Operation Antelope Quest: under the cover of darkness

  The second week of archery antelope went alot like the first.  Lots of marginal bucks with large groups of does.  Saw a few single larger cruisers but still no "Wow" bucks, other than a couple of mulies.  I am guessing that I wont see them again, unless it is the day before deer season but at least it was nice to see them once.  Especially since it was somewhat close to a spot I hunt frequently.  I had the chance to watch them for a few minutes through a scope. Even at about 450 yards the buck on the right was  real hesitant to even move. He may have only turned his head 3 or 4 times in the time span I watched him.  What a treat. This shot was taken with a cellphone through the spotting scope.  Hence  the not so great quality.

Antelope can see well and run real fast, so they prefer wide open terrain.  The prarie although it looks very flat, does have rolls and folds to it that a bowhunter can use to his advantage.  My plan early one morning this week was to move, under the cover of darkness, into some hay bails to await first light.  However, I was about 120 yards from the bails when I stopped to glass in the dark one last time, about 15-20 minutes before legal light.  I quickly spotted a lone antelope buck moving right to left at about 100 yards or so.  A great sight to see, but he had somewhere to go and walked within about 20 feet or so of the hay bails I was hoping to be in. Was I late? Was he early? Would he have come through before light anyway??? Its all about timing. Killer.

I blew one more stalk later that morning on a group of about 25 does with one buck.  Good mass, not real tall, and absolutely nothing for prongs.  When I first caught a glimpse of the herd they were strung out, quartering away from about 125-350 yards to the lead doe.  After waiting for them to clear view, my partners and I jogged across the prarie to cut the distance down somewhat, only to be busted by two does  who came out of the depresion earlier and further away than expected.    I tried to crawl downhill out of view to try and cut the distance again, but made it about 10 feet before the group got nervous and spooked.  Antelope 6  me 0.   Patience, Patience, Patience.  

Saw a little 3 year old black bear cross the road later that day at almost one in the afternoon, still gives me hope that weird stuff does happen.  You never know, one of these days, an antelope may wander close enough for me to get a shot with my bow.

operation antelope quest:the first few days

Opening morning, which was a wednesday, in August found me in the buggy well before sunrise on the way to the prarie.  Just before legal light I spotted a few deer as well as a few antelope does in the field.  I parked the buggy, gathered my stuff and off I went.  Right at legal light those three does came trotting in to about 60 yards,  not much I could do but hope they blow out in a good direction.  Later that morning I saw a few more does and fawns, with the largest being around 15-20.  Had one old doe walk within 41 yards but I was caught flat on my belly with no real option of drawing without getting busted.  Wow, 25 or 30 antelope on the place and not a single buck.  Walking back to a small stash of gear I see a runner out of the corner of my eye, now two.  One has a real dark face and I know even without binos its a buck.  Not a great one, but I shooter for sure with my bow.  Did I mention I have a problem with patience?
Just 15 minutes before I was tucked in to some hay bails with 2 does hanging around within about 70-80 yards-two live decoys, I guess.  Stay put, I told myself.    Much to learn I still have about patience, who knows, if I stayed put the other two may have come right in....Idiot.

Had another couple of blown stalks later in the day, and one in the following days, lots of little bucks with does.  Had some does from a group of about 25 jogging to the decoy, thought that might fire up the buck a little bit, but didn't get much but a stare.  He wasn't but a little bigger than the decoy anyway, can't blame him for not wanting a tussle. I am hoping the the rut picks up and they start moving around and getting in to smaller groups.  Its tough to make a stalk on 20 sets of antelope eyes.

operation antelope quest -1

I really like to hunt antelope.  Several years ago I quit putting in for antelope tags out in the eastern part of Montana and started rolling the dice on more local tags(only an hours drive) so I could take my time with it.  I sacrificed an annual weekend with the boys for the chance to hunt the same area/ same bucks untill I hopefully got one I was happy with.  I hunted them with bow and arrow lightly 3 years ago before eventually getting one we had named "Bulletproof", with my rifle, my best one to date.  Then it happened, I failed to draw, for the first time of my life, and an 80% success rate district none the less.    And then it happened again two years in a row.  So, after weezing and learning a lesson or two, and a giant cut in antelope tags out east I put in with a little different strategy this year.  I had a back up plan that would hopefully still get me a point for the years to come.  I drew the archery only tag, good news and well....good news.  But thus starts my true test. 

I am not the most patient guy around, thus I struggle with bowhunting.  I have been on several succesful bow hunts.  I was just usually the one calling, or caught in the moment and forgetting to draw, but it doesnt matter.  Tomorrow I start  this years annual antelope quest, exclusively bow and arrow.  I hope to be humbled, and learn more than I want to, and hopefully lots of luck and a straight shot, a little success.  We'll see, like I said, I'm not a patient guy.  However I learned a few things while ninja fishing on a nearby creek recently.