For the Ladies part 2

[wolfpup]

Part 2 of hunting season has us onto antelope…. I freaking love hunting antelope as it is a relaxed but intense hunt at the same time.

Application season and I put in the same code I have for 20 years and came up empty for me, my wife, and buddy. What the hell … how could none of us draw … check the statistics and actually go read the regs and my dumbass didn’t pay attention to the hunt code change… my bad. So I wasn’t the only one that did that because we were able to pick up 3 doe tags on the secondary draw. Game on.

Both our daughters had a volleyball game Saturday morning so we watched that then headed to hunting ground which is family land and friends land in Eastern CO. No access issues and am lucky to have it!

2:00 pre hunt pic

Literally 1 mile down the road and 200 yards out is doe 1 … my buddy is amped and in hindsight I should have told him to breath and relax .. they aren’t spook .. take your time … instead of saying someone probably should shoot that one… he hit a back leg low… she limps out of range and beds … ok off we go … the weed are so tall he can’t really shoot until he gets close … bumps her and she bed down… second time he gets close and has a lane and puts her down.

 

[wolfpup]

The rest of day one has a few blown stalks and a miss by my wife. My motto was suppose to be my wife shoots hers first, then I will pick up my gun…

Day 2 - we have a plan to get on this group out in the middle of some hay. There are big round bales that we thought we could play hopscotch to get close… well they had other plans because I dropped my wife at one area, my buddy at another and I went to the end so we surround them so to speak… they head straight to my buddy who already tagged…. Then circled and went by my wife at 300 with another clean miss. Ok back to the pickup but as I get to the pickup and head to pick up the others … the damn things run straight to me from like 800 yards out… I wait to 150 and let it fly. I must have been in shock because it was a clean miss on a rushed shot. Why I rushed I have no idea… wierd encounter the way the ran straight to me.

Later that day in another field we have the same plan… I’ll distract them while you sneak into range in a field of bales once again. I am literally trying to get parallel about 900 yard out so they head straight to my wife but for whatever reason this buck starts working this doe hard … and the dang thing worked her right to me and they stop 147 yards. Bang and flop. Now I will tell you I didn’t really look her over before I shot. I took the fast that this young buck was on her and she would be a great one … well i think she committed herself because she had ribs showing and was an old doe… she was rode hard and put up wet. I got her loaded and there were still does within range so we attempt to get my wife on them to no avail. An hour passed and it was hot.. I wanted shade so we went down to a pasture with trees for shade… I have never had rigor set in so fast and had an antelope this rank but the pictures look just awful but in the end… she eats just like the rest.

Almost embarrassed by how bad she looks… almost … she was stiff already and stunk… not gut shot or anything just antelope stink.

 

[wolfpup]

Now it was getting late in the afternoon and my wife wanted to leave no later than 5 to get back to get ready for the week/ school, etc. We could come back the following weekend if need be so no big deal.

Drove by field 1 with the bales and wouldn’t you know there are 3 does right in the middle again. Not spooked so we try the same tactic. Surround them and I’ll distract so my wife can close in… they read the script beautifully… my wife hustled bale to bale and I paralleled them keeping attention while my wife snuck to 200 yards from about 800 … they trotted straight by her closing the gap to 80 yards … they stopped and bang flop she tagged at 4:15 and the prettiest of all 3 for sure… quick quarter job and down the road we went… 5:00 departure.

 

[Chixfishing]

Great story and congratulations

 

[Raisin Bran]

You nailed the description on Antelope Hunting! Love it too. Great story and congrats!

 

[redfisher2]

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