It’s been a tough fall for chasing my favorite western critter, the Antelope. I prefer spot and stalking these guys but it’s been very hot and dry turning everything you step on or crawl thru crunchy. Goats rely mostly on their incredible eyesight but certainly get suspicious of what sounds like a 165 pound baby elephant coming their way…
Anyway I did get a few stalks in and got real close on some good bucks but just never connected. With the season winding down I figured I’d better get serious about filling a tag if we wanted Antelope in the freezer this winter.
On this day it was another hot dry one with very little wind so I elected to sit on a spot where the goats water in the river. I’m too claustrophobic for blind sitting so usually strap a short ladder stand into one of the willow or hawthorn bushes along the river. The rut was winding down so there were a few desperate bucks running around looking for those last “hot” does. After a couple hours this guy came in for a quick drink…
He pretty much ran right to the bank and plunged his muzzle into the river. At 12 steps that bare area just behind his shoulder was calling for my arrow then a nice three blade cut appeared as the arrow passed thru and stuck in the mud beyond him. He started like he’d been skeeter bit then went right back to drinking like nothing happened. I’ve shot a lot of critters but had never seen one react like this. He just kept drinking while blood pumped out into the grass under him. It was obvious the hit was lethal but I still almost sent another arrow then he slowly started tipping over onto his nose into the 12” deep water. He laid there with his head underwater then I think realized he was drowning and went to flopping. He was 15’ out into the river before he finally succumbed to the lack of blood to his brain. Pretty amazing what a well placed arrow will do and how some critters react.
Topic: 2016 Speed Goat (Read 5707 times)
