We left early on Friday morning and drove to Wyoming and in the blind for most of Friday. Several antelope watered, but there is still lots of standing water so number of watering antelope were very low compared to most years. We had several smaller bucks come by within shooting range, but I told Kolton I felt he could get a better shot and a better buck and that's exactly what happened on Saturday morning when this buck stopped outside the blind at just over 20 yards.
Kolton drew and hit the buck right through the heart. It ran hard for less than 50 yards and went down straight out in front our blind.
Here are a few photos of this young lad with his very first antelope. Might I say he made a great shot and took a very fine antelope! Congratulations, Kolton your not only a great young bowhunter, but more importantly a great kid. Keep up the good work on all counts.
I might add how much I commend Kolton on getting this during the rifle season and during the wettest season in years, and even after the rut and still doing it with a bow.
I have hunted antelope for many years and never seen them as spooky as they were on this hunt. Hats off to Kolton!
And may he and you have many more great bow hunts. BB
Way to go, Kolton!
Don't you still have a tag to fill, Bill?
Best of Luck, Jeff
Mark
I learned long ago, when my son was first starting to bow hunt, that there is far more satisfaction comes from watching these young guys do their magic, than there is from filling ones own tag. Sadly there are dads and men out there, that are to selfish to let themselves find the joy there is, in letting others fill their tags, rather than in filling ones own tag.
And Nick, yes I still have a tag to fill and hopefully will go back up for a few days this next week, but its suppose to rain tomorrow so I will wait and see what happens there. The last thing we need is more rain from the standpoint of hunting lopes from a blind. Now that's the selfish thing! But after all the drought for the past few years, all this rain, in the long run, will be a great blessing to the range and the overall health of the antelope herd.
Here's a photo I took, seconds after Kolton shot his buck, with my cell phone from the front of the blind. If you look closely you can see where it went down. And my the blood trail! Oh the blood trail!
And for those interested, he shot the buck with a 63 lb. bow and an ss snuffer that we had just sharpened in the blind, minutes before he made the shot. In fact I was teaching Kolton to sharpen his heads that morning and that was what he was doing, when I told him a buck was coming and to set the sharpening steel down and nock an arrow.
A very fun day indeed!
And yes dry creek he did me proud!
Have a great bow hunt. BB
Please tell Kolton he did well!!!!
Remember this photo was taken after the 15th of Oct and look at how green the vegetation is for this late in the year. Unreal for sure! Normally, in this area, there would be very little grass and it would be all dried out. Next year should be much better.
In all the years I have hunted that particular waterhole, I have never seen a cow there, or even any sign they have ever been there (poop). Its just too dry of an area and not enough water for cattle. This year there's cattle everywhere and lots of feed. What a change from the past few years.
Have a great bow hunt. BB