Finally getting around to writing up the adventure… The deer story will follow shortly.
My cousin and I split off from my dad and our family friend looking for deer and antelope. My cousin was up for shooting after my miss from the day before………
After about a 2 mile zig sagging walk into the area, we spotted a heard of 45 antelope about a ½ mile away in a bottom between 2 ridges. We sat for 20 minutes or so formulating a game plan and decided to split and try to get closer. My cousin split and went to the east to try and get closer for a shot as there were a couple nice bucks in the group. I went west with the hopes I could get out of site of them to cross the open bottom and sneak up behind a rock pile to get within range.
After an hour of walking I had crossed the bottom and was behind a small hill in the middle of the bottom. I finally saw my cousin through the spotter and out “signal” if we couldn’t get any closer was to waive our hat above our head. I saw him wave his hat at me so I knew I was good to try and get closer.
I started off by going around the left side of the hill to see if I could see them. Poked my head up and could only see 2 of the doe that were laying down. No shot. Next I went around the right side of the hill and could only see the back couple that were bedded down. No shot.
Option 3 was to go over the top and belly up through the rocks and get on them. I wasn’t sure how far they would be if I went over the top but it was the only option. I made it to the top and the heard had decided to start moving forcing me to crawl over the crest of the hill to get a clear shot above the vegetation… I found the buck I wanted and crawled into place. Once I could clearly see him I put my pack out front for a rest and settled in for a shot. In the process, I managed to put by elbow right in the middle of a small cactus.
Cactus thorns and all I settled in, lined up a shot and BOOM…. WACK! The buck dropped in his tracks and never moved.
This is my first antelope ever and he’s a nice one in my book. No B&C but was one of the most exciting hunts I have been on.
My cousin and I split off from my dad and our family friend looking for deer and antelope. My cousin was up for shooting after my miss from the day before………
After about a 2 mile zig sagging walk into the area, we spotted a heard of 45 antelope about a ½ mile away in a bottom between 2 ridges. We sat for 20 minutes or so formulating a game plan and decided to split and try to get closer. My cousin split and went to the east to try and get closer for a shot as there were a couple nice bucks in the group. I went west with the hopes I could get out of site of them to cross the open bottom and sneak up behind a rock pile to get within range.
After an hour of walking I had crossed the bottom and was behind a small hill in the middle of the bottom. I finally saw my cousin through the spotter and out “signal” if we couldn’t get any closer was to waive our hat above our head. I saw him wave his hat at me so I knew I was good to try and get closer.
I started off by going around the left side of the hill to see if I could see them. Poked my head up and could only see 2 of the doe that were laying down. No shot. Next I went around the right side of the hill and could only see the back couple that were bedded down. No shot.
Option 3 was to go over the top and belly up through the rocks and get on them. I wasn’t sure how far they would be if I went over the top but it was the only option. I made it to the top and the heard had decided to start moving forcing me to crawl over the crest of the hill to get a clear shot above the vegetation… I found the buck I wanted and crawled into place. Once I could clearly see him I put my pack out front for a rest and settled in for a shot. In the process, I managed to put by elbow right in the middle of a small cactus.
Cactus thorns and all I settled in, lined up a shot and BOOM…. WACK! The buck dropped in his tracks and never moved.
This is my first antelope ever and he’s a nice one in my book. No B&C but was one of the most exciting hunts I have been on.
