Liv4Rut
Active Member
Well Everyone, Chris (Size_Matters on the site), and I just got back from our first attempt at hunting Antelope in Nebraska. All I can say is it was a Blast and an action packed weekend!!! Niether one of us had ever hunted one before and had no clue on really what to do so we decided we were just gonna go after them like turkeys with our bows. We thought surely they would be alot easier to stalk than a turkey, WRONG!!!!! We immediately found out on the first stalk that they are constantly on the move like a coyote. Our First few attempts were basically, watch them go over a hill then sprint 2-300 yards up the back side of the hill and crawl over the top and try to shoot them. That didn't work very well, most of them would be way out of range or on the next ridge over by the time we got there. Even though it wasn't working too well we kept trying and pretty much exhausted ourselves by the end of the day. The next day we got ahold of a map of all the public areas because we only knew a few and drove around chasing them and trying to find waterholes that they were hitting. The cool weather and dew on the grass seemed to be enough to not make them hit the water holes at all. By the end of the second day I could barely move, and I thought I would take my double bull and sit about a 100 yards off a water hole where a bunch of them had been feeding the day before. That evening I had about 30 of them out in front of me about 150 yards out including a monster pronghorn. The next biggest buck got chased over my way and I thought my chance would come. When he hit 44 yards I drew back and he turned and was coming closer so I let down and let him come into 32 yards but he was facing towards me. I waited patiently for a broadside shot but as soon as a doe got right up in his face he turned around and chased her out of the county. Now I am just sitting there dumbfounded on what happened and kicking myself in the butt for not taking the shot, but that's how hunting goes.
The last day came and we set back up on the same spot as the night before with no luck. Later in the day we found a buck in the perfect spot and that is when it all came together sort of. To get to the buck we had to circle about a half mile around him to be able to climb over the cliff and get a shot. On the way there we noticed a smaller buck behind him on the next ridge but we didn't pay much attention to him. When we got all the way around I popped over a ridge and saw another good buck about 120 yards away, I ducked behind a rock when all the sudden the small buck jumped from the back side of the ridge. I scrambled for an arrow and finally got it knocked. I peeked over the rock and he was about 40 yards away half hidden by a hill. I frantically tried to get my hand up into my wrist strap of my bow but it wasn't working, so I just came to full draw and peeked over the hill. He was still there. I put my 30 yard pin just below his back hoping it would arch over the hill and smack him in the sweet spot. I released and the arrow arched over the hill then THUMP!!! I saw him fall then get back up and take off running. I grabbed my binoculars and could see I broke his shoulder and blood was pouring out the side. Awesome I just got my first Antelope!! That's when it got crazy. My buddy quickly said lets go after the big one before that one spooks him. We run down the hill and get to the top of the next one. I bellied crawled to the edge and to my suprise the big one was still there bedded only 15 yards looking at us. My buddy came to full draw and raised over the hill and settled the pin on his neck and touched it off. We really don't know what happened but he missed. The big buck ran down to the next ridge, I ranged him at 79.5 yards and he let one fly. The up and down was perfect but the buck and taken a step to the side missing him by mere inches. Now I look over and see my buck bedded about 80 yards the other way. We quickly get back down the other side and crawl around to ambush my buck. My buck saw us and stood up and tried to run but kept falling down every few steps. One more shot and I had my first antelope!. All in all it was a great weekend and even though it isn't a very big antelope he is a true trophy in my eyes for all the hard work, dedication, and effort it took in making it happen. After about 30 unsucessful stlaks one of them finally worked!! Sorry it got so long, but it was my first time chasing those speed goats.
The last day came and we set back up on the same spot as the night before with no luck. Later in the day we found a buck in the perfect spot and that is when it all came together sort of. To get to the buck we had to circle about a half mile around him to be able to climb over the cliff and get a shot. On the way there we noticed a smaller buck behind him on the next ridge but we didn't pay much attention to him. When we got all the way around I popped over a ridge and saw another good buck about 120 yards away, I ducked behind a rock when all the sudden the small buck jumped from the back side of the ridge. I scrambled for an arrow and finally got it knocked. I peeked over the rock and he was about 40 yards away half hidden by a hill. I frantically tried to get my hand up into my wrist strap of my bow but it wasn't working, so I just came to full draw and peeked over the hill. He was still there. I put my 30 yard pin just below his back hoping it would arch over the hill and smack him in the sweet spot. I released and the arrow arched over the hill then THUMP!!! I saw him fall then get back up and take off running. I grabbed my binoculars and could see I broke his shoulder and blood was pouring out the side. Awesome I just got my first Antelope!! That's when it got crazy. My buddy quickly said lets go after the big one before that one spooks him. We run down the hill and get to the top of the next one. I bellied crawled to the edge and to my suprise the big one was still there bedded only 15 yards looking at us. My buddy came to full draw and raised over the hill and settled the pin on his neck and touched it off. We really don't know what happened but he missed. The big buck ran down to the next ridge, I ranged him at 79.5 yards and he let one fly. The up and down was perfect but the buck and taken a step to the side missing him by mere inches. Now I look over and see my buck bedded about 80 yards the other way. We quickly get back down the other side and crawl around to ambush my buck. My buck saw us and stood up and tried to run but kept falling down every few steps. One more shot and I had my first antelope!. All in all it was a great weekend and even though it isn't a very big antelope he is a true trophy in my eyes for all the hard work, dedication, and effort it took in making it happen. After about 30 unsucessful stlaks one of them finally worked!! Sorry it got so long, but it was my first time chasing those speed goats.
