The Way West...a bowhunting journey.

[Charlie Lamb]

I want to extend a special thanks to Brian "Kojac"
Roness in Montana for sending us the pattern for our decoy.
That is the true spirit of Trad Gang and Brian is tops in my book for sure.

Soon I'm going to cut the decoy in half and add hinges to make it more portable.

Initial exposure to a nearby buck showed him being VERY interested in the decoy and showing territorial behavior.

As the rut heats up and with a slightly closer approach I think we'll be able to suck him right in for a shot.

This particular buck hangs near good stalking cover. The problem has been that to complete a stalk and get withing shooting distance we'd have to somehow sneek right through the middle of his does and I doubt that's gonna work.

With the rut, we should be able to pull him away from his does and send an arrow his way.

[Charlie Lamb]

We're still checking the post office everyday to see if my Bison Gear pack has arrived yet. It's getting tense and I'm not sure what I'll do when it's time to head up Oregon way.

Vance promised me he'd show me his super snowshoe rabbit honey hole today. I'll report on that when we get back... season opens for them Friday just like the local elk season.  

[Charlie Lamb]

Curtis... no "appendages" on this decoy. We figure the bucks will respond better to a "sissy boy" than some stud buck decoy.  :D

[Firstarrow]

oh so that's why he's got little horns.

  :D  

I'm green with envey, you all are having more fun than ya ought to. Thanks for sharing with us.

I just can't wait to get after elk again tonight.
Only been into them once since season started and no shot opportunities for me (Bulls were sparing) but I will take the first yearling cow that gives me the shot.

I'll check back in tomorrow!!!

Thanks for the pics and story telling.

[Brian Halbleib]

Great to be home and caught up on the adventure here. Thanks guys. The decoy with the natural wood color looks best. Nice work!

-Brian
 www.bowyersjournal.com

[Marvin M.]

I agree.  Natural wood looks closer to the original and it's more traditional too!  :D

[Jumper]

Keep it coming guys! This is fueling the fire for our hunting trip that starts next weekend! More pictures please   :D

[TXRED]

Kudos to Vance,Kojac..oh yeah,you ,too Charlie!Those dekes look good 'nuff to shoot at!While I agree that the bare wood looks best to us humanoid types,I really don't think the goats are gonna care one way or the other.It'd be interesting to see if one piques their curiosity more than the tuther,though.Y'all just keep on keepin' on,ya still gots my attention!  

[hormoan]

Nice,and great work on the decoy's, and you still have all your fingers! (RIGHT?)

May the Goddess Diana be with you and look over you both. ( Remember she is also the protector of children!)

Thanks again, I check for updates all the time, and look forward to the next.

This is really making me miss Wyoming, its been 5 years since I've been out there hunting. There is nothing like those rolling hills. And the smell of the sage brush in the morning.

Good luck guys, we all envie you both.

                     Brent

[ironrhino]

just a thought about the decoy... would it be worth hitting it with a couple coats of matte poly spray paint... cause what happens if that thing gets wet???


and for the record... this thread is giving me hope that one day after i'm out of college a few years maybe i to can roam the west... and ask myself

"Is this what its like to be Charlie Lamb?"

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Still following along and still loving it. Thanks again for taking the time to invite us along on your hunt.  

[kojac]

those decoys look great        

I'm sure you will have a buck come run you off but the problem will be if he comes closer than 50-75yrds before he turns to get the wind on ya.

If both of ya can go, have a shooter in a gille-suit down-wind 25-30yrds (just like a elk calling set-up)these goats like to come into 70yrds or so than circle down wind before they come all the way and also try to stay out of site until your under 100yrds or so than set the decoy up and hopefully the herd buck will try to run ya off and you can poke'em with cupids arrow.

also don't be surprized if the antelope run off 90% of the time just dog'em and beat the old boy down if ya can.

good luck

[JC]

I was talking to them yesterday and Vance hollers to Charlie "Tell JC what you see out the window". Charlie says "mmmmmm, not much just 1,2,3,4,5.....23 antelope. The nearest one is a bit far off...maybe 50 yards." I know Charlie is chewing his lip off not having antelope tags.

[Roughcountry]

Charlie, feel free to have your pack sent here if time gets to close.
If all else fails and it don't get here in time, I had my bride save a couple feed sacks, it would match that bush your wearing better anyhow.  :D  

Good luck with the decoys, I've been glued in watchin the blow by blow  

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Question: I never hunted lopes so when do they have their RUT/BREEDING season?

[Nate Fikkert]

Charlie,

Heading to camp tommorrow after work, hope to see you sometime this weekend.  I would say your welcome to the campfire but I saw they just put in a fire ban for the whole Bridger-Teton NF.  Will have to sit around the lantern.

Nathan

[Guru]

enjoying every minute of it boys!!!  I talked to your "third party" the other day,he's a bit excited!!

Continued good luck guys!!!

[Charlie Lamb]

6:30 a.m. and the temperature is/was 25 degrees. (good morning CK  :D  ) Sky is a clear azure blue and the sun is still climbing the east side of the rockies for a peek at God's country.

Our third party arrived yesterday in a cloud of dust and smoke reeling off the rental car tires from a world record trip to the ranch.

We immediately got him in his cammies and after a short broadhead sharpening session had him on his way toward a VERY nice antelope buck.

Will I be blowing it if I say it was almost perfect?  

[vermonster13]

You are such a tease Charlie! LOL

[Charlie Lamb]

Well, not an intentional tease... maybe just a little.

I had a ringside seat for an excellent stalk. The buck had been spotted at a distance moving toward a line of willows.
Our stalker moved quickly into position as the doe the buck was following moved past. In my mind it was all over but the shoutin.

The buck, a nice 14 incher, moved slowly forward. As I watched through the 30 power spotting scope, the distance between shooter and antelope was compressed... as it usually will be.

Vance and I thought that any moment a chartreuse fletched shaft would arc across the short space and end the hunt almost before it had begun.

We waited and waited, but no yellow streak came and no startled reaction to a shot from the buck.

At last the buck turned to face our hunter and we figured the jig was up... and in fact it was.

In time we'd meet our nimrod and get the whole story.
What had seemed like a slam dunk close shot of 10 or 15 yards through the scope was in fact more like 30 for the shooter.

The wind, which was all wrong, was blowing the willow cover almost flat. Gusting hard from hunter to quarry. It's a good thing that antelope don't depend on their noses like a whitetail... though in that wind it would have been tough for even a wiley old whitetail buck to sort things out.

So in the end we had a stand off with the buck. Heavy, gusty winds, coupled with a quartering on angle and long shot distance made for a no win situation and our hunter wisely passed on the shot.

A late evening ride showed us more antelope... duh and as we got back up in the mountains, we saw our first moose of the trip... a paddle horn bull.

We closed out the evening at the lodge with a cold Tecate and a few heated hunting stories.