alwayshunting
Active member
Hunter numbers were relatively low in the unit and I only saw a couple hunters during scouting. I knew that there was a risk with this buck spending so much time near a main road and on public land. My glassing point was ¾ of a mile directly up a spur road from where the other hunters parked. The other hunters parked within 100 yards of the bedded buck. While I thought about my options before I spoke with the other hunters I had made the decision to stand down with the other hunters parked in position to shoot the buck. What changed my mind was that the buck got up from his bed and walked about ¾ of a mile over and along a ridge. The others hunters parking location had them in position to make a shot come opener, but it also did not allow them to watch the buck being so close. They were unaware that the buck was no longer in his bed and was well out of view when I approached. This was confirmed when the other hunter did not want me to walk over the hill they were parked on when I left him as the buck would be spooked. In retrospect I would have been better of hiking in from another direction and come 11:00 I may have had the buck all to myself. Instead I lead the hunters to the buck. Again, I understand their actions and do not like to be involved with that type of competition for an animal while hunting.
The morning of day 2 had me looking for new bucks, since after my number 2 and 3 bucks the quality fell off quickly. I made a six mile loop in a new area north of where I had been looking. Just before I made it back to the truck I took a rest on a hillside. While there I spotted an antelope about 1.5 miles away. Right away I knew it was my number 2 buck. He had moved a couple miles from where I had last saw him. He had been a loaner and still had no does with him. I watched until he went out of view. I was not able to hike to him because there was land that I could not hunt between us.
I made a 15 mile drive to get to where I could access. I hiked in a little over a mile and was getting concerned as I was not seeing him even though it was mostly rolling hills. Then I saw the horns only a few hundred yards away. He was bedded under a tree in a shallow draw.
I backed out and moved in from another direction. He was bedded facing away from me. I waited a little over an hour seeing if he would stand and letting the afternoon temps start to fall. I moved in closer with him facing away. I set up at 240 yards and made a shot while he was still in his bed. He stood up and did a 180 and I put another shot into him. Both bullets found there mark through the lungs and he fell over back into his bed. I was extremely happy after all the ups and downs over the last few days. I boned out the meat and packed him back to the truck as the sun set.
I was able to pack up camp and make it home in time to see my wife and daughter before they went to bed.
The morning of day 2 had me looking for new bucks, since after my number 2 and 3 bucks the quality fell off quickly. I made a six mile loop in a new area north of where I had been looking. Just before I made it back to the truck I took a rest on a hillside. While there I spotted an antelope about 1.5 miles away. Right away I knew it was my number 2 buck. He had moved a couple miles from where I had last saw him. He had been a loaner and still had no does with him. I watched until he went out of view. I was not able to hike to him because there was land that I could not hunt between us.
I made a 15 mile drive to get to where I could access. I hiked in a little over a mile and was getting concerned as I was not seeing him even though it was mostly rolling hills. Then I saw the horns only a few hundred yards away. He was bedded under a tree in a shallow draw.
I backed out and moved in from another direction. He was bedded facing away from me. I waited a little over an hour seeing if he would stand and letting the afternoon temps start to fall. I moved in closer with him facing away. I set up at 240 yards and made a shot while he was still in his bed. He stood up and did a 180 and I put another shot into him. Both bullets found there mark through the lungs and he fell over back into his bed. I was extremely happy after all the ups and downs over the last few days. I boned out the meat and packed him back to the truck as the sun set.
I was able to pack up camp and make it home in time to see my wife and daughter before they went to bed.
