Your a bowhunter! Exercise some of that patience that I am sure came in handy sitting in a blind! LOL!
I had never hunted pronghorn myself, although our daughter has gotten a couple in my home state of NM. When I realized that Scoot was to be spearheading the group of Bowsiters I jumped into the mix.
Since my schedule allowed, I headed to WY before Scoot & crew and arrived in Salt Lake City early morning on Saturday and met Jeff and Cody (BB's son). We caravanned to WY and had an enjoyable drive throughout part of the hunting unit and spotted pronghorn in various areas as we drove. It was fun to meet them and share stories of their past hunts in the area, hunts with family and kids, and get to know each other. I quizzed them for any tidbits that might help us be successful, but by far the most important was the time and effort put in beforehand setting up the blinds and sharing their knowledge of the area. At the end of the day they headed for home, leaving me to set up camp and explore the area for a couple of days prior to season.
On Sunday I decided to sit in one of the blinds with my camera to see what we might expect. After sleeping in I didn’t get to the blind until midafternoon, but had plenty of activity and photo opportunities.
To say they were wary was an understatement...
Many thx to BB who many years ago turned me on to a quality camera and helped fuel my desire to take more photos.
As Scoot described, you can't get away with anything when they are on alert and closing in.
Keep it coming!!!
Mark
I didn't have loads of action on the first day, perhaps due to a rain shower at midnight the night before, but had a handful of bucks, does and fawns come to water. I didn't have a size goal in mind and personally didn't feel like I needed to sit for 10-days straight just to ensure I had a crack at the biggest buck in the unit. But on the other hand I didn't feel pressure to drop the string.
I figured that when the right buck showed up I'd know it. I would have been plenty happy taking several of the bucks I passed, but focused on enjoying the experience and waiting to see how things played out.
Anyway........doesn't matter now!!! CONGRATS again on an awesome trip!!!
Thanks for sharing
Congrats across the board
Good luck, Robb
Yes antelope will smell you too just like deer and elk. Many don't pay attention to wind when antelope hunting but at bow distances they will definitely wind you.
Sorry about losing your Mom, we are never "ready" to lose a loved one but dedicating your hunt in her honor is very touching and something you guys will remember for the rest of your lives:)
Well done!
Mark
I won't have time to post for a little while, but wanted to reiterate how thrilled I was to get the report Ryan had tagged out and a good buck to boot. You all offered me the pick of the blinds since I had gotten out there first, but I absolutely had to put Ryan in the one that seemed best based on the sign and the actual blind itself as being the darkest inside and best setup for Ryan to succeed. Of everyone in the group, myself included, it was Ryan I wanted most to get one. Even if it meant one or all of us didn't fill our tags I would have counted the hunt a success as long as he filled his. Kind of icing on the cake that everyone had success (that's called foreshadowing...I'll have to post how day two went for me soon).
Midmorning I realized I had failed to grab two thermos bottles of ice water from my cooler in the truck, so with only half a bottle of energy/hydration mix it was going to be a thirsty day. I mulled it over and decided I dare not leave the blind because any antelope within a mile could potentially see me and mess up the day’s hunt.
As Scoot reported earlier, when I received word that Jon had tagged out about 11 am I became the last holdout. It was great to hear that he was successful!
Cool watching Ryan growing up every hunting season!! That smile hasn't changed!
Thanks for sharing..
Carl...... yur killin' me........
For this trip I bought a black Sitka Core Lightweight Hoody (very comfortable in hot weather) that has a built-in facemask, figuring it would help. In hindsight I should have had black gloves too, but I made do by wearing a black sock on my bow hand.
I also hunt with my facemask just below my nose with my string anchored on the tip of my nose. Reluctantly after having some does notice something on the first morning I pulled my facemask over my nose to reduce the amount of my white face that was showing . I wished that I had brought some black face paint for my nose and around my eyes, but again made due with what I had.
I worried a little about my anchor point, but the facemask was paper thin and I drew my bow several times with everything feeling good, so I didn't put further thought to it.
About 1pm I peeked out the rear of the blind. The heat waves were horrible, but I spotted what appeared to be a good buck with a doe feeding on a far hillside. Given their proximity I felt they would come drink at some point.
After what seemed like forever the doe stepped into view near the water. She was extremely cautious and stared at the blind for several minutes. The buck came into view and I caught my breath – he was big enough to make my blood pressure rise and there was no way I’d pass him up given the chance! He barged right in and began to slurp water broadside, but the doe hadn’t relaxed her vigil and I dared not try to draw my bow.
Finally the doe hesitantly began to approach the water, but the buck shifted position until he too faced me. Earlier in the hunt I had made up my mind that at close range if a frontal shot (gasp!) was what I was offered I'd take it. Full disclosure: I've never taken a frontal shot, but have studied pictures on Bowsite and I've butchered enough critters to know anatomy. I shoot relatively heavy arrows and Slick Trick Viper 125s, which are every bit a cut on contact head.
Having prepared myself for a frontal shot I wanted to draw but the doe remained at high alert. The buck seemed to be finishing his drink, raised his head and began to turn away. Based on my prior observations I realized my shot opportunity was rapidly ending. I felt it was now or never, so drew my bow. The doe hopped backwards and the buck began walking to my right. I was at full draw, but he was already approaching the edge of the blind’s shooting window.
Too many things were happening at once. Between my anchor point feeling “off” due to my facemask, me having to lean sideways so arrow would clear the blind and the buck moving, everything felt wrong. To add to the mix, the inside of the blind was dark while the outside was blindingly bright. My fiber sight pins all appeared black as did my eye alignment tool (IQ Retina Lock). I put my 20-yard pin on the buck and triggered my release but my arrow kicked up dust beyond him and I immediately realized I had shot over his back. The pair wasn’t overly spooked but within seconds they were out of range and I was left piecing together what had gone wrong.
I determined that as I had feared, I wasn’t locked onto my anchor like I should have been. And with my pins appearing black I assumed the Retina Lock was too. However that was my mistake as it should have been clear had I been anchored correctly. In the heat of the moment I didn't focus like I should have.
I watched the pair feed approximately half a mile distant and took solace that they hadn’t been alerted to my presence and given the fact they remained within sight it was likely that they would return to the water again at some point. At least I hoped so.
I texted Scoot's crew the woeful news. They were sympathetic. So much so that Scoot's response was "How did you like your hat before it was full of holes?" Referring to our agreement that anyone who missed would suffer further humiliation of the rest of the crew taking a shot at their hat at the same distance back in camp.
Scoot also apologized that they had decided to hit the road for their long drive home and wouldn't be around that evening. I wouldn't have holes in my hat after all, although I'd have to figure out a way to make it up to them. I wished them safe travels and let him know that I certainly understood them wanting to get a jump on their drive and had absolutely no hard feelings.
I practiced drawing and locking into shooting position with my facemask in place dozens of times to ensure I could capitalize on my next opportunity.
Perhaps a mile away I could still see the big buck hanging out with the doe. Late afternoon a smaller buck joined them and they fed and milled around for the remainder of the evening. Just before sunset the big buck moved off by himself and disappeared into some sage, where I assumed he would bed for the night. Knowing he remained close to my waterhole gave me a good feeling about the next day and helped ease the sting of my catch-and-release opportunity.
I was treated to more entertainment from the badger and a flock of sage grouse, plus an awesome sunset.
My text to the Minnesota crew who were again on the road summarized the encounter: “Lordy I just passed a good buck. One I’ve seen before and I was sorely tempted. He drank broadside with his head hidden by a berm for a long time. I may regret passing this golden opportunity.”
What an awesome hunt. Ryan will tell stories about this the rest of his life.
“It’s not that I’m a trophy hunter per se, but conditions are so good and there is regular action so why get too antsy? I applied for many years. Next time it may take even more points to draw at tag. Why end it too soon? Just having fun!”
I hoped my casual attitude wouldn't come back to haunt me, but the trip had already been a stellar success and by holding out I'd been treated to plenty of entertainment by the badger, I'd seen my first sage grouse up close, and I'd had many additional close encounters with pronghorn and been blessed to observed their actions and interaction with a front row seat. I had no regrets and with the weather forecast to be dry for several more days it seemed a pretty safe bet to keep enjoying the experience.
Suddenly the buck raised his head and stared behind my blind. He sounded an alarm buzz, similar to a deer snort, quickly turned and began trotting away. I wondered what had spooked him and it wasn’t long before I found out.
Soon I was certain that he intended to come drink. I texted the Minnesota crew:
“The big guy sprinted past and chased a decent buck away from the water. He’s half a mile out, but headed my way. Getting interesting. I like my odds that he’ll come over for a drink at some point.”
They cheered me on and echoed that they liked my odds too. I watched until he was within a couple hundred yards, and then eased to my seat to prepare for the buck’s arrival.
The buck apparently noticed something and raised his head to stare toward me, but my pin was already at the base of his throat and my anchor point locked. I mentally pictured the location of his vitals and gently squeezed the trigger of my release!
I excitedly relayed the news to Scoot and his crew and they cheered my success. I tried to convince them that since I had killed the very same buck, my miss the day before was really more of an initial and follow-up shot, but they would have none of that and chided me with laughter over the telephone. I’m not sure how I’m going to make good on our friendly hat shot challenge, but I’ll figure something out!
I pretty much classify animals into one of two categories: “shooter” or “not a shooter”. These categories are somewhat fluid and can be skewed a little by how empty our freezer may be, how hard I’ve worked, or how little time remains in a hunt. I was sorely tempted by some of the other bucks I saw, but with dry weather forecast and the hunt being so much fun I forced myself to wait a little while.
That said, the first time I laid eyes on my buck my mind resonated “shooter” and I wouldn't have been able to pass even if he had been the first buck that came to water.
Between getting the meat on ice and packing up camp to head for home I didn't take any horn measurements. Honestly to me it "cheapens" the experience to be too hasty to throw a tape onto any trophy I've taken.
I have some friends whose first response to a text I may send proclaiming "I killed a good bull, praise God!" is "How big?" rather than "Congrats, that's awesome!"
Who cares how big? If I was thrilled enough to release the string isn't that good enough?
At some point I will take a rough score and post it here for reference purposes, but by the time I got home the skull was getting a little ripe and I chose to just keep it cinched in the plastic bag to let the horns rot off, so it may be a little while.
I also like to write stories that I share with family and friends, so at some point I'll share a link where I expound on what the hunt meant to me and lots of personal thoughts that are beyond posting on a Bowsite thread.
In summary I can't thank Jeff enough for hosting the trip. It was an awesome experience and I'll never forget it. One of these years I hope to return with my daughter like Scoot was able to do with Ryan.
God bless,
Carl
I was thinking the same thing...I'd hate to see this thread end so soon, perhaps someone else may be headed to WY to meet Jeff and will be able to chime in, eh?!
You've got Chuck's squint down pretty good, now you just need the stocking cap!
Great job to all you guys! Carl, that is a real dandy buck, thanks for the pics and the great write up.
Congrats to Scoot and the boys. No messin' around, I love it. Great to see that huge grin of Ryan's again.
John
So when I came to exit that would take me to that old waterhole, I told my wife I wanted to go walk Lexi down by the waterhole ad take a look at things. I pulled off the freeway and by this time the rain had let up and it was just a slight sprinkle, but there was water sitting everywhere. My dog and I took a short walk and there wasn't even a blind on that pond. I was surprised, but it was a good thing, as it was basically out of condition for weeks.
I got in my truck and headed west and called Jeff to tell him what had happened and how sorry I felt for the guys. To my surprise Jeff was with guys and she said it had just sprinkled up that way and that the forecast looked good. So that relieved my worries and I was happy for the guys.
During their hunt, Jeff and Cody, who both kept in touch with the guys, kept me informed on what was happening. I was so happy to learn that everyone filled their tag on such a tough year, in so many ways. Last winter, in that area, was very tough on the wildlife. It killed about 80 percent of there deer and took its toll on the antelope too. So for all of them to fill their tags so quickly told me God above was watching over them.
I was so happy to hear that Ryan filled his bow tag as a 12 year old. I just love seeing young boys and girls getting involved with bowhunting and the outdoors. I got hooked with the outdoors as a very young boy growing up in Wyoming, and its been my passion, in one way or another my whole life. I hope it becomes his, as it brings so many great memories and gives a young person something else to think and do besides the TV, the phone, and the tablet. Congrats. to Ryan and to the rest of the group. You did me proud. And although I didn't have a thing to do with it, it still makes me very happy that it all worked out for all of you.
In closing I will say I learned a lot about antelope and their behavior, as I sat each and everyone of the waterholes you mentioned and hunted. And I shot a lot of photos from each of those blinds. And in doing that I learned a lot too.
I spent many hours in tree stands taking photos of elk, moose and mule deer, And I took a lot of this with flashes, and the light never bothered any one of those animals. The sound of the shutter clicking did, but not the flash.
Now back to the antelope. But as I took my early photos of antelope and watched them spook from 100 yard out, I soon released that if antelope see any light coming from a blind, they are gone in most cases, with the exception of bucks during the heat of the rut.
Even the small, focus assist light, will scare an antelope. So you can imagine what any other light source will do. I don't know if any of your cameras had that option on, but that might have been your problem.
But antelope are spooky critters, and especially out in those lands of Wyoming where they see very few people all year, until hunting season. They are wired pretty tight.
Anyway congrats to all on a job well done. In all the years, from the time I first started this hunt, not one person has finished the season without fill their tag. I am glad that record continued. But the memories and good times, as time passes with far exceed the filling of ones tag!
I might be to late to say this, as after reading every post, I can see you had a great bowhunt.
But----Have a great bowhunt. BB
Hopefully we can continue to have an extension of the "BB hunt" for years to come. Thanks Scoot. Too cool...
Carl.... =D
Ya done good.... great story and great pics, Well done. Thanks much buddy...
But I guess we have to wait and see if it was just all hot air! It sure was hot today for sure!
I hope they had a great bow hunt and hope those of you out hunting now or soon to be do too! BB
PS. Hey Guy good to see you. I hope things are going well for you. Part of that blood I smelt this morning was coming from Bubbles!
I had initially agreed to do this hunt when we all struck out in the draw last season.
I made the commitment to the guys to do it again this season.
In July, I took several of my boys up there, Kolton, Jace, Peyton, and Jeffrey up there to put in the antelope blinds.
It's been an obscenely busy summer with work, family, bowhunting preparations. So to say I was relieved to get the blinds in was an understatement.
I only have a short time to go up and meet the first hunters of the season. My wife has a Utah antelope tag, my son has a Utah deer tag plus general season elk. I have Colorado elk coming really soon. I have plenty of hunts, but short on time. Story of our lives.
Anyways, I wanted to bring my 3 year old along for this hunt. His name is Wyatt and he is beyond obsessed with bowhunting.
Most kids watch cartoons, he watches the outdoor channel. He can identify the big game animals in North America.
I brought him along to hunt with his older brother Jace, who's 15.
We arrived late on Saturday afternoon around 2:30 to the blind call little deep hole.
I have hunted this blind successfully in the past as have other hunters.
We got settled in the blind and it was really slow, as is sitting for antelope in the afternoons. At least in my experience.
We did have a doe and a fawn come in and water, Wyatt and Jace were enjoying the show, they did their thing and then left.
The night was pretty unproductive.
We walked back to the truck and headed to town to meet Todd Morenz and his wife Lori for dinner and to discuss tomorrow's plans.
They decided they would go sit bubbles, which is the blind with the most active. And we would return to little deep hole.
This is Jace and Wyatt when we got to the truck to go meet Todd and his wife in town
Whenever I post pictures, which is rare, they're sideways. So if somebody could fix them, that would be great.
They arrived and off we went. We parted ways at each other's turns, wished each other best luck and shoot straight!!
We were settled in the blind ready to go at 6:00 a.m.
It was a pretty slow sit until 8:15 when I saw some does starting to file in to the water hole. Does and fawns coming in, walking around cautiously like they do. A few watered. I looked out the same peep and here comes a buck. And he's a very very nice buck.
He makes his way to the water and mills around for a minute before watering head on.
My son has no experience in this department, nor does he shoot a poundage that I'm comfortable with him taking that shot so I made him wait it out.
And then out of nowhere, magpies come flying on top of the blind, make one hell of a racket and that bucks runs off.
I could see the look of defeat on Jace's face. I looked at him and said, that's bowhunting kid, but he didn't get very much to drink and he'll be back.
A few more does came filtering back in, and pretty quick, here came the buck.
He stood on the other side of the pond which was 15 yards with his head looking away. The does were peacefully watering and I whisper to Jace, shoot him.
I had Wyatt on the floor of the blind because I couldn't risk him hurting Jace right now. He was quietly watching a movie.
Jace perfectly pulls his bow back, and none of the antelope moved an inch.
He took aim, and Jace, who's killed a handful of animals, really takes his time. He doesn't rush anything.
He placed his pin and it felt like an eternity, and he finally released and he hit that buck hard.
They all take off running straight away from the blind and pretty quick the buck is losing steam. The does are leaving him in the dust.
He stops and stands there and does the dance we all hope to see. And just like that, Jace has filled his first wyoming tag of his life.
We are getting up early to go sit for mule deer for him. Taking his 5 year old sister with us.
In closing, I'd just like to say, take the kids hunting. Protect our heritage. Get them involved young.
I'll forever be indebted to Bill Allard for all that he's taught me. And I am passing it down in large numbers.
Stop fighting amongst ourselves and let's learn who and what the real threat to our heritage really is.
Thanks folks for reading. Thanks to all the guys from bowsite. You made the hunt happen. Not me!
BB, great to see you posting again on the Bowsite. As much as I enjoy your pictures on Facebook, I enjoy your bowhunting spin here even more! Thanks for all you've given us over the years!
After Carl killed his buck, and after talking with him, I drove up there late one evening and slept in my truck about a 1/4 mile away. I had hopes of seeing and photographing a badger, which Carl had seen most days he sat. And if I recall correctly, he saw 2 at least one day and maybe several days.
I sat the whole day, from before light until it was too late to shoot my camera, and never laid eyes on a badger.
Here are a couple photos I took that day will sitting the Wallow.
And incidentally, the way the wallow got its name, was from the very first hunter I took on the BB pronghorn hunt. His name is Scott Wilson, a regular here, and one super turkey hunter. Scott shot his buck on opening morning of that first hunt and text me and told me. I was sitting bubbles with my son as I recall, and told him I would walk out and meet him near the road, several mile from the blind. When I got to the road and Scott came by on my four wheeler, it looked like he had a brown cow on my bike. I ask him what the heck happened and he told me how he shot the buck, which fell into the mud and from that time on we called it the wallow!
After the last Dumas boy posts his photos and tells his story, I would hope its okay if every hunter who ever came out and hunted, post their bucks too, with a brief tale of how it happened. I hope that's okay. I just think most who came had a great time and made some new friends, and hopefully realized I am the KING of BS!
Have a great bowhunt. BB
P.S. I will post those photos after I edit them and one at a time.
I remember one year I was sitting the Wallow and my son was sitting Bubbles. He had to be to work the next day and had a bunch of stuff he had to do for his work, so he told me he was only going to sit until 2 pm and then head home.
He texted me about 2 that day and told me he hit his phone everytime and buck came in and watered. As I recall he had 68 bucks water by 2 pm. Not bad for kid that sleeps half the time. Ha Ha
I cropped this vertical wise to see if that's the problem people are having when the photos post sideways.
Have a great bowhunt. BB
Again and again thanks to Jeff for hosting the event - it was an awesome experience for all of us. And to BB for your wisdom and photos on the Bowsite over the years. It was a pleasure talking to you on the phone after my hunt.
Carl
smarba's Link
Those who know me know I’m not a hunter that focuses on horn or antler size. I’ve been blessed with some fine trophy animals, including this buck, but many times it’s because things came my way and I would have been plenty happy taking a smaller specimen (although as our daughter Robin says, bigger animals have more meat!) As I’ve said many times before, I classify animals into one of two categories pretty quickly: “shooter” or “not”. These categories are somewhat fluid and can be skewed by how empty our freezer may be, how hard I’ve worked, or how little time remains in a hunt or circumstances that led up to the shot opportunity.
My mind reverberated “SHOOTER!” the first time I saw my buck. For those that are curious I took some rough measurements of his headgear for reference purposes. I'm not into having it officially scored, nor am I an expert measurer. I don't want to slight the P&Y club in any way by claiming a P&Y score. I'm simply providing a rough ballpark score for reference purposes only.
I found the horns extremely difficult to measure due to the location of the prongs and the fact that mind didn't really have a specific location where I could identify where the prong swell began. Because both D2 & D3 basically fell within the prong area. My buck measures somewhere around 71-72-inches gross (I could care less about net) and I couldn’t be happier – praise God for Wyoming!
My name is Kyle, and 6 years ago I saw on bowsite where Mr. Allard posted that if anyone had 5 preference points and did NOT smoke he would be willing to take you on an antelope hunt in Wyoming. I immediatly thought to myself that would be amazing! However, there were two problems. I had 0 preference points and I smoked a pack a day. I PM'ed Mr. Allard and explained my desire to hunt with him and also my challenges to his unique and kind offer. He was incredibly sincere and kind in his response and to paraphrase he said " keep trying to quit, I hate smoking, it ruins peoples lives. Once you quit then I will take you." I put in for a Preference point the next day, and each year after that until this year. I tried hard to quit for years and eventually thought I would never be able to go with Mr. Allard. Last June (on the 10th to be be exact) I took my last puff on a smoke and bought my 5th preference point. All I could think about for the next 9 months was hunting an antelope in Wyoming and NOT smoking. I reviewed every BB thread and picture and story associated with the "Bowsite hunt" and told myself every day that if I stayed clean that I would be in wyoming in August. Then, I saw that Mr. Allard, due to challenges in his own life would no longer be doing the bowsite hunt. I felt so bad for him as I knew how much joy he got from these hunts and I prayed for him every day. I also knew what that meant for me. When May rolled around, I looked at my 5 points and thought what the heck, I might as well go on my own. Heck, I had successfully quit smoking and after all, Mr. Allard and his invitation are what made that happen. I drew a tag, drove 12 hours to Wyoming and shot the first Antelope I saw 15 minutes after the sun came up. Mr. Allard, you saved my life, my 3 little girls will hopefully have a dad for a long time because of you and I will never be able to express how greatful I am for that. I really wish I could have gone with you because this was the best bowsite antelope hunt I never went on.
All my best,
Kyle from New Mexico
I had the opportunity to hunt with Bill back in 2011. Even though I had the points and we talked on the phone for a couple years he said he would wait for me to apply until I was able to save up the funds to do a trip like this. I think he had sympathy for me because I am an educator, as is his wife.
First, I would like to say Bill is quite the comedian. When I told my family and friends I was hunting with a guy I met on the internet they asked if I was worried about that or scared because he may be a crazy person. I said no he must be a good guy because he is on bowsite. Having talked to him on the phone multiple times our conversations were cordial and generally to the point so I thought I knew who I was hunting with.
I flew into salt lake, rented a car and drove to Wyoming and Bill's camp. I arrived at camp at about 10:30 pm. When I arrived it was only Bill and his son Kody in his Toy Hauler trailer. We shook hands made a little small talk and then Bill asked me what I thought about porn? I immediately thought to myself, oh crap, what did I get myself into. Can't even remember what I said to Bill as I was thinking to myself how I was going to make a break from this bad situation. Bill then proceeds to show me some pictures on his phone of buck antelope that was just shot and taking his final breaths then another buck decided it was too tempting so he mounted and serviced the soon to be dead buck. Bill and Kody got quite the kick out of that.
I had a great time with Bill and Kody and only wish we could do it again. Bill is a special kind of person and I wish everyone had the opportunity to go on his hunt. I am still building points hoping to make it back to Wyoming in 2 or 3 years. Thanks for the memories Bill. Here is a video of the hunt. 17 yard shot with wasp jak-hammer and buck ran about 60 yards.
http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=8&threadid=401619&MESSAGES=41&FF=8#3282997
By the way if you listen real close in the video you can hear Bill telling me to shoot him in the chest. I believe the date was Oct 1, 2011 and the rut was on full display. Witnessing the antelope in rut mode was crazy and worth the admission price alone.
Here is a pic of Jeff's buck taken during my hunt in 2013
BB lit my fire for antelope and I am forever indebted to him. I hope to at least shake his hand again or in a perfect world, sit an antelope blind with him again.
I talked to Cody on the phone when I was there and we have shared a few PMs. He is very much like his father and was very congratulatory and interested in how I shot my buck.
Jeff, has turned into a long distance friend. We had breakfast when I was in Salt Lake and he went with me to his taxidermist. We keep in contact and will hopefully be able to do a hunt in the future. He has a whole brood of children and KY has free youth hunting so it will be a good match. :)
Here is the buck I shot in 2013. I was tightening my string to draw on another buck when Bill grabbed my leg to stop me and tell me to shoot this buck. At first it didn't stop me but I realized Bill was looking at a much better buck than I could see. The shot was close...maybe 14 yards or so and he was done quickly.
Wish we could have met, if I recall you arrived with wet weather moving in right after I left camp.
By the way, is BB OK? Some of the comments are making me nervous.