Contributors to this thread:
I just pulled up after a long day at work, packed the truck and arrived in my area. 1:30am 54 degrees and not a light to Be seen. The sky is amazing the Milky Way seems extra milky and now I somehow need to sleep for a few hours. Since this was a left over pickup I have not scouted but I know the area well from Coyote hunting and maybe I can can land some access to private tomorrow!
Night all! Good luck to all and if there are any BSers hunting around Craig, look me up as I am hunting solo and always like Some Company!
Love that Craig country , wish I was there with ya
So early morning was nice. I had to run a part for my jeep into town to be fixed. So I was drove a ton and looked at a ton of lopes. Did screw up on one opportunity. Had 3 good stalls.
Maybe tomorrow I will set the blind.
Morning was nice...
Breakfast. It is like baby food but is a mega shot of fruit.
Tonight was a good sunset.
Tonight was a good sunset.
Pretty cozy on the private!
Pretty cozy on the private!
So yesterday I drove around looking if a good spot to set up my blind. Found one around 10 and set up.
I left the blind for the day to look for a spot and stalk opportunity. But never found one. The pronghorns are extremely spooky for only a couple days in and considering there was hardly anyone on Friday.
At any rate.... here are a few photos...
After sitting in my blind I realized I screwed up. Need to be smarter at sun location and passive wind. I am looking due east at the sunrise...
Can head a lie right now snorting at me from behind my blind. So it is coming in opposite of what I assumed. But at least I am lucky that who ever was hunting here... Truck exhaust made a fire yesterday....
Well this one showed u with her 4 girlfriends and made a bunch o noise but never came to drink. I screwed up! Moved too much with too muck of My blind open... I think I need a different blind as the wind makes this one shake a lot!
Why are al my pics sideways and up side down?
Why are al my pics sideways and up side down?
Well at 7:25 I fell apart. A great buck waked in and got a drink. It was my first time ever that I have had a big game animal come to my stand and he was big.
I started shaking so bad that my shot went just under him. He walked away slowly and is standing about 120 yards out. He only got 1 drunk maybe he will be back. Kind of crazy my first time setting my blind and 1 hour in I had a shot! I should have tried calming down but the does with him were blowing and making a ton of noise!!!!
I am surprised how much noise I got away with.... 20 minutes passed he is still just hanging out.
Calm down and he'll probably be back. You want to be ready for him next time ! Look at it like this: You can do this, you've done it before. That buck is nothing more than a 3D target that breathes. Put one in the 12 ring !
This was one of the 7 different. Bucks that were in my immediate area. Took him about and hour to commit. When he did my wife wanted antelope so bad she said I better not pass a shot.
This was one of the 7 different. Bucks that were in my immediate area. Took him about and hour to commit. When he did my wife wanted antelope so bad she said I better not pass a shot.
Well I hate to say it. It today totally sealed the deal for me and my new love of sitting water. Or at least it got me hooked enough to try it again.
As posted earlier less than an hour into the day a very good big and heavy buck came in... needless to say I lost it. I then missed my next 2 shots at him before he left for good. All were good shots right at 40 yards. I was down to 1 arrow and starting to question t my bow and myself. Over 15 years archery hunting and until today I had 1 miss and only 1 time did I ever need a second shot.
So after he left I was tempted to get out and shoot my target. But as soon as he left with a couple does I had 4 bucks come in all yearlings and tiny....
It was amazing that I could see a stream of blood constant but he went over 400 yards before laying down.
It was amazing that I could see a stream of blood constant but he went over 400 yards before laying down.
So I played with my emotions. Do I shoot one last time? Do I wait? I knew deep inside it was me not my bow! So finally one came in a little closer. Sadly when I shot he jumped my string and I hit him in the neck. He wandered off slowly. I was out of arrows and despite everything I could see he was pumping blood pretty good. I decided to let him lay while I pulled my blind gathered my gear retrieved my truck etc.
He laid down in the same bed after the shot. I am amazed he was still alive... I found several big pools of blood.
He laid down in the same bed after the shot. I am amazed he was still alive... I found several big pools of blood.
Since the lope dropped into a hole out of sight I drove around to get a better view and see what had occurred. About 20 Minutes after I hit the buck, I was looking at him in the sporting scope. He had bedded and you could tell was not doing well. Since he was laid down in the middle of a huge sage flat that had sage only 6" high. So I watched for a bit trying to plan an approach that would work. He sat how head down twice and I thought it was done. Needless to say I decided to head in. After crawling on my belly for 300 yards I made it to 38 yards. I was out of what cover was there... he stood for second then re bedded. I moved a little to my right so that when he stood again he would be broad side. He got up again and gave a quarter too shot. From my knees it was a perfect shot and he was down in short order.
So I got to work after 1 quick pic. I gutted him in 12 minutes and began to drag him to the truck. It was 700 yards to the truck up hill and it was well over 80 degrees. I hustled to the truck as fast as I could. Luckily the water I was at had a large solar panel.
It made a great shady spot for me to skin and quarter out. I had the meat all in the cooler 1 hour and 20 minutes after he died. I put what ice and cold water I had in the cooler and then flew to town for more...
Smoked tenderloin for dinner soon!
You did good ! Sometimes things don't work quite like we plan them, but the meat is on ice, and that smells like success to me !
So for anyone reading... I learned a ton on my first water hole blind hunt.
1. Always consider what hand you shoot with and adjust blind accordingly.
2. Bring extra Arrows invade you get retarded
3. Practice from Sitting a lot.
4. Practice from Inside the blind. I found I was actually flinching a bit as I was afraid I might hit the blind.
5. I was surprised at the number of animals that were around
6. Just because a doe or buck snorts, hold tight they will eventually come in.
If you can figure out where the antelope tend to travel from of the 30+ antelop that walked by my blind, only 3 came in a different direction all the rest came from Same direction. It would be wise to set up so you can see that direction versus needing a peep hole
7. If you have a water tank that is draining into a pond. Check for tracks. I set my blind 1/2 way between the 2. Making each a little longer of shot than I should have. Had I looked at tracks I would have seen all tracks went to pond and none to tank.
Wear black. My camo was really Shiny and bright all morning. Of course I set up facing the rising sun. I would rather be turned a bit one way or other.
So how many arrows did you bring?
Congrats man! You got it done.
So for anyone reading... I learned a ton on my first water hole blind hunt.
1. Always consider what hand you shoot with and adjust blind accordingly.
2. Bring extra Arrows invade you get retarded
3. Practice from Sitting a lot.
4. Practice from Inside the blind. I found I was actually flinching a bit as I was afraid I might hit the blind.
5. I was surprised at the number of animals that were around
6. Just because a doe or buck snorts, hold tight they will eventually come in.
If you can figure out where the antelope tend to travel from of the 30+ antelop that walked by my blind, only 3 came in a different direction all the rest came from Same direction. It would be wise to set up so you can see that direction versus needing a peep hole
7. If you have a water tank that is draining into a pond. Check for tracks. I set my blind 1/2 way between the 2. Making each a little longer of shot than I should have. Had I looked at tracks I would have seen all tracks went to pond and none to tank.
Wear black. My camo was really Shiny and bright all morning. Of course I set up facing the rising sun. I would rather be turned a bit one way or other.
Congrats, my friend! Once again you are successful! Look forward to hearing about more of your adventures!
