The Way West...a bowhunting journey.

[Marvin M.]

We've been faithful followers of this thread all along, even when it was slow, and now when it looks like something is going to happen, Charlie clams up on us!!!!  Makes you want to pack up and head for Wyoming just to see what happened!

[DarkeGreen]

Heck they're prolly put'n the back straps on the grill about now.

[Charlie Lamb]

Ok, enough suspense. The hunters are home from the hill (poetic license)  :D  

This played out like a suspense novel and it's been just as hard for me waiting for the conclusion as it has been all of you.

In the end an unseen doe came ambling in from the exact wrong direction and the anticipated target went on his merry way.

That's about 4 hours of anticipation for our hunter.

The buck, who had been heading for a meeting with his maker had spotted another band of does entering the meadow... seems a coyote was harrassing them and that's why they showed up.

Once in the field Vance's mule, who takes a dim veiw of coyotes and wolves (yep, we've got those too), ran the dog off and the does settled right down, but in a bad position for our hunter.

Since it looked as if it was going to unravel quickly, Vance took the bull (decoy) by the horns and ghillied up.

Soon he had rendesvoused with our third member and a new plan commenced.

The rest was a waiting game and in the end it was like so many other stalks.

There's more goats out there and we mean to get us one... stay tuned. The day is young.

(we've got pics to post a little later)

[Marvin M.]

This played out like a suspense novel and it's been just as hard for me waiting for the conclusion as it has been all of you.
 

It's not the same.  You are on a hillside in Wyoming.  I'm in an office in Kentucky -- working (sort of)!!!

Want to trade?

[Marvin M.]

By the way, thanks for sharing with us less fortunate folks.

[JC]

Okay, ya'll ought to be draggin by this time....give us an update.....BEFORE you squeeze the lime!  

[Guru]

OOOHHH YEEEAAA!!!

[Charlie Lamb]

My butt is draggin tonight and I'm not the one doing all the low crawlin.

We looked over several BIG bands of antelope today trying to find just the right buck in just the right place.

It looked like we'd found that in one herd at the base of a high hill. As we moved into position to begin the stalk they busted us and lit out for higher and safer ground.

Blasting around behind the hill we took a gamble that we could cut them off... it almost worked!
We had our choice of draws to ambush in and of course the goats chose the one we didn't.

After cruising some new country looking for stalkable goats or at least an overlooked waterhole, and finding neither, we were back on home turf for the last blinding rays of the setting sun and a final go at the meadow goats.

It almost worked! Our bowman got seriously friendly with sagebrush and sandy soil in an attempt to close the distance.

He simply ran out of time. At sixty yards the dandy buck left the field, followed by the rest of the herd, passing within 15 yards of a ditch crossing I'd deemed "unfit".
Don't ya just love it.    (I think I'll be using that Graemlin a lot in the next few days)  :D  

The last dying rays of light were snuffed out by the spreading cold of evening and I pulled on a jacket before heading back to the cabin for a late, but much needed supper.

The pictures of the day are in the works and I hope to have them up before long.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Tanks Charlie....Great Update, to bad no lopes where downed... Better luck Tomorrow

[JC]

Lopes on the ground or not, sounds like the time of a feller's life. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest just thinking about the adrenaline rush of spot and stalk in that beautiful country.  

[**DONOTDELETE**]

true JC, but it would be nice to see/hear about one of them Tagging out....

[Charlie Lamb]

Well, it got COLD last night! Around 20 degrees as best my blurry eyes could tell as I walked past the thermometer this morning. Brrrrrrrrr!

Got a few pics to share... file uploader finally working this morning.

Here's one of how the day starts every day.
 

[Charlie Lamb]

Then a few warm up shots just in case.
(note arrow leaving bow)  

[Marty B]

If you guys would like a solid tip that will help you take advantage of a little known facet of antelope behavior that will  you a 95% chance at getting a shot send me a pm and I'll hook you up. It will work perfectly with your gillie's, and if you can shoot straight it will have your buck on the ground the very next time you take a run at them.

Signed: a frustrated observer

[Charlie Lamb]

Snapped this one of hunter and game early in the stalk. The animals in the upper right of the picture were not the ones being stalked and were oblivious to the hunter.
 

[Charlie Lamb]

This one is Vance Ghillied up and heading to help with the decoy.  

[Charlie Lamb]

In the end this is what we were trying to accomplish, although the antelope buck is much further than he appears in the photo.  

[JC]

Ohhhhhhhhh! Ya'll are having too much fun....  

[tradtusker]

what an adventure!

[DarkeGreen]

This is the best thread I've seen in my life of world wide web travels!