Ajax2744
Well-known member
Well my wife decided 2 years ago she wanted to try hunting with her bow. She tagged along on an archery elk hunt and while it was fun for her to see and hear big bulls bugling in her face, it was a little daunting for her to try to take a animal as big as an elk for her first hunt. So I tried to convince her to do a rifle deer or antelope hunt but she said nope, she wanted to use her bow even if it meant she wouldn't fill her tag. Well she drew an archery buck tag for the Pawnee grasslands in eastern CO. Luckily we live within 30 minutes and I was able to go and scout during my free time in July and early august. I found an area that had good sections of public land that was holding a good number of bucks. The only problem...there was NO cover and hardly any breaks in the landscape to make good stalks. Basically any buck I found was in large flat basins that had ankle high grass for cover. Needless to say we were in for a little bit more of a challenge than we first anticipated. And archery antelope is already challenging enough ha!
The past couple weekends we were able to make a couple stalks and get within 100 yards but we would always run out of cover or terrain and would get busted.
Well yesterday evening after a quick hunt I remembered watching an episode of OYOA when @bigfin used a cow decoy to get closer to some antelope. So we made a quick run into sportsman's we bought a big red cow decoy.
So this morning we were driving and glassing for antelope when I spotted a buck about a mile away bedded on a hillside. Finally! There was enough of a hill to hide us as we made a stalk. The wind was perfect so we parked a mile down the road and started hiking. Luckily I had a pretty good idea of where he was as long as he didn't get spooked. Well we crested the hill hiding behind the cow as he looked up. He stood up and snort wheezed and ran. I thought we were screwed until he stopped after only 25 yards and looked at us. Then he just called down and started feeding. So we just started walking toward him. He slowly fed away from us but we were able to close the distance. We were able to get within Mikaelas comfortable shooting distance, I ranges for her, she drew and she hit. Instantly I saw blood and knew it was a pretty good hit but maybe a hair back. He ran 50 yards and bedded. We were able to sneak to 25 yards and she put a second arrow in him and within seconds he was done. It was pretty emotional and one heck of a way to get your first big game animal, spot and stalk with a bow no less. So yeah, my wife is pretty awesome.
The past couple weekends we were able to make a couple stalks and get within 100 yards but we would always run out of cover or terrain and would get busted.
Well yesterday evening after a quick hunt I remembered watching an episode of OYOA when @bigfin used a cow decoy to get closer to some antelope. So we made a quick run into sportsman's we bought a big red cow decoy.
So this morning we were driving and glassing for antelope when I spotted a buck about a mile away bedded on a hillside. Finally! There was enough of a hill to hide us as we made a stalk. The wind was perfect so we parked a mile down the road and started hiking. Luckily I had a pretty good idea of where he was as long as he didn't get spooked. Well we crested the hill hiding behind the cow as he looked up. He stood up and snort wheezed and ran. I thought we were screwed until he stopped after only 25 yards and looked at us. Then he just called down and started feeding. So we just started walking toward him. He slowly fed away from us but we were able to close the distance. We were able to get within Mikaelas comfortable shooting distance, I ranges for her, she drew and she hit. Instantly I saw blood and knew it was a pretty good hit but maybe a hair back. He ran 50 yards and bedded. We were able to sneak to 25 yards and she put a second arrow in him and within seconds he was done. It was pretty emotional and one heck of a way to get your first big game animal, spot and stalk with a bow no less. So yeah, my wife is pretty awesome.
