bowhunt-R Report post Posted Monday at 08:51 PM 9 days of hard hunting in super dry conditions results in great archery buck. My son and I hunted hard for 9 days before getting an opportunity on this buck. Spot and stalk. Love chasing these things with my bow. By far the hardest antelope hunt of my life. 25 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted Monday at 10:59 PM Congratulations. That is a very respectable buck. Post the story when you come down from the high. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted Monday at 11:44 PM That's awesome - congrats on a great buck! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted Tuesday at 12:34 AM Very nice. Congratulations. Love this time of year when things start to get fired up for the hunting season. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted Tuesday at 02:04 AM Stud buck, congrats! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RJ75 Report post Posted Tuesday at 02:54 AM Congrats! Great buck. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted Tuesday at 03:40 AM That's awesome...congrats! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigbuckfever Report post Posted Tuesday at 12:31 PM Congrats!! Would love to hear the story as well. Archery antelope is THE most fun hunting there is. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhunt-R Report post Posted Tuesday at 04:26 PM ok, I'll give a short summary of how this hunt played out. I drew a unit not known for lots of antelope, but I knew the possibility of shooting a giant was there. this is a unit that I have had success in in the past. We have not had a great monsoon season this year and numbers have really been down. throughout the hunt I would see on average probably 6-10 antelope per day. I spent all summer scouting and found a couple of bucks that I had on my radar identified as "shooters". Day one, I have one of the shooters in range but not broadside. Im trying to move in and stay hidden and get a better angle to I can get a shot, when a truck drives over the rise and bumps the buck. I hunted him again the next day, and found him first thing on day number two. I put him to bed around 10:30 and decided to come home attend church, and come back sunday afternoon when he is in a better spot. Well I get there and there are two hunters driving the ridge he was on, I never saw that buck again. I came back in to work on monday, day 3 of the hunt and hunted just afternoon monday-thursday. I saw antelope every single time out, just nothing I wanted to pursue. Friday morning, day 7 breaks and I decide to try a new area. Just as it's getting light enough to see my son pulls the truck off the road and said, buck! I pick up my binos and see a great buck standing with 6 does about 300 yards from us. We watch the buck, hoping he works into an area with more cover so I can try a stalk. Well the buck eventually walked onto private and I never got a chance to stalk him. Saturday, we go back to the original location hoping to once again turn up the first buck we saw, and we can't even find an antelope in the area. we hit a couple of new spots and turned up some younger bucks that morning, but nothing with any age or size. Sunday, final day of the season. We head out before daylight to look for the buck that wandered onto private, we turn him up immediately, and he is further into the private. We then head to an area that I have had success in the past, and find a group of 3 bucks with one being a great buck. I began my stalk, and get to about 120 yards before the bucks have decided that they have had enough and sprint out of my life forever. haha. By this time it is around 10:00am. I told me son, we have had a great hunt, and have spent some great time together over the last 9 days. I was ready to head home, go to church, and call it a hunt. He said dad, lets go check that ridge we saw that buck watering last weekend. I said ok, once last effort before calling it a hunt. We get there, sneak our way up to a vantage point to get eyes on a small tank and as soon as I pick up my binos I see a buck at the water. Unfortunately the buck was about a year old and not even legal to shoot here. we looked at each other and laughed and walked back to the truck. Once we got to the truck i put my bow in the case, strapped my release to the top limp closed the case, grabbed two celsius' from the cooler and my son and I headed home. we are talking about baseball as we round the corner and there in front of us are two bucks feeding into a small saddle in the middle of the day near the busiest forest road only 2 miles from town. my son slams the breaks and throws up his binos and says, dad, its him! It's the buck we have been looking for since day 1. He was with another buck and feeding into an area where he couldn't be seen from the road. I jumped out of the truck, grabbed my bow and away I went after him. I topped the hill just above where I saw the buck disappear and peak over and there he is, feeding 80 yards from me and coming right to me. I get an arrow, move to get a shooting lane and the small buck sees me and runs about 15 yards and looks back. I range the little buck because the big buck trotted off right towards him. He is 74 yards. I look down to adjust my slider and when I look up the bigger buck is standing there with him. I draw, anchor, release and watch as my arrow sails low. I hit the buck between the knee and the shoulder. I saw blood immediately and watch the buck go over the next ridge. I was upset, how can I blow that easy shot? I walk to where the bucks were standing and range the tree I was at. 85! In the time I looked down to set my sight, and look back up those bucks had takes a couple of steps. I knew they moved a little bit, but I didn't think they had moved that far. I reach into my pocket to call my son and realize that I don't have my phone. In the excitement I had left in in the truck. I mark the spot and walk back to the truck. At this point it is 11:30. I get back to the truck and talk things over with my son and we move two draws ahead of where we saw the buck run. We hit a fenceline and I told my son that the buck would not cross that fence if he is hurting. I didn't feel like the shot I made was fatal and I thught I had just clipped the leg. Not much blood on the ground or on my arrow. we walk down the fencline and find no indicaiton of the buck. So we walk the fenceline uphill. I thought to myself, no way this buck ran up that hill. we would have seen him. I take about 3 steps and see the bottom wire of the fence pushed up and a small speck of blood and antelope tracks on our side of the fence. My son said he came through here. we follow his tracks 1.1 miles from there with occasional drops of blood and finally sit to get some water. I told my son, Im going to walk to that bench and peek over. The bench is about 100 yards from us. I hit the bench and the antelope is bedded just below it. He gets up and runs about 1/2 mile to the east and beds just below the crest of a small hill. We sit and watch him for about 2 hours and he never moves. I made a plan to sneak around the backside of the hill and pop over the top. As I top the hill I get a text that says you're right above him, be careful. I peek through the trees and see the buck bedded below me, 28 yards. I sit for 2 hours waiting for him to stand and he doesn't. My legs were cramping so I decided that I needed to do something. I stand up and hear something behind me. A freakin cow elk, 20 yards away bursts out of there making enough noise to scare everything out of there. The buck spooks, hobbles to an opening and stops to look at the cow elk across the hill. I range, settle my pin, and sent an arrow through the lungs. the buck made a short run and toppled over. My son watched it all through the 15X swaros. I look at my watch and it is 4:37. What a day. I waited for my son to walk over to me and together we went and found my arrow and walked up to the buck. It was him. the buck from day one! And we did it together. This was the hardest antelope hunt of my life. Low numbers, hot dry weather, and lots of miles. But in the end I wouldn't have it any other way. Blessed for another successful hunt with one of my kids. I love chasing antelope with my bow. 5 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viper Report post Posted Tuesday at 05:58 PM Awesome hunt! Awesome buck! Way to stick with it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted Tuesday at 07:14 PM Awesome story, Kyl. Glad you guys stayed with it. That's some serious perseverance you don't see so much these days. I always love the stories of you and the kids hunting together - keep it up man! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bowman1964 Report post Posted Tuesday at 07:49 PM Congrats on a fantastic Buck and a great story. Way to stay after him! Bill 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted Tuesday at 08:15 PM Wow what an intense read. Congratulations to you and your son. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhunt-R Report post Posted 13 hours ago On 8/26/2025 at 1:14 PM, Coach said: Awesome story, Kyl. Glad you guys stayed with it. That's some serious perseverance you don't see so much these days. I always love the stories of you and the kids hunting together - keep it up man! Thank you. Love hunting with my kids. I’m so blessed to get to share the things I love with the people I love!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhunt-R Report post Posted 13 hours ago On 8/26/2025 at 2:15 PM, PRDATR said: Wow what an intense read. Congratulations to you and your son. Thank you!!! Appreciate it!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
