Other than bagging six pigs last several years (three this year) with a recurve, I have very limited hunting experience for big game. Recently retired, I am putting in much more time hunting. Last month I had a successful hunt in HawaiI and have a couple of Bowhunting Safari Consultants hunts booked this fall. One next month in Texas and just returned from an antelope hunt in Wyoming. This particular Wyoming ranch only books 10 bowhunters a year on their 16,000 acre ranch. Only three of us were traditional bow hunters. After 11 hour days sitting in a blind over water holes for four days, I was the only hunter that had not tagged out. I had missed at 14 yards on the second day at a nice buck with body mass greater than the one I eventually tagged. Buck fever caused me to shoot before I was ready. Beat myself up over it. But on the fifth and last day, I bagged a buck. Once again I was not great at the hunting kraft. The buck came in at an angle I had not anticipated and gave me only a small viewing window open that direction. So I adjusted by canting my bow way over, leaned way back, and WHAP! In spite of all my practice to the contrary, the top limb hit the blind. Took me a few moments to realize what happened. Surprisingly the does and my buck did not run away. Instead they walked cautiously in full view and looked around -- unsure what had happened. Took me another few moments to realize that my white fletched arrow was sticking straight up in the air like a flag pole out of his back. No idea how my arrow hit him at that angle as if I was shooting straight down from a tree. In addition to the arrow being high, it was too far back and with only 8 inches of penetration. Turns out it was lodged right up against his spine. Hence no wiggle. The buck calmly laid down 70 yards from my blind in full view. I waited him out over hour and a half. Outfitter and I decided to push him a little to test how much he was hurt and if his spine was nicked. Nope, not his spine. He ran a ways, but immediately laid down again. This time next to a corn field where I could gain some cover and stalk him. Got to 20 yards and was able to hit him again. He ran, but was done in. I had no idea that he was good for P&Y and maybe Boone and Crocket record books until the excited outfitter finished measuring. For those of you that know about points and care about this, my buck scored over 83 points. Outfitter said it is likely this will be within the top 25 antelope taken this year anywhere and by any means. What an adventure of highs and lows. The stuff that causes us all to get hooked!
P.S. I know many of you have hunted on the Lisco Ranch in Wyoming. They have been catering to bow hunters for 35 years. Good people and they really work for you. Jack Cassidy is the outfitter. I booked the hunt through Safari Consultants. I'll return next year. Most hunters tagged their antelope early and as most also had a deer tag, they had some great hunting from trees next to a river. Mostly white tails with some mule deer mixed in. Good size. I think it would be great if more traditional bowhunters booked for 2016. They only take 10 bowhunters a year. So their antelope and deer are absolutely not pressured.
Topic: first trad antelope (Read 3697 times)
