Once I had the blind set up I took off to gas the truck and get a bite to eat. On the way back to camp with a few minutes of light left I drove by the blind, which was ~1100 yards off the road, to see if they had funneled back in. Sure enough I had 3-4 shooter bucks in range of the blind along with several does and fawns! Needless to say I was super pumped about the next morning.
That night the rain dumped again. This time I welcomed it as the wet ground would quiet my approach to the blind. The next morning I got up at 4am, had breakfast and a cup of joe and hurried to the blind. I parked the car by the road and by 4:50am I was set up and waiting. The second that light cracked I had a doe and small buck 10 yards from the blind. I was ecstatic that the plan to move the blind seemed to be a smart move and was possibly going to pay off. Throughout the first few hours of the morning several more small bucks and does trickled in and a shooter buck was 125 yards out on the horizon. Between 9-11am two more shooters made an appearance but hung up with the other buck. Around 11:30 I saw what looked like 5-6 antelope charging towards the blind. As they run by the other antelope 125 yards or so out I noticed that 3 coyotes were chasing them. Several other antelope came from my right and left and joined the others. They seemed to form up in a fashion similar to musk ox and the bucks took turns charging at the coyotes. It was super cool to watch this interaction. After a bit of back and forth the coyotes knew the game was up and went on their way. The group that the coyotes pushed in had 2 more shooter bucks. At this point I had 5 antelope around me that I'd sling carbon at in a heartbeat. I was watching 2 small bucks feeding at my 11 o'clock and about 100 yards out as they started to feed across the front of my blind to my 4 o'clock. As they walked by one of the shooters that had bedded stood up and joined them. This was going to happen!!!!
I had several land marks ranged and once I saw them heading to the 60 yard point I dialed in my sight, got on my knees and drew back when they were 5 yards from that point. The wind was gusting as it usually is in the Springs and since I was in the blind and couldn't feel it I didn't compensate. The buck was slightly quartered towards me and I aimed for the front of his shoulder and touched the release. The wind pushed the arrow about 3 inches left from where I aimed but the shot was still lethal. The Rage Slipcam blew right through him and left a massive entry/exit wound. He ran in 3 big circles and dropped. My CO antelope tag had been punched!
He has massive cutters and really nice hooks. I couldn't be happier with the outcome and to finally have a speed goat after all these years. The taxidermist should have him done next month!
Cheers!
-Eric
