Big Slick
Well-known member
Just got back into town and looked at the update. Way to go fellas. Let's go Bugler....Get it done big guy!
New Mexico Pronghorn - ACT III
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
jore07
New member
Congrats guys! Hopefully Bugler has one down by this evening and we'll get a full report on both. The live hunt play by play is so much fun to follow. Keep up the good work Fin and Bugler!
Don K
Active member
Cant wait for the pics of the lope!!!
Looking at your photos I know exactly where you guys are at. Seen some real nice bucks in there two years ago.
Looking at your photos I know exactly where you guys are at. Seen some real nice bucks in there two years ago.
the nikster
Well-known member
I think you guys are 'view whores', posting a quip to get us looking and then signing off for years at a time!!
PLEASE! PLEASE! gimme some sugar!
PLEASE! PLEASE! gimme some sugar!
174in
Well-known member
So this is your guys 3rd year in arow in NM?
Randy49er
New member
Way to go Randy, You crafty sliver slinger!!!
Sorry for the delays guys. Late back to camp, then a couple trucks stopped by to visit and they just now left. I am committed to staying up and posting this entire hunt, before I go to be tonight.
Posts and pics to follow.
Posts and pics to follow.
lbirch
Member
The day is over for me...school starts tomorrow and I'm helping the kids on their first day back. I'll just have to go without hearing the BigFin daily. Hopefully I'll awake to a new day, help the kids forget about summer, get to the office, open the laptop and find an awesome NM antelope hunting story telling me to forget about work for a minute.
mthunter
New member
Put the goats to bed back home in montana. Start hunting in the morning. Look forward to the story when I wake in five hours.
Before light, we are on the road, headed to a new area. Never been there. Never even drove by it.
It was light by the time we get to the public land. It is so dry and barren, it resembles lunar landscape, save for the pinon-juniper trees scatted on the hills. I am thinking this was a mistake.
We drive a couple miles further, finally getting through private and onto BLM. The first water tank was dry. More concern on my part.
We continue down this old mining road to where the bigger water ponds were shown on the map. I am looking ahead and Bugler tells me there is a buck on the hill above. I am focused on the road, but look over long enough to see what he is talking about. I drive further down the road, finding a wide spot to pull off and allow the potential stray vehicle to pass by.
We climb out and I ask Bugler if he wants to shoot the buck, since he spotted it. Nope, he has his eye on something bigger, which I think I know, based on his excitement when seeing the big pronged buck yesterday.
Upon Bugler declining, I claim the chance to stalk the buck. We unload all the camera gear, my bow, I don the BeTheDecoy, and a plan is made. Bugler will stay at the truck, given the small amount of cover to stalk this buck. Sounds good to me.
Kevin loads the camera and shoulders the tripod. We start back the direction where the buck was last seen. In the time it has taken us to get organized, the buck has come down off the hill and is grazing in the few green blades along the shoulder of this dirt road. He looks to be coming on an old cow path, in our direction.
I motion to Kevin that I plan to move forward to some brush that would be right along the cow path, hoping the buck continues the same direction. Kevin nods and sets up about thirty yards behind me and open enough that we can communicate with hand signals.
When I reach the brush, the buck is now locked in on me. I horn some brush with my decoy hat. The buck seems to think all is fine, and goes back to nibbling. I wait as he slowly follows this old cow trail. No way this buck will continue, but as I look at it, the cow path follows a small creek wash and it is the only small patch of green in the area.
The buck comes forward further and then drops down in a dry water hole. I can only see his back. Thinking it is safe, I slowly rise to see how close he has not gotten. As I rise, he lifts his head and locks in on me. I put my head down slightly and horn some more brush. He goes back to his business and I now know he is 90 yards away. About 50 yards past my comfort range.
I look at Kevin and he gives me a thumbs up. All good, so far.
I tuck down behind this bush, as the buck is getting closer and it is harder to stay hidden as he closes the gap. This buck is way too cooperative. He is not moving closer, grazing all the time. I still my head out of the bush to range a shrub he is soon to reach. I get 45 yards. Again, the buck stops and looks at me. I drop to the ground and start rubbing a scrape behind the brush, then swinging my decoy hat. Relieved I am just another small buck, he keeps coming.
I watch through this bush that protects me as the buck hits my 45 yard shrub. I have an arrow nocked. The buck has no intention of stopping. He keeps coming. I wait. Big problem. He is coming head on and my hiding bush is only 3 yards from the cow path the buck is using.
I am trying to figure a plan. I don't want a straight on shot. But, it looks like I will have no choice. He now looks to be about 20 yards, with his head down and feeding toward me. I range through the limbs and it reads 18 yards. I mover slightly and get ready to draw.
The buck picks his head up and is looking right at me. I start to draw, but am not comfortable with the straight on shot while having to lean around a bush. Now I am screwed. He has me pegged. What to do? I rise slightly so he can see the horns on my hat and roll my head back and forth. After a while, he twitches and looks to his left, toward the old mining road. In a few quick leaps, he is now in the middle of the road and jumps up the bank to the other side.
Not knowing the rules on shooting across mining roads, I am not sure what to do. I know this is open to public and figure the rule of not shooting from, over, or across would apply, even with archery. As if the buck is suicidal, he walks parallel to the mining road and is not straight across, broad side, at 25 yards. Kevin looks at me. I don't know what to do.
The buck has a pretty steep bank above him, so rather than climb out of the wash he has now drifted down, he sees the best way to get around us is the walk uphill from the road, down toward where the truck is parked.
He starts moving pretty fast. In less than a minute, the buck has moved past Kevin, so Kevin is now between me and the buck. Kevin has held amazingly motionless. The buck did not even look at Kevin while walking past at 30 yards.
Things get kind of crazy now, so I will start a different post, as I am running out of allowed characters.
It was light by the time we get to the public land. It is so dry and barren, it resembles lunar landscape, save for the pinon-juniper trees scatted on the hills. I am thinking this was a mistake.
We drive a couple miles further, finally getting through private and onto BLM. The first water tank was dry. More concern on my part.
We continue down this old mining road to where the bigger water ponds were shown on the map. I am looking ahead and Bugler tells me there is a buck on the hill above. I am focused on the road, but look over long enough to see what he is talking about. I drive further down the road, finding a wide spot to pull off and allow the potential stray vehicle to pass by.
We climb out and I ask Bugler if he wants to shoot the buck, since he spotted it. Nope, he has his eye on something bigger, which I think I know, based on his excitement when seeing the big pronged buck yesterday.
Upon Bugler declining, I claim the chance to stalk the buck. We unload all the camera gear, my bow, I don the BeTheDecoy, and a plan is made. Bugler will stay at the truck, given the small amount of cover to stalk this buck. Sounds good to me.
Kevin loads the camera and shoulders the tripod. We start back the direction where the buck was last seen. In the time it has taken us to get organized, the buck has come down off the hill and is grazing in the few green blades along the shoulder of this dirt road. He looks to be coming on an old cow path, in our direction.
I motion to Kevin that I plan to move forward to some brush that would be right along the cow path, hoping the buck continues the same direction. Kevin nods and sets up about thirty yards behind me and open enough that we can communicate with hand signals.
When I reach the brush, the buck is now locked in on me. I horn some brush with my decoy hat. The buck seems to think all is fine, and goes back to nibbling. I wait as he slowly follows this old cow trail. No way this buck will continue, but as I look at it, the cow path follows a small creek wash and it is the only small patch of green in the area.
The buck comes forward further and then drops down in a dry water hole. I can only see his back. Thinking it is safe, I slowly rise to see how close he has not gotten. As I rise, he lifts his head and locks in on me. I put my head down slightly and horn some more brush. He goes back to his business and I now know he is 90 yards away. About 50 yards past my comfort range.
I look at Kevin and he gives me a thumbs up. All good, so far.
I tuck down behind this bush, as the buck is getting closer and it is harder to stay hidden as he closes the gap. This buck is way too cooperative. He is not moving closer, grazing all the time. I still my head out of the bush to range a shrub he is soon to reach. I get 45 yards. Again, the buck stops and looks at me. I drop to the ground and start rubbing a scrape behind the brush, then swinging my decoy hat. Relieved I am just another small buck, he keeps coming.
I watch through this bush that protects me as the buck hits my 45 yard shrub. I have an arrow nocked. The buck has no intention of stopping. He keeps coming. I wait. Big problem. He is coming head on and my hiding bush is only 3 yards from the cow path the buck is using.
I am trying to figure a plan. I don't want a straight on shot. But, it looks like I will have no choice. He now looks to be about 20 yards, with his head down and feeding toward me. I range through the limbs and it reads 18 yards. I mover slightly and get ready to draw.
The buck picks his head up and is looking right at me. I start to draw, but am not comfortable with the straight on shot while having to lean around a bush. Now I am screwed. He has me pegged. What to do? I rise slightly so he can see the horns on my hat and roll my head back and forth. After a while, he twitches and looks to his left, toward the old mining road. In a few quick leaps, he is now in the middle of the road and jumps up the bank to the other side.
Not knowing the rules on shooting across mining roads, I am not sure what to do. I know this is open to public and figure the rule of not shooting from, over, or across would apply, even with archery. As if the buck is suicidal, he walks parallel to the mining road and is not straight across, broad side, at 25 yards. Kevin looks at me. I don't know what to do.
The buck has a pretty steep bank above him, so rather than climb out of the wash he has now drifted down, he sees the best way to get around us is the walk uphill from the road, down toward where the truck is parked.
He starts moving pretty fast. In less than a minute, the buck has moved past Kevin, so Kevin is now between me and the buck. Kevin has held amazingly motionless. The buck did not even look at Kevin while walking past at 30 yards.
Things get kind of crazy now, so I will start a different post, as I am running out of allowed characters.
Now the buck is heading down the drainage to where we left Bugler at the truck. The buck has moved over 100 yards away from me. He crosses the mining road and is now back on the cow path again, walking away from us and right toward Bugler. Kevin is giving me instructions of where his filming lanes will be as I quietly trot past.
The buck follows the path where it meanders through about four big cedar trees. Now out of his sight, Kevin and I hustle to those cedars and emerge on the cow path, only to find the buck feeding about 50 yards ahead of us in the cow path. I look up and see Bugler leaned against the truck, holding completely still, but taking pictures of the buck, now maybe 100 yards from him.
You will have to see the footage, but I will try to explain the set up. This cow path lead to a water hole further down the drainage. The drainage got very tight at this point, being less than 150 yards across, with pretty steep hills above. The last place I would expect an antelope to travel.
This buck must have been thirsty, as he only once glanced at the truck and then proceeded back down the path, in a route that would take him right by the truck. He looked back at me to confirm I was still a little buck. I did my best impression of a little "wanna be" pronghorn buck and it was enough to alleviate his concerns. He turned back and continued down the path. He was moving at a fast walk and it was hard for Kevin and I to keep the same distance on him, but there was now enough brush to provide the occasional trot that would gain some more ground to our favor.
The buck passed the truck with no concern and no delay. We shuffled down right out in front of Bryce. I looked at him and he gave me the" WTH is going on" look. The buck then circled back a little to horn a bush. I ranged him. 44 yards and somewhat quarter. I drew and readied for the shot. Just as my nerves started to calm and I thought a good release could be had, he turned and walked away from me, following his trial to water.
I let down and moved forward, with Kevin keeping 30-40 yards distance behind me. The trail now crossed the road once again, and so did the buck. It was pretty open, so I had to let him gain some distance on me before I felt I had enough cover to move again. When the followed the trail behind another small cedar, I put it in high gear. I crossed the road, hoping he would have fed or rutted behind the cedar.
As I got there, I peeked around and found him doing just that. He saw me and turned to see what I was doing. Some more buck imitations and he turned to comfortably get on his way to the drinking station.
He was now mingling more in this section of the path that had some higher brush. By higher, I mean maybe 30" high. Not enough to hide a 5' tripod and camerman. But, he seemed very preoccupied with rubbing and scraping in this area.
All that gave me some time to mover forward more. I looked back at Kevin as he dropped the tripod and leveled the camera head. He gave me a thumbs up.
I now had a good patch of brush and a small depression that would give me 20 yards without being seen. I covered that and peeked up over a bush. He was urinating in a scrape, slightly quartering away. I ranged it at 41 yards, Perfect. Kevin was more to my right and from his point, the full broadside angle caused him to give my a frantic thumbs up.
I stood up and simultaneously came to full draw, using this small brush as some semblance of cover, The buck continue to post his calling cards. I was shaking so bad, I could hardly hold the pin on him, let alone on the spot I wanted to hit.
I took my nose off the string and took a deep breath. When I looked back through the peep, the bow was still not very stable. I took another breath and gripped the bow a little harder to stop the trembling.
The 40 yard pin settled on his front shoulder and I released. Thwack. Before I could see what happened, the buck bolted down into a small depression and over to one of the steeper hill sides. He stood at the base of the hill, blood streaming down his should and legs, as he tried to figure the cause of his sharp pain
He walked broadside along the base of this hill, knowing something was wrong, allowing me time to nock a second arrow. When he stopped for a short instance, I ranged him to be 85 yards, which is not an option for me.
I could see blood streaming down from a neck hit that was high and forward. All I can figure is when I tightened my grip to steady the aim, I must have torqued the bow and hit right of my intended mark. With his quartering angle and head lowered for his rutting antics, that resulted in a neck shot.
Again, running out of space, so will continue in a final post, with pics.
The buck follows the path where it meanders through about four big cedar trees. Now out of his sight, Kevin and I hustle to those cedars and emerge on the cow path, only to find the buck feeding about 50 yards ahead of us in the cow path. I look up and see Bugler leaned against the truck, holding completely still, but taking pictures of the buck, now maybe 100 yards from him.
You will have to see the footage, but I will try to explain the set up. This cow path lead to a water hole further down the drainage. The drainage got very tight at this point, being less than 150 yards across, with pretty steep hills above. The last place I would expect an antelope to travel.
This buck must have been thirsty, as he only once glanced at the truck and then proceeded back down the path, in a route that would take him right by the truck. He looked back at me to confirm I was still a little buck. I did my best impression of a little "wanna be" pronghorn buck and it was enough to alleviate his concerns. He turned back and continued down the path. He was moving at a fast walk and it was hard for Kevin and I to keep the same distance on him, but there was now enough brush to provide the occasional trot that would gain some more ground to our favor.
The buck passed the truck with no concern and no delay. We shuffled down right out in front of Bryce. I looked at him and he gave me the" WTH is going on" look. The buck then circled back a little to horn a bush. I ranged him. 44 yards and somewhat quarter. I drew and readied for the shot. Just as my nerves started to calm and I thought a good release could be had, he turned and walked away from me, following his trial to water.
I let down and moved forward, with Kevin keeping 30-40 yards distance behind me. The trail now crossed the road once again, and so did the buck. It was pretty open, so I had to let him gain some distance on me before I felt I had enough cover to move again. When the followed the trail behind another small cedar, I put it in high gear. I crossed the road, hoping he would have fed or rutted behind the cedar.
As I got there, I peeked around and found him doing just that. He saw me and turned to see what I was doing. Some more buck imitations and he turned to comfortably get on his way to the drinking station.
He was now mingling more in this section of the path that had some higher brush. By higher, I mean maybe 30" high. Not enough to hide a 5' tripod and camerman. But, he seemed very preoccupied with rubbing and scraping in this area.
All that gave me some time to mover forward more. I looked back at Kevin as he dropped the tripod and leveled the camera head. He gave me a thumbs up.
I now had a good patch of brush and a small depression that would give me 20 yards without being seen. I covered that and peeked up over a bush. He was urinating in a scrape, slightly quartering away. I ranged it at 41 yards, Perfect. Kevin was more to my right and from his point, the full broadside angle caused him to give my a frantic thumbs up.
I stood up and simultaneously came to full draw, using this small brush as some semblance of cover, The buck continue to post his calling cards. I was shaking so bad, I could hardly hold the pin on him, let alone on the spot I wanted to hit.
I took my nose off the string and took a deep breath. When I looked back through the peep, the bow was still not very stable. I took another breath and gripped the bow a little harder to stop the trembling.
The 40 yard pin settled on his front shoulder and I released. Thwack. Before I could see what happened, the buck bolted down into a small depression and over to one of the steeper hill sides. He stood at the base of the hill, blood streaming down his should and legs, as he tried to figure the cause of his sharp pain
He walked broadside along the base of this hill, knowing something was wrong, allowing me time to nock a second arrow. When he stopped for a short instance, I ranged him to be 85 yards, which is not an option for me.
I could see blood streaming down from a neck hit that was high and forward. All I can figure is when I tightened my grip to steady the aim, I must have torqued the bow and hit right of my intended mark. With his quartering angle and head lowered for his rutting antics, that resulted in a neck shot.
Again, running out of space, so will continue in a final post, with pics.
The buck was now moving along the base of this hill, from my right to my left. At times, he looked like he would collapse and at times, like he would be able to go for miles. Damn it. After all this, not the best shot.
As he eased more to my left, he started up a different drainage, a flat and wide drainage covered with scattered pinon and juniper. I watched as he climbed 20' of elevation with great difficulty. He then got to the flatter level and looked like he might travel more easily.
I nocked another arrow and followed him. I could see him ahead 80-100 yards. He was now bleeding pretty bad, but showing little signs of giving it up.
He put large juniper between us and I darted forward. I stepped to the side of the tree and saw him struggling along, going at a sharp quartering angle. I ranged it at 32 yards. I cam to full draw, thinking he was now at 40. The window at this sharp angle was very steep. I held for the off front shoulder and released. For whatever reason, this shot was so relaxed an comfortable. The pin settled and stayed with not tremor.
Upon touch the release, a loud crack followed. The buck shot off about forty yards then started to stagger. Within a few seconds he was down. If only the first shot had been as direct as the second. A perfect hit, exiting the for shoulder and taking whatever energy the buck still had remaining.
Wow, what a stalk. Not sure how long it took, but it covered a long ways, first up, then down, this tight drainage. Bugler had a ringside seat, But not by design. He took some amazing pics as the parade passed by his position.
Kevin is on his first OYOA trip and captured it all in great detail. He is a serious hunter, besides having a degree in film, so he knows when to move and can anticipate when the moment of truth will happen.
I will fill in more details of our daily travels tomorrow. Right now, it is late and we need to go find Bugler a buck in the morning. Here are a couple pics.
Sorry for the delays. Being so far out in the sticks made it hard to upload pics.
Funny looking, or not, it works. Fear the Decoy!
Bulger and I laughing about the chaos of this stalk.
Kevin and I with our first OYOA animal
As he eased more to my left, he started up a different drainage, a flat and wide drainage covered with scattered pinon and juniper. I watched as he climbed 20' of elevation with great difficulty. He then got to the flatter level and looked like he might travel more easily.
I nocked another arrow and followed him. I could see him ahead 80-100 yards. He was now bleeding pretty bad, but showing little signs of giving it up.
He put large juniper between us and I darted forward. I stepped to the side of the tree and saw him struggling along, going at a sharp quartering angle. I ranged it at 32 yards. I cam to full draw, thinking he was now at 40. The window at this sharp angle was very steep. I held for the off front shoulder and released. For whatever reason, this shot was so relaxed an comfortable. The pin settled and stayed with not tremor.
Upon touch the release, a loud crack followed. The buck shot off about forty yards then started to stagger. Within a few seconds he was down. If only the first shot had been as direct as the second. A perfect hit, exiting the for shoulder and taking whatever energy the buck still had remaining.
Wow, what a stalk. Not sure how long it took, but it covered a long ways, first up, then down, this tight drainage. Bugler had a ringside seat, But not by design. He took some amazing pics as the parade passed by his position.
Kevin is on his first OYOA trip and captured it all in great detail. He is a serious hunter, besides having a degree in film, so he knows when to move and can anticipate when the moment of truth will happen.
I will fill in more details of our daily travels tomorrow. Right now, it is late and we need to go find Bugler a buck in the morning. Here are a couple pics.
Sorry for the delays. Being so far out in the sticks made it hard to upload pics.
Funny looking, or not, it works. Fear the Decoy!
Bulger and I laughing about the chaos of this stalk.
Kevin and I with our first OYOA animal
MHMT
Member
Very cool. Congrats.
Big luke1981
Member
Awesome Big Fin. Congrats!!!!
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Devil Diver Down
Well-known member
Nice buck and a great story. I bet IB makes you wait until the 11th hour before he punches his tag.
I don't think it's fair that we should wait a year to see the video on this one. We're Americans, damn it, and we don't like waiting!
I don't think it's fair that we should wait a year to see the video on this one. We're Americans, damn it, and we don't like waiting!
grizzly5028
New member
congrats Big fin, hope bugler gets his soon as well!
SagebrushSlayer
Active member
Congrats on the nice buck! Glad it ended with a good follow up shot. Good luck on stalking another one for IDBugler.
Big Slick
Well-known member
Very nice! Can't wait to see what Bryce comes up with. Good luck.
