yards.
3-3 It made it almost 200 yards.
4-2 It made it 1/8 mile.
5-1 It made it at least 1/4 mile or more.
Question 3 What kind of blood trail was left by this hit?
Answers to question number 3
1-5 Short trail but copious amounts.
2-4 Very adequate and one that could be followed about as fast as one could walk.
3-3 Decent but challenging at times.
4-2 Only noticeable blood was at the sight where the buck was hit. 5-1 Only noticeable blood was at the sight where the buck died.
Question 4. How long did this buck live after being hit?
Answers to question number 4.
1-5 It died in less than 10 seconds.
2-4 It died in less than 60 seconds.
3-3 It lived almost 5 minutes.
4-2 It lived about 1 hour.
5-1 It lived over 6 hours.
Question 5. What pushed this animal after it was hit?
Answers to question number 5.
1-5 Nothing, it died within sight and within 1 minute.
2-4 It bedded shortly after the hit but a coyote came upon the scene and the antelope could not get up so the hunter hurriedly sent the coyote on its way.
3-3 Other antelope smelled the buck was wounded and got him up and moving.
4-2 A golden eagle tried to get a meal. as he must have thought the buck was either wounded mortally or dead.
5-1 He just got up from his bed and started moving on his own.
And the final question.
Question 6. How long did it take to recover this buck.
Answers to question number 6.
I-5 It was recovered within several minutes of being shot.
2-4 It was recovered within about a half hour of the hit.
3-3 It was recovered just about an hour after the hit
4-2 It was recovered about 3 hours after the hit.
5-1 It had to be left over night to insure it was recovered.
Okay that's it. Just remember only place the question number and your answer. Don't place the number after the question number, as that's just the number of points you get, should that be the proper answer.
Have fun and lets see if anyone can learn something.
Have fun. BB
I hope I did it right !
Have a great bow hunt. BB
Thanks Bill - Interesting
2-3
3-3
4-4
5-4
6-3
1-4, 2-5, 3-3, 4-5, 5-5, 6-5
2-3
3-3
4-3
5-5
6-2
2-5
3-3
4-4
5-2
6-4
I have my suspicions based on a deer I hit similarly but antelope are built a little different so I could be way off base.
2-2
3-2
4-1
5-1
6-1
Just to make certain you know the entrance wound, I will circle it with a red line on this post.
And thanks for playing along. We are all kids at heart.
Have a great bow hunt. BB
1-1 2-2 3-4 4-4 5-4 6-1
1-3 2-4 3-3 4-3 5-4 6-4
I am working in an apartment today that will take up most of my time, but after I get home and walk my dog, I will begin to dissect the shot and answer all the questions I ask you guys.
Have a great bow hunt. BB
I have copied everyones answers so far so and won't be letting the cat out of the bag all at once, as I hope there will be some discussions. But I do have all your answers and they are the ones I will use to judge the contest.
If your interested you still have about 1.5 hours.
We sat all day long, in a blind in Wyoming and did not have one single antelope water. Later in the day we notice a large group of antelope far to the north of us and around 3:45 pm a single buck made its way towards the waterhole we were sitting.
As he approached we felt he was coming into water, but he turned and headed west away from the blind. He went out several hundred yards, and checked another small water hole where they had been watering but which we covered up several days before. He then turned and headed back towards our blind. He walked past the blind and about 25 yards but seemed very spooky, so we just watched him. He past the blind, turned around and walked back to the south and stopped almost broadside at just under thirty yards.
Cody by then had an arrow nocked and told him to shoot as the buck gave him a good broadside shot and looking away from the blind. He pulled and by the time he was drawing down on the buck, the buck had turned his head and was looking directly at the blind. Cody placed his pin straight up the front leg of the buck and triggered his release. The buck whirled and was on is way back north, in the direction from which he had first come our way, and back towards the other antelope.
He ran hard and fast, but at about 125 yards, he slowed and stopped. His back end swayed, as they do many times before they fall. We did a fist bump, as we knew he was going down.
But he didn't. He just stood there for the longest time. Soon his back was humped and I told Cody that was not a good sign. But we glassed him and could see dark spot just behind the crease. He continued to stand for maybe 20 minutes and finally laid down. But as soon as he laid down, he would get back up. He would stand a few minutes and lay down, only to get up almost immediately. That happened a number of times over the first hour. Finally he laid down and his head with his head alert, but soon it drooped froward. We knew the end was soon.
But just about that time the other antelope were coming our way, which brought them past his blood trail and immediately they put their noses to the ground and followed where he had run. A few stayed back 10 yards and looked at the bedded buck, but a few does walked right to him and started smelling him and he got up and started walking away. Soon the whole group started following and pushing him. He never broke into a run, but just walked away and they followed him. Several times the group hung back and he would get 50 to 100 yards ahead of them, and stop, but a few would walk up to him and off he would go.
Finally the other antelope just fed away and over the hill and left him standing out in front of the blind some 400 yards.
At first we thought Cody had hit one lung and the liver, but now several hours had past and he was still stand, and humped somewhat. So we debated on what should be done. We were now about one hour from the last of shooting light.
What do you think happened and what do you think should be done.
I will leave it here tonight and finish this over the weekend.
Have a great bow hunt. BB
Thus the dilemma.
Reminds me of an old country song " I can feel it slippin' away, slowly , slowly , slippin' away..............."
We talked and decided that Cody would get out and take a long walk around and get behind the ridge where the antelope stood, sneak over and try to get finishing arrow in the the buck.
He seemed to pay very little attention to Cody when he got out of the blind and headed north, following his blood trail far enough to try to get a good read on what really happened. But before he could get behind the ridge, which would hide his presence, he had several hundred yards exposure and that was too much for the buck and he slowly started to walk away.
Cody returned to the blind and said there was a pretty good blood trail and a very big patch of blood, on the ground where he first stopped and stood.
We agreed it was best leave him and come back in the morning to receive him if something didn't happen before light slipped into darkness.
We were both on the back side of the blind, watching him with our binos as light slipped away. Once he got so dark we could not see him, we headed for the truck.
One problem we had is he was only about 100 yards from where we had parked the truck. And camp was 8 miles away, so we had no choice but to go to the truck. We did it as carefully and quiets as we could and slowly drove away.
Cody was distraught as he had never had to leave a critter over night, but I assured him we would find him not too far from where we had last seen him. And early the next morning, shortly after daylight Cody found his buck some 200 yards from where we had parked the truck and about 100 yards from where he was last standing at the last light of the evening before.
Here's what we found out. His arrow totally missed the heart and lungs. It entered just behind the diaphragm, missing the back of the lungs by maybe 1/2". It hit the front part of the liver and nicked the stomach enough that stomach material was in the abdomen.
The blood trail was amazing good for most of bucks travel, but got spotty in a few places after he stood and began to move again. But soon it would become pretty easy.
Its only a guess how long he lived, but I would think for a good portion of the night. He had very little odor when we cleaned him and the meat smelled very normal, in fact better than most antelope I have been around.
Someone mentioned how bloated the buck was, but that was more an optical illusion from the camera angle than a real thing, as he was not bloated. Had he been pushed towards the camera a bit more on the broadside photo, I don't think he would have appeared that way.
I believe two things happened. I think Cody hit just a tad low, had he been up 2-4 inches higher it would have been much better. And I think the antelope had started to move forward on the shot, thus the arrow back farther than he aimed.
Had he aimed behind the crease, like many bowhunters STILL do, he would have hit much farther back.
We he first stopped, both Cody and I glassed and glassed to try to see where he was hit. We both came to the conclusion, early on, from the visual sighting, and from the way he the buck acted, that he was hit in one lung and the arrow had gone back through the guts on a much steeper angle than it turn out to be.
He never once turned to where we could see the exit side of his body, so to us it was a guess game too.
When we walked up to him and looked at the entrance hole, and then looked at the exit side, we were dumbfounded he had lived so long and gone over 1/4 of a mile.
Its a good lesson, in the reason a person should aim well ahead of the crease and especially on smaller, faster, animals.
What are your thoughts. Doesn't it amaze you no lungs were hit on that shot?
Will the real winner please stand up and take a bow.
And thanks for playing and hopefully learning a bit.
If the winner will please send me an email at [email protected] and tell me what animal image they want I will will give you a choice of several different photos and you can choose the one you like the best.
Have a great bow hunt. BB
Here's how the bowsiters who played this game scored. I usually make a mistake or two, but I think I got the high players correct. But check your scores and let me know if I posted yours wrong and I will recheck it and post it correctly.
Both Cody and I were amazed. We knew he hit a bit low, but really felt he had hit the lung on one side. Such was not the case. If this doesn't make a guy think a bit and shoot farther forward, then I really don't know what will. Its hard for me to believe that guys still aim behind the crease, as this shows, if nothing else, there is little margin for error, if there animal moves in the direction he's heading, which is the case most times.
The live photo I posted, during this thread, shows an antelope,standing. Look at it close and see where you would aim. For those that would choose the crease, most would be lucky to not end up missing the lungs and only having a guts shot animal. And try to keep your aiming point about half way up on the body. And keep your shots close to insure you make good hits.
Check your scores to make sure I didn't make a mistake and I will settle with the winner or winners once we know the scores are correct.
Congrats Duke, you did a great job and so did so many others. Thanks for playing along and hopefully we will all remember to keep our shots forward.
drycreek-0
demann-1
boubound-0
mtoomey-0
cityhunter-0
archery95-3
Fulldraw1972-1
grizzlyadam-2
tradmt-0
4araquiver -1
sureshot-5
LTG-4
DPowers-0
midwest-1
nvgoat-0
Teeton-0
HockeyDad-5
elkmtngear-1
Bowfreak-3
Rex Featherlin-0
Brotsky-3
Mac-0
Eagle-5
Beav-3
x-man-0
LINK-3
TD-3
Cowdoc-1
KCDoughboy-0
Duke-6*******bingo!!!
Jimbo-4
BOWNBIRDHNTR-2
Dwayne-0
Boly-1
Mac -0
Have a great bow hunt. BB
guess how long this guy lived
Well the antelope you posted in your post just above, is a good example of where a person wants to hit a big game animal with a bow. I would not want to be any higher than you hit, but your front line is perfect, and I bet you saw that buck give up the ship in seconds didn't you? And especially if he was broadside. If he was quartering towards you a bit, then he might have made it 80-100 yards. But if he was broadside he only had a couple seconds to live.
I will try to dig one up I took a couple years back that I hit just about where you hit that buck, but the arrow went back after entrance and came out just before the back leg. He made it about 125 yards or so.
Cody's hit was low, but still I thought it was better than it turned out to be. The week before Kolton killed a buck that he hit even lower than Cody's but he was farther forward and it went right through the heart.
Have a great bow hunt. BB
We glassed him for a long time and at first thought it was a low and back lung hit, but I kept telling Cody that the buck acted like he was gut shot and that's what it turned out to be.
I have heard a number of guys say, on this site, that antelope aren't very tough, but my personal experience through the years have taught me they can be one tough critter when their not hit super hard. I one time chased one for six miles, thinking I could push him and get him when I was young. I finally got him but it was over six miles later. And I have found that if you don't push an animal that you think is gut shot, you stand a great chance of recovering him, if you give him 8 hours or more. But if a wild animal knows your are after him, its amazing how far they can go once they get geared up.
Here's a couple of photos of a buck I shot in 2012. I hit him just where I like to him them. Entrance was about 1/2 way up and straight up the front of the front leg. I was amazed he made it about 125 yards, and he died just about the same place that Cody's buck stopped and first laid down.
I watched him go down and knew he was dead, but amazed he had made it that far. But when I got up to him, (see photo in my next post) I could see why he didn't go down in a couple seconds like they usually do. I either misjudged the quarter, or he began to turn just when the arrow hit. Either way its a good thing I aimed so far forward. I can assure you, you will loose far less animals and have far shorter blood trails if one shoots up the front leg and not behind the crease. Cody's buck is a great example how little distance there is before you are in the guts if your aiming point is the crease or just behind it.
Feel free to post any animal you have taken that died very fast, or that died much slower than you thought it would, and we can discuss and hopefully learn from our experiences. And this is especially true to all the young and new bowhunters joining the bowhunter ranks.
Again thanks to everyone who participated. I appreciate your posts and input.
Have a great bow hunt. BB
Keep your shot forward and farther forward than most realize will render great results.
Have a great bow hunt. BB
Its a good example of why I say to shoot forward of the crease and not behind the crease. I have outlined the vital area in purple and lime green. Look at how much of the vital area is in front of the line of going forward (purple area) versus the area behind the crease (lime green area). I also placed a white dot as near to the area where Cody hit his buck. Hopefully this will help some of you learn to shoot farther forward than you do. Like I have often said, it will pay huge dividends!
Have a great bow hunt. BB
BB I notice lope bleed a ton. Pound for pound they are tough !
If you happen to hit the crease or just an inch or so behind it, it still is a good hit, but if you happened to be a few more inches back, like Cody's arrow hit, then you can see what can happen. And from the all the answers to my above questions, you can see there's a bit difference in what we think we see and what really is! The vitals are more forward than most think or have been taught.
Lewis I disagree with you when you say the organs or placement of the organs are different on antelope. I don't think that is the case. What I believe is the case, is that the color markings on antelope can vary greatly, and if one is using the change of color in their coats for an aiming point, then they can and will be fooled, at there's a big difference in that in some animals. But the organs are pretty much dictated by genetics and that doesn't change much from one animal to another within the same species.
dry creek you are very welcome. I am glad you can use that information. I think it will help you tons. Your shot on your antelope is a bit low and a bit back, but still in a great place. But had you been three inches back, on a broadside or quartering a bit to you buck, the shot would have hit far different organs. Your shot was great, but leaves little room for error. A bit more forward and and a bit higher and you 4 or 5 inches in most directions.
If Duke will email me at [email protected] we can make arrangements to get the image you desire.
Again thanks to all who participated.
Have a great bow hunt. BB
Now where would you shoot this pronghorn?
I have been known to be hard headed but after a trip to Africa and a few deer shot like BB said I am a believer. I shot this buck exactly where he told me to and it didn't go far.
