New Mexico Archery Pronghorn - 2009

[mtmiller]

I have had the best luck with keeping my windows as closed as possible. I know you have to video, but it would keep my shooting windows pretty tight. Where I hunt it has never been a problem to open the shooting window while they are drinking. Never been busted while their head is down and you will have plenty of time to get your shot.

Good luck on the ones coming in.

 

[JoseCuervo]

I have had the best luck with keeping my windows as closed as possible. I know you have to video, but it would keep my shooting windows pretty tight. Where I hunt it has never been a problem to open the shooting window while they are drinking. Never been busted while their head is down and you will have plenty of time to get your shot.

Good luck on the ones coming in.

On Your Own???? With a little real-time long distance advice from somebody 4 states and 1500 miles away...... LMAO........

Technology is pretty interesting.... :W:

 

[IdahoBugler]

Miller thanks for the advice and I think its a good one. We have the matrix type blind and it is wide open. Wasn't a problem yesterday but today it seems to be. Lots of goats came in but none of them came to water. One buck went around our blind twice and then left. The other herd of 5 does definitely winded us and boogered but not after we could have shot them at 40 yards.

The buck I mentioned above was part of the 5 bucks we had coming in. Of course him as the smallest was the one that came in but only to 60 yards. The other ones in the original group of five, two shooters bedded down 600 yards away. They were later joined by another shooter. I'm guessing the three were in the 77-80" range. When the last group of does busted off they kind of didn't like it and got up and feed off. I think one of the problems we are having is we placed two antelope decoys just behind the blind. The lopes are staring at them big time. The herd of 5 does got within 5 yards and kept stomping at them. Needless to say we are done with those guys. We might stick a cow decoy in front of the blinds bedded to hopefully distract them a little.

We are at camp now. Fin and the camera guy are taking a nap. I'm going to shoot a little bit then probably go and check the other game camera on the fence crossing.

The plan tonight is to spot and stalk the big herds of antelope in the NW part of the area we are hunting. Our plan is to either shoot one or hopefully get them moved back to the area around our blind.

Here are some pics of the small buck that came in. I wish the other bucks came in though.

 

[Buschy]

IB,

Thanks for the updates and good luck tonight!

 

[Southwind]

I love this! This is the first year I have not hunted lope in the past 6 years so this is kind of a fix for me.

I love lope huntin!

 

[Big Fin]

Wow, I needed that water to re-hydrate. I can't believe how much water it takes to stay hydrated in those blinds. I didn't do a good job of that this morning, and when we got back here for lunch, I was like a water buff. Then, I passed out, until such time I decided I needed to get up, or fill my cot with all that water.

Bugler and the camera guys commented on how poorly I was looking, so I think they decided to come in early, without telling me the real reason. I intend to be more attentive from here on out. Still feel exhausted, even with a nap and a few gallons of water.

Good news about this heat, is that we went and checked the water in the ditch this afternoon. What had been a half acre two-inch sheet of water, has dried up to about 200 square feet of water, with one deep spot, but they have to slog through the mud and gumbo to get to it. If this weather continues, that watering spot will be gone, and the spot with our blind will have most the remaining water in this part of the unit. And, we will be there. We will be there, and Hell will be with us (at least for the pronghorn).

Really getting frustrated by this process. We have now narrowed down the 1,000 square mile unit, to probably three or four square miles. Just need a break or two. Not sure what more we could do differently. Would have given anything, for an extra day for scouting. With that, we probably could have dialed in a tighter pattern before opening day.

Time to get loaded and ready for the afternoon hunt. I hate to ask for anyone's spare luck, but it looks like we might need it on this one.

I am afraid Bugler is holding out for 80"+, which is great, but not being the archery expert that he is, by tomorrow, my quiver might be short an arrow or two, for the first decent buck that drops in for a visit.

 

[csutton7]

come on Big Fin don't be outdone by da booooogggllller--I have faith in ya--hold out for a 90" and let the little ones grow up....chris

 

[schmalts]

Guys, try and tie as many pieces of scrub, sage, flowers, whatever to the edges of the blinds to break the outlines a little bit. It can't hurt, and it really does make a noticable difference in the way it looks.
I assume your blinds have tie strings on them?

 

[MN Public Hunter]

I love technology...Now I really want to go hunting! Good luck guys.

 

[Baerman]

This is great. Makes me feel like i'm on the hunt with you guys. Good luck, I have a feeling the next 24 hours will be going your way.

 

[schmalts]

This is great. Makes me feel like i'm on the hunt with you guys. Good luck, I have a feeling the next 24 hours will be going your way.

You can do the same with me this weekend. Here is what you do: Saturday morning about 10 minutes after sunrise Mountain time, crack a cold beer open. That is what I will be doing to celebrate a dead lope and you can drink one with me

 

[Oak]

Hope you guys kill something soon! Sounds like you've about got it figured out.

You can do the same with me this weekend. Here is what you do: Saturday morning about 10 minutes after sunrise Mountain time, crack a cold beer open. That is what I will be doing to celebrate a dead lope and you can drink one with me

Drinking beer is no way to get in shape for elk hunting.

I haven't had one since the first of May.

 

[schmalts]

Drinking beer is no way to get in shape for elk hunting.

I haven't had one since the first of May.

What the hell You gotta change that right now mister.
BTW, Miller drinks a 6 pack before he goes hunting sheep, says they score better that way. I am not sure how to take that though

 

[IdahoBugler]

I'll start from this afternoon. While everyone was taking a nap I decided to head out and check our game camera at the fence crossing. When I walked up to the camera I saw we had 33 pictures. I quickly downloaded the pics and got out of there. I headed out to find a skull that we had seen on opening day. The camera guy wanted to do a walk by one evening with the skull in the background. I was able to find the skull and also found the old sheaths from the skull. Spitz will remember the skull. Sorry guys no pics. I will when we do the walk by and don't worry I won't pick it up.

Here are a couple pics off of the camera.





On the way back from the game camera guess what I see on the road.you guessed it a very nice buck. I pulled up beside the buck as he feed right to me at 53 yards. It would have been so easy to shoot that buck. Here are a few pics of the buck. Notice I zoomed out so you could see the truck mirror.



We had decided to some spot and stalk some more for video purpose but never really go anywhere with it. It has been tough going for spot and stalk. We did notice a ton of antelope right by our blind on two separate occasions. Go figure.

Sorry guys nothing special for pics. More from the blind tomorrow.

 

[Muley Crazy]

Hey ID Bugler, that buck that was feeding by the truck looks to have blood or a lot of dirt on his chest ??

 

[Big Fin]

Wish I was posting pics of a big dead antelope. I really wanted to go check out some spots where antelope we bunching up. My theory was that we might get a shot by stalking in there, or if worst, we push them out of there, across to the other public land, where our blind is sitting on a waterhole. I seem to have succeeded on the pushing them out task, but the getting a shot idea went south in a hurry.

Seemed like the antelope had their signals crossed on the invitation to our blind. We told them 7:00 am. Only a few showed up for that engagement. But at 7:00 pm, it was standing room only at the waterhole by our blind. And where were we? About a mile away, stalking a band of antelope who have drones that look like hummingbirds and they use them to alert these sleeping antelope that hunters are nearby. Even when downwind and out of sight, these hummingbird drones alert the antelope to our presence.

OK, so maybe I am too close to Roswell, the UFO sites, and other conspiracy related synergies. I have never seen so many hummingbirds, and I have never seen antelope so capable of detecting you when there is no scent or sight of your presence. So, I am building my own conspiracy that the antelope and hummingbirds are in cahoots, and conspiring against the antelope hunters of the world. Man, as I read this, I think I better get to bed early, as this kind of theory could get me a quick trip to the nuthouse.

I am not big on guarantees, but I guarantee a dead antelope tomorrow. Yup, you heard it hear first. (Now I have demonstrated that I really do need more rest.)

More in the morning.

 

[AZRED]

Boy there are definately some monsters there! I am sure your name will be on one of them!!!!

 

[rosco]

your water hole just needs a few days to cool off after all the activity of the other hunters. should be GTG now!

 

[TheTone]

Its been great checking in on this every day, thanks you guys. If nothing else there seems to be a ton of antelope in the general area you are hunting. Making me pretty pumped up to get out myself.

 

[Baerman]

You can do the same with me this weekend. Here is what you do: Saturday morning about 10 minutes after sunrise Mountain time, crack a cold beer open. That is what I will be doing to celebrate a dead lope and you can drink one with me

Sweet! Sounds like we will be celebrating the same thing at the same time.