New Mexico Pronghorn - Act II
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
Looks like you guys are into lopes, best of luck and thanks for the updates. I was out today and planned to camp out for tomorrows opener. Instead I got dumped on and decided to take tomorrow morning off....maybe try the afternoon.
I am looking forward to hearing how Sunday turns out for you fellas.
I am looking forward to hearing how Sunday turns out for you fellas.
Big Slick
Well-known member
Looks like some real good bucks in that group photo. Take'm down!
IdahoBugler
Well-known member
We are sitting here on the road waiting for it to get light. We have big plans off shooting a really big buck we saw last night. He is one of the biggest bucks I have ever seen in the wild. With any luck randy will put an arrow in him. I will hopefully get some pics posted today. Of either a kill or some of the bucks we saw scouting.
It's getting light so we better get hunting. Updates will follow as long as we have service.
It's getting light so we better get hunting. Updates will follow as long as we have service.
80,100 and 126 I thought this was a Bow hunt?
When the guy told us that, I almost asked him if he had a rifle tag. I was amazed he even told us that. And, the coup de gras was when walked to the back of the truck, opened the cooler, grabbed two Bud Lights, and jumped into the truck instructing his buddy to drive him further down the road. And with that, the circus was back on the road.
I am sitting here waiting for it to get light, so I can take a pic of this 86" buck we found yesterday. Would really like to have that pic with me or Bugler hanging our tag on him.
More to follow.
rosco
New member
The plot thickens. Hope to see a pic of this giant sometime today, good luck.
mconway951
Active member
There are more of these types of hunters then one thinks I have heard lots of stories of near archery misses at 150+ yds in bars out west. As well as seen plenty of trucks like the one you saw with doors open shells laying on road and guys draging deer out of posted feilds and driving away here in MN
these are the people that give the rest of us a bad name.
good luck guys cant wait to see some hero pics
Buy your pronghorn hat before this episode airs, or they might be sold out before you get yours.
JoseCuervo
New member
Hunting traditions handed down from generation to generation.....
Congrats on that!!!!
Amand
Member
Congratulations. Can't wait to hear the details.
upper deck
Member
Can't wait to hear the details.
mconway951
Active member
Save the teasers for when the show is gonna air come on tell us already
Sorry for the delays. We have no coverage, so I have driven to a place with coverage while Bugler and Troy are in the tent having dreams of big pronghorns.
This morning started out great. Saw a buck about a half mile off and Troy and I tried to close the gap. Bugler declined, saying his left side was not big enough for him to shoot. We chased that buck for quite a while, but when you have a lot of other antelope competing for his attention, he is going to head for whatever place looks most interesting, which in this case was some private ground. Damn.
We walked back to the truck where Bugler had been parked after driving to do some more scouting of places we had scouted the previous day. He had found a cool looking buck that was bedded all by himself. I asked if he was so cool looking, why wouldn't you shoot him, to which Bugler replied, "He just isn't what I am looking for." Not sure what he was looking for.
So, I put on the Be The Decoy T-Shirt and topped off my dress with the pronghorn hat of the same company. I headed off with Troy in tow, and within about 150 yards, the buck stands up and looks me over. I started rutting activity, making scrapes and throwing brush in the air. He turns and bolts to the next county. WTH? Maybe I was too aggressive for buck of his shyness.
Bugler had also seen a good group way to the west, so we drove to a knob where we could see the entire drainage coming into the waterhole. There at the very back, and unfortunately on private land, was a toad. Even Bugler would shoot this one. He had tons of mass. His horns curved in and cross each other at the tops. A shooter for sure.
While admiring that buck and wishing he was on public, Bugler pointed out the group he had seen originally that had a good buck in it. That buck chased a group of does around the flat. The does ran to the big ugly guy with the crossed horns. He stood and in some sort of unknown language told the other buck to get out of his neighborhood. No fight ensued and the other buck turned tail and ran for a half mile right out in front of us, crossing the fence and road onto BLM ground. He was a lunker, but no as big as the guy who had just run him off.
I asked Bugler if he wanted to go after that buck. He said he liked him, but really wanted to hold out for the buck we saw last night, which we estimated to be around 86". He had it all - mass, prongs, and length, along with being one of the most classic bucks you could ever want to shoot. I could see why he wanted to hold out.
Being a little less picky and putting the scope on this buck, I quickly told Bugler I would make a stalk. Bugler looked at the buck and said he might want this one. I told him to go for it. He again declined, but with much hesitation. The buck was grazing away from us at 200 yards. We both figured him to be an 82", or better buck. Huge bottoms, with great prongs and about 15" long. He wasn't ugly, but for a buck this size, I would gladly shoot a "pretty one."
Running out of the allowed characters for a post, so I will continue on a new post. Hang with me.
This morning started out great. Saw a buck about a half mile off and Troy and I tried to close the gap. Bugler declined, saying his left side was not big enough for him to shoot. We chased that buck for quite a while, but when you have a lot of other antelope competing for his attention, he is going to head for whatever place looks most interesting, which in this case was some private ground. Damn.
We walked back to the truck where Bugler had been parked after driving to do some more scouting of places we had scouted the previous day. He had found a cool looking buck that was bedded all by himself. I asked if he was so cool looking, why wouldn't you shoot him, to which Bugler replied, "He just isn't what I am looking for." Not sure what he was looking for.
So, I put on the Be The Decoy T-Shirt and topped off my dress with the pronghorn hat of the same company. I headed off with Troy in tow, and within about 150 yards, the buck stands up and looks me over. I started rutting activity, making scrapes and throwing brush in the air. He turns and bolts to the next county. WTH? Maybe I was too aggressive for buck of his shyness.
Bugler had also seen a good group way to the west, so we drove to a knob where we could see the entire drainage coming into the waterhole. There at the very back, and unfortunately on private land, was a toad. Even Bugler would shoot this one. He had tons of mass. His horns curved in and cross each other at the tops. A shooter for sure.
While admiring that buck and wishing he was on public, Bugler pointed out the group he had seen originally that had a good buck in it. That buck chased a group of does around the flat. The does ran to the big ugly guy with the crossed horns. He stood and in some sort of unknown language told the other buck to get out of his neighborhood. No fight ensued and the other buck turned tail and ran for a half mile right out in front of us, crossing the fence and road onto BLM ground. He was a lunker, but no as big as the guy who had just run him off.
I asked Bugler if he wanted to go after that buck. He said he liked him, but really wanted to hold out for the buck we saw last night, which we estimated to be around 86". He had it all - mass, prongs, and length, along with being one of the most classic bucks you could ever want to shoot. I could see why he wanted to hold out.
Being a little less picky and putting the scope on this buck, I quickly told Bugler I would make a stalk. Bugler looked at the buck and said he might want this one. I told him to go for it. He again declined, but with much hesitation. The buck was grazing away from us at 200 yards. We both figured him to be an 82", or better buck. Huge bottoms, with great prongs and about 15" long. He wasn't ugly, but for a buck this size, I would gladly shoot a "pretty one."
Running out of the allowed characters for a post, so I will continue on a new post. Hang with me.
rosco
New member
Wow, talk about being cut off!
Big Slick
Well-known member
Feel like I got hung up on!
So now that we have sorted out who would stalk, I told Troy to get his gear, as there were two miles of BLM in front of us, and I was going to either shoot that buck, or chase him to the other end of the BLM ground. We were off.
We lost sight of the buck within a couple minutes. The vegetation is so high in some places due to all the summer rain, that an antelope can completely disappear when bedded in it. We kept walking and looking.
Finally at the time I saw the buck, he saw me. He stood up and looked right at me. Now what to do. Here I am in the wide open, following 20 yards behind is a 6' 3" cameraman with a 5' tripod and a big camera mounted on it.
Having nothing to loose, I decided to act like Johnny Badass and started scratching dirt and tearing up brush. Not to be outdone, the buck does the same thing. Then he turns and walks away at a slow pace, making scrapes as he goes. Wow, is this going to work?
He continues on a slow walk, straight away from us. He would turn every hundred yards or so, and look at us to make sure we weren't getting to close. I trailed him by about 250 yards, not wanting to make him run away. He seemed OK with that.
When he dropped over a ridge, I would sprint to the crest of the ridge, trying to close the ground. Finally, he had enough. He took off at a trot. Damn it. I watched as he dropped in the next little depression. I stood to see what way he headed when he crossed that drainage. And I waited. And I waited. And I........
Hmm, he either bedded, or snuck out without me seeing him. I eased up the lip of the ridge and glassed. I searched for a long time, when to my left I noticed a white neck and black face watching me intently from 300 yards. It was him and he had bedded in some scattered sage.
He had me pegged, so now what to do? Walking straight at him seem to make him nervous, so I continued my stooped over walk, taking an angle to his left. Troy was trying to stay behind me in a manner where I was all the buck would focus on, with Troy 50 yards directly behind me.
I made a loop to the left, which seemed to put the most sage in his line of vision. When he lost sight of me, he stood up to check on me. When he stood, I bent down and made a scrape, acting like a squatting buck peeing in his scrape. I then raised my rear end and made it look like I was marking scent. He looked at me as I did it, then turned his attention away from me. I moved about ten yards and he looked at me again. I scraped again.
Finally, assured I was just the largest bodied smallest horned buck he had ever seen, he laid back down. I used the opportunity to move toward him. Now, close to 200 yards when he stood up again.
It was now nothing but flat and sparse ground between me and him. What to do? Having nothing to lose, I decided I would bed down just like he did.
I pawed out a bed at the bottom of a sage and proceeded to lay down. He watched me intently, but still standing as if he was ready to bolt. I then started flicking my arm across my body, the same way antelope do when the flies are bothering them. Then I would shake my head the same as antelope to when fliest are an annoyance.
I did this sequence a couple times. Finally he turned away from me and bedded facing straight away. I am not sure, but it was almost like I had told him in antelope body language, "Don't worry Buddy, I got your back from this side." I looked at Troy as though I had just been told what the winning lottery numbers were going to be tomorrow. I could not believe this.
I stood up, shook like bucks often do. He looked my way. Then he turned back to where he was originally looking.
The wind had now shifted. For me to have even a prayer of a shot, I would have to cross the flat area and get a slightly quartering wind. My preferred route with the most cover for me and camera would have been straight up wind of him. Not an option.
I crouched and walked at an angle that would take me to the left of the buck, not wanting to go straight at him. I stopped when he turned to look at me. I would make some antelope imitation movements and he would turn back to looking down wind and downhill.
I now had one bigger sage messing his peripheral vision. I used it to get to 100 yards. I couldn't believe it. I nocked an arrow and went for the next bush that would keep me somewhat concealed.
I got there and dropped to my knees. He was now 80 yards. I was getting too excited. I used the time to take some deep breaths and give Troy the 8 and the 0 to tell him how close I was. Troy was about 45 yards behind me.
I ranged a bush 30 yards ahead of me. I would try to get there, then make the next plan.
I slowly eased up and could see these massive horns with huge prongs scouring the field of view down wind. I was at his back and hoped the wind would stay good.
I ranged him and it hit 55 yards. As often happens, the wind started to swirl. Thinking the gig might be up any second, I put my hand in the bow strap and got ready. As if on que, the buck stood up and looked me dead in the eyes.
I started to draw, but felt my bow strap stuck on my glove and the grip would be way torqued. I wiggled my wrist, getting the strap over the top of the glove. He now turned 180 degrees.
He started walking. I drew. I waited until he had stopped. As if I had asked him, he turned perfectly broadside. I put the 50 yard pin high on his shoulder and released. The arrow flew true and was directly on the needed path.
In the short time of arrow flight, I was sure there would be a big buck dead, only to watch in horror as my arrow whizzed just under his chest. Oh NO. Tell me that didn't really happen.
The buck looks at me and walks off about 50 yards and starts grazing. I then try to move forward. This is more than he can stand, and he takes off running.
I have never been on a stalk of that magnitude. It covered 3/4 mile. All the time, he and I were in eye contact. Troy has the entire thing captured on tape. We have reviewed the footage and it is some of the best we have ever filmed. The only missing piece is the dead buck.
After looking at the footage, we noticed that when the buck stood up, then walked, he did not walk directly across from me, but mostly away from me. I was at full drawn and find my pins and putting them on his moving body,so I did not realize he had added another 10 yards to the distance., and maybe even 15 yards. Had I shot when he first rose, I think I would have punched a tag. 55 yards broadside has been a shot I have pulled off many times in my practice this summer. The arrow was dead on, just a little low.
I can assure you that the Be The Decoy works. I have some of the best footage you will ever see, on what I think was a net B&C buck, to go with it. We tried it on other bucks later today, and sometimes it works good and sometimes, for whatever reasons, is not the answer. I suspect it is more operator error.
One thing for sure is to find single bucks. And, bedded bucks are best, as you know they are not intending to go investigate some unknown animal or location. Other than that, I am still learning a lot. I am confident that we will spot an stalk ab buck and kill one, WITH CAMERA.
Fortunately, most hunters don't have to deal with a camera and tripod, so their success should be much better. Just no way to hid the camera stuff. But, without the cameras, no great footage like we got today.
It is late and I need to get back to camp. I can hardly sleep, thinking about how much fun we are going to have for the next four days. It rained over and inch today, adding to the already soaked landscape, so blinds and waterholes are a complete bust this year. Oh well, this spot and stalk is way more fun, even if way more difficult.
Will try to post again tomorrow.
We lost sight of the buck within a couple minutes. The vegetation is so high in some places due to all the summer rain, that an antelope can completely disappear when bedded in it. We kept walking and looking.
Finally at the time I saw the buck, he saw me. He stood up and looked right at me. Now what to do. Here I am in the wide open, following 20 yards behind is a 6' 3" cameraman with a 5' tripod and a big camera mounted on it.
Having nothing to loose, I decided to act like Johnny Badass and started scratching dirt and tearing up brush. Not to be outdone, the buck does the same thing. Then he turns and walks away at a slow pace, making scrapes as he goes. Wow, is this going to work?
He continues on a slow walk, straight away from us. He would turn every hundred yards or so, and look at us to make sure we weren't getting to close. I trailed him by about 250 yards, not wanting to make him run away. He seemed OK with that.
When he dropped over a ridge, I would sprint to the crest of the ridge, trying to close the ground. Finally, he had enough. He took off at a trot. Damn it. I watched as he dropped in the next little depression. I stood to see what way he headed when he crossed that drainage. And I waited. And I waited. And I........
Hmm, he either bedded, or snuck out without me seeing him. I eased up the lip of the ridge and glassed. I searched for a long time, when to my left I noticed a white neck and black face watching me intently from 300 yards. It was him and he had bedded in some scattered sage.
He had me pegged, so now what to do? Walking straight at him seem to make him nervous, so I continued my stooped over walk, taking an angle to his left. Troy was trying to stay behind me in a manner where I was all the buck would focus on, with Troy 50 yards directly behind me.
I made a loop to the left, which seemed to put the most sage in his line of vision. When he lost sight of me, he stood up to check on me. When he stood, I bent down and made a scrape, acting like a squatting buck peeing in his scrape. I then raised my rear end and made it look like I was marking scent. He looked at me as I did it, then turned his attention away from me. I moved about ten yards and he looked at me again. I scraped again.
Finally, assured I was just the largest bodied smallest horned buck he had ever seen, he laid back down. I used the opportunity to move toward him. Now, close to 200 yards when he stood up again.
It was now nothing but flat and sparse ground between me and him. What to do? Having nothing to lose, I decided I would bed down just like he did.
I pawed out a bed at the bottom of a sage and proceeded to lay down. He watched me intently, but still standing as if he was ready to bolt. I then started flicking my arm across my body, the same way antelope do when the flies are bothering them. Then I would shake my head the same as antelope to when fliest are an annoyance.
I did this sequence a couple times. Finally he turned away from me and bedded facing straight away. I am not sure, but it was almost like I had told him in antelope body language, "Don't worry Buddy, I got your back from this side." I looked at Troy as though I had just been told what the winning lottery numbers were going to be tomorrow. I could not believe this.
I stood up, shook like bucks often do. He looked my way. Then he turned back to where he was originally looking.
The wind had now shifted. For me to have even a prayer of a shot, I would have to cross the flat area and get a slightly quartering wind. My preferred route with the most cover for me and camera would have been straight up wind of him. Not an option.
I crouched and walked at an angle that would take me to the left of the buck, not wanting to go straight at him. I stopped when he turned to look at me. I would make some antelope imitation movements and he would turn back to looking down wind and downhill.
I now had one bigger sage messing his peripheral vision. I used it to get to 100 yards. I couldn't believe it. I nocked an arrow and went for the next bush that would keep me somewhat concealed.
I got there and dropped to my knees. He was now 80 yards. I was getting too excited. I used the time to take some deep breaths and give Troy the 8 and the 0 to tell him how close I was. Troy was about 45 yards behind me.
I ranged a bush 30 yards ahead of me. I would try to get there, then make the next plan.
I slowly eased up and could see these massive horns with huge prongs scouring the field of view down wind. I was at his back and hoped the wind would stay good.
I ranged him and it hit 55 yards. As often happens, the wind started to swirl. Thinking the gig might be up any second, I put my hand in the bow strap and got ready. As if on que, the buck stood up and looked me dead in the eyes.
I started to draw, but felt my bow strap stuck on my glove and the grip would be way torqued. I wiggled my wrist, getting the strap over the top of the glove. He now turned 180 degrees.
He started walking. I drew. I waited until he had stopped. As if I had asked him, he turned perfectly broadside. I put the 50 yard pin high on his shoulder and released. The arrow flew true and was directly on the needed path.
In the short time of arrow flight, I was sure there would be a big buck dead, only to watch in horror as my arrow whizzed just under his chest. Oh NO. Tell me that didn't really happen.
The buck looks at me and walks off about 50 yards and starts grazing. I then try to move forward. This is more than he can stand, and he takes off running.
I have never been on a stalk of that magnitude. It covered 3/4 mile. All the time, he and I were in eye contact. Troy has the entire thing captured on tape. We have reviewed the footage and it is some of the best we have ever filmed. The only missing piece is the dead buck.
After looking at the footage, we noticed that when the buck stood up, then walked, he did not walk directly across from me, but mostly away from me. I was at full drawn and find my pins and putting them on his moving body,so I did not realize he had added another 10 yards to the distance., and maybe even 15 yards. Had I shot when he first rose, I think I would have punched a tag. 55 yards broadside has been a shot I have pulled off many times in my practice this summer. The arrow was dead on, just a little low.
I can assure you that the Be The Decoy works. I have some of the best footage you will ever see, on what I think was a net B&C buck, to go with it. We tried it on other bucks later today, and sometimes it works good and sometimes, for whatever reasons, is not the answer. I suspect it is more operator error.
One thing for sure is to find single bucks. And, bedded bucks are best, as you know they are not intending to go investigate some unknown animal or location. Other than that, I am still learning a lot. I am confident that we will spot an stalk ab buck and kill one, WITH CAMERA.
Fortunately, most hunters don't have to deal with a camera and tripod, so their success should be much better. Just no way to hid the camera stuff. But, without the cameras, no great footage like we got today.
It is late and I need to get back to camp. I can hardly sleep, thinking about how much fun we are going to have for the next four days. It rained over and inch today, adding to the already soaked landscape, so blinds and waterholes are a complete bust this year. Oh well, this spot and stalk is way more fun, even if way more difficult.
Will try to post again tomorrow.
Ultrahunter
Active member
Wow, great write-up Fin. Stick with it I'm sure you guys will get it done. I can't wait to see the pig the Bugler finds good enough!!
