Antelope Hunt

[Model12]

I just returned from an antelope hunt in Arizona. I drew one of three available tags to non-residents for a particular unit so luck was already in my court. The hunt started this past Friday 8/25 and by 11am I was tagged out!
I decoyed the buck in from over 500yds over a 1hr time frame. The posturing and wheezing an antelope does is quite a sight.  After a number of exchanges, the buck got in range and I put a marginal shot on him. The good news was he was losing and apreciable amount of blood and bedded down in a cut about 2 miles away. I never losts sight of the buck the whole way to where he bedded.
I then walked about 1.5mi around to get the wind in my favor and after some incredibly slow stalking, got to a vantage point and located exactly where he was. I used some terrain to make my approach and got to 32yds of him. I ranged him, came to full draw and wheezed to get him up. As soon as he got up, I shot him and he went 3 steps and piled up.
If you're looking for a bowhunt that'll humble, humiliate and aggravate you w/the ever possiblity of success, this is the hunt. I find a great deal of satisfaction in this hunt and one I won't soon forget. Probably one of my biggest accomplishments bowhunting.
Not sure how to post pics since the "Reply" option isn't available on a new post I'll try and post it next.

[Model12]

2006 Arizona Archery Antelope Hunt.

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[Mayfly]

Hey..That is pretty cool!

[Spinach]

Nice job Derron.

I just realized that this was you.... (because of the pic)

Nice to hear from you again. :)

[JohnWester]

that does sound awsome.

[Model12]

Yeah,

"I've been busy" as they say. Next up is an archery bull elk hunt in AZ. I hit the jackpot on the AZ draw this year. In fact, I've drawn more this year as a non-res than I ever did as a resident of AZ.
Don't know if you ever saw it or remember but last year I posted a little blip on LSF about Coues Deer Hunting. Drawing a December hunt is about a once in every 4-year deal, on avg, for a resident. For a non-resident it's about once in every 6-7years. However, I drew a "back to back" tag because I got drawn for the same unit for this December. It's quite unbelievable how lucky I was but I can say w/a high degree of certainty, I won't be drawing any tags for quite a while in AZ. So I'm going to make the most of it and this antelope was the first of three tags to fill.
I'll be out of here on the 20th of Sept near Flagstaff, AZ for the elk hunt. Should also be one of my most memorable hunts as my dad drew the tag as well. Hope to have pics of that hunt, too but you never know what will happen. Wish me luck.

[JohnWester]

um, do you have a job?  and if so, is your company hiring?

[Model12]

Yeah but you'd have to move to AZ. There is one lake that has, beleive it or not, Red Lake Crappies in it. As the big deal was to hit Red in the late ice, the big thing in AZ is in the spring when they're spawning. Just huge slabs like Red used to have.
So, you may be interested in AZ! Just as a note you can hunt in AZ...
Black bear
Mule deer
Coues deer
Mt. Lion
Elk
Javelina
Antelope
Rocky Mt. Bighorn Sheep
Desert Bighorn Sheep
Turkey
Bison
and tons of predators. Sans the fishing and waterfowling, it's a good state to hunt.

[Outdoors Junkie]

I wish you and your dad best of luck on your Sept. 20th hunt!  It is always a special time to share a hunt with your dad.

[Model12]

Thanks much...it's appreciated and you're spot on when you say sharing time w/your dad is a special time. This is his first elk tag and we haven't hunted together in over 4 years.
We're like two kids heading off to camp. We call each other every other day and tell the other what we picked up at Cabela's etc.. We'll have more gear we probably won't even use and the phone calls get funnier each day.