BigCountry71
Well-Known Member
I�m better in telling a story than typing one so here it goes. I know I will probably leave a bunch out and I�m sorry for that..
We landed in Denver last Thursday around noon. We were greeted by our new friend and owner of Kiowa Creek Outfitters, Dan Ardrey. From the time we meet it was like we have been friends all our life. After loading up our gear and grabbing some lunch. We went by the local hardware store to get our license.
The towns were small and simple. No one was a stranger. The weather was perfect for some antelope hunting. High around 85 and had been dry for months. Well over night that all changed. We awoke to the surprise of a cool front that had brought some rain. Three inches of rain with the high of 45 for the next three days. To say our hearts sank is a under statement.
Day 1 of the hunt��..
After waking up to thunder storms and cool weather, we still gave it a run for our money. We started off doing some spot and stalking with little luck if any. We were seeing a lot of bucks. But they were not in a position to really make a good stalk.
Day 2���..
Day two wasn�t any better. Same conditions as the day before. But we decided to set up on an escape route while doing a spot and stalk. Just in case the antelope busted the hunter. I go and set up a ground blind on the escape route we have seen the antelope use. The group that we were stalking had 12 does and one buck that would make P&Y.
As my friend Rocky started his stalk. The wind changed as he got within 80yrds of the heard. Off they went. I had put out a decoy in hopes of getting them to slow down enough for me to get a shot.
The head doe came in a saw the decoy a put her brakes on like a woman seeing a yard sale. As soon as she cut my way.The buck busted in to cut her off. I got my range finder on him and saw he was 53 yards.
As soon as my pin settled behind his shoulder I was thinking to myself... Oh yeah! This is it. Well as soon as I let the arrow fly. Reality slapped me in the face. Another doe was making her way to the decoy, and he made a move to cut her off. Which in return made my arrow miss its mark? Clean miss on the P&Y goat.
Day 3��.
We pretty much did the same thing. As one hunter stalked the other sat up on escape routes. Let me tell you the terrain we were using wasn�t the best for spot and stalking. We worked hard to tag a good 16inch buck. But he had one smart doe that was saving his life. The closest he got was 70 yards. This joker would have made B&C. He was a beautiful antelope.
Day 4�����
Finally! Sunny weather. But there had been so much rain there was water holes every where. I started this morning off in a blind where I had seen 8 bucks the evening before. At first day light I see a buck working a ridge. He stayed around for about an hour then eased off. Never offering a shot.
As noon arrived we went to grab some lunch and try to get a game plan together. We have thrown everything along with the kitchen sink at these antelope with not having any luck.
After lunch we went back to the ranch where I missed the buck a few days earlier. On the way in we saw the land owner. He informed us of three nice bucks he had seen in the back pasture while gathering his cattle. As we approached the field we saw a nice buck bedded down. The stalk was on.
We got to within 100 yards of this buck and he busted us. Our hearts sank. We watched him as he left. And right away we knew the way he was going and the escape route he was going to use.
We had little time to get set up. No more than we got there he showed up. Again out of range.
We meet back at the truck with our heads down. We only had two more hours of light left and our hunt was over and we would be on the plane back home. While we were sitting there trying to figure out to give it another run or just go back to the house and get packed. I looked down to the blind I set up in that morning and there was a lone buck feeding. He was about a mile away but was setup for a perfect stalk.
While going back and forth on putting a stalk on this buck or not we saw another one in the distance. I said. �You can�t kill them on the couch� We decided to go after both of them. I went after the one that was by the blind. I knew this was going to be a long stalk but it could work. We didn�t waste any time.
We got within 120 yards of the buck and he started to go away from us. I asked Dan. �What do you want to do?� He said lets just sit here and see what he does.
After a few minutes Dan knew where this antelope was going. We belly crawled backwards and went paralel with the goat to get in front of him. We eased up on a hill and there he was feeding 150 yards away.
Dan looked at me and winked. He knew where the buck was going. After our last position change we were dead even with the buck and only 48 yards away. Dan pointed in the direction the buck was going to be. As soon as I saw the tips of his horns I drew back. There he stood 39 yards away. One shot busting thru both shoulders and double lunged him. He only went 70 yards after the shot. And I had my first antelope. I didn�t realize how hard it would be to put a spot and stalk on one of these animals and get within bow range. To say it was a chess match is a understatement. What a awesome experience.
Here he is. He was a little shy of making P&Y. I rough scored him at 63 inches.
One from my cellphone....
Over my left shoulder where the rocks are. The little swag was where he was standing when i shot him. I was on the back side of the hill
We landed in Denver last Thursday around noon. We were greeted by our new friend and owner of Kiowa Creek Outfitters, Dan Ardrey. From the time we meet it was like we have been friends all our life. After loading up our gear and grabbing some lunch. We went by the local hardware store to get our license.
The towns were small and simple. No one was a stranger. The weather was perfect for some antelope hunting. High around 85 and had been dry for months. Well over night that all changed. We awoke to the surprise of a cool front that had brought some rain. Three inches of rain with the high of 45 for the next three days. To say our hearts sank is a under statement.
Day 1 of the hunt��..
After waking up to thunder storms and cool weather, we still gave it a run for our money. We started off doing some spot and stalking with little luck if any. We were seeing a lot of bucks. But they were not in a position to really make a good stalk.
Day 2���..
Day two wasn�t any better. Same conditions as the day before. But we decided to set up on an escape route while doing a spot and stalk. Just in case the antelope busted the hunter. I go and set up a ground blind on the escape route we have seen the antelope use. The group that we were stalking had 12 does and one buck that would make P&Y.
As my friend Rocky started his stalk. The wind changed as he got within 80yrds of the heard. Off they went. I had put out a decoy in hopes of getting them to slow down enough for me to get a shot.
The head doe came in a saw the decoy a put her brakes on like a woman seeing a yard sale. As soon as she cut my way.The buck busted in to cut her off. I got my range finder on him and saw he was 53 yards.
As soon as my pin settled behind his shoulder I was thinking to myself... Oh yeah! This is it. Well as soon as I let the arrow fly. Reality slapped me in the face. Another doe was making her way to the decoy, and he made a move to cut her off. Which in return made my arrow miss its mark? Clean miss on the P&Y goat.
Day 3��.
We pretty much did the same thing. As one hunter stalked the other sat up on escape routes. Let me tell you the terrain we were using wasn�t the best for spot and stalking. We worked hard to tag a good 16inch buck. But he had one smart doe that was saving his life. The closest he got was 70 yards. This joker would have made B&C. He was a beautiful antelope.
Day 4�����
Finally! Sunny weather. But there had been so much rain there was water holes every where. I started this morning off in a blind where I had seen 8 bucks the evening before. At first day light I see a buck working a ridge. He stayed around for about an hour then eased off. Never offering a shot.
As noon arrived we went to grab some lunch and try to get a game plan together. We have thrown everything along with the kitchen sink at these antelope with not having any luck.
After lunch we went back to the ranch where I missed the buck a few days earlier. On the way in we saw the land owner. He informed us of three nice bucks he had seen in the back pasture while gathering his cattle. As we approached the field we saw a nice buck bedded down. The stalk was on.
We got to within 100 yards of this buck and he busted us. Our hearts sank. We watched him as he left. And right away we knew the way he was going and the escape route he was going to use.
We had little time to get set up. No more than we got there he showed up. Again out of range.
We meet back at the truck with our heads down. We only had two more hours of light left and our hunt was over and we would be on the plane back home. While we were sitting there trying to figure out to give it another run or just go back to the house and get packed. I looked down to the blind I set up in that morning and there was a lone buck feeding. He was about a mile away but was setup for a perfect stalk.
While going back and forth on putting a stalk on this buck or not we saw another one in the distance. I said. �You can�t kill them on the couch� We decided to go after both of them. I went after the one that was by the blind. I knew this was going to be a long stalk but it could work. We didn�t waste any time.
We got within 120 yards of the buck and he started to go away from us. I asked Dan. �What do you want to do?� He said lets just sit here and see what he does.
After a few minutes Dan knew where this antelope was going. We belly crawled backwards and went paralel with the goat to get in front of him. We eased up on a hill and there he was feeding 150 yards away.
Dan looked at me and winked. He knew where the buck was going. After our last position change we were dead even with the buck and only 48 yards away. Dan pointed in the direction the buck was going to be. As soon as I saw the tips of his horns I drew back. There he stood 39 yards away. One shot busting thru both shoulders and double lunged him. He only went 70 yards after the shot. And I had my first antelope. I didn�t realize how hard it would be to put a spot and stalk on one of these animals and get within bow range. To say it was a chess match is a understatement. What a awesome experience.
Here he is. He was a little shy of making P&Y. I rough scored him at 63 inches.
One from my cellphone....
Over my left shoulder where the rocks are. The little swag was where he was standing when i shot him. I was on the back side of the hill
