Daughter gets it done

[Sam]

Spending 5 days on an antelope hunt is special, but when your daughter has the tag, it is even better. When a college student gives up opening wekend of the football season and heads out on a hunt, we have to count our blessings. Heading out from NAU in the rain was not ideal, but come opening day, the weather cleared and the hunt began.

 

Unfotunenately, opening morning was uneventful. The afternoon brought in a major raing storm and we headed back to camp early. We did see a nice Golden Eagle eating a rabbit. Saturday morning things turned around and we stalked 4 different bucks. Two were the bucks that would make your jaw drop and make you say wow! No shots. Lesson learned - you can not stalk antelope when your only cover is cactus. Crawling was not successful either. Walking back to the truck, we jumped another great buck and two does, he stopped and she had an off hand shot at his neck, she did not take it. She was worried about hitting the does. After covering 4 plus miles that morning, lunch tasted really good.

 

Saturday afternoon brought on two shots at 300 yards. A nice buck stood broadside. Traveling with 4 does. The wind was really bad and I clearly saw the misses. one short and one to the left. Shortly after the misses, we spotted another nice buck and 7 does. Another blown stalk. We thought we may get to him as he bedded twice. But no such luck.

 

Sunday morning we spotted a nice heard and the heard buck was a good one. This time we set up by some cacti and waited. They worked right towards us and everything was coming together. The does lead the way and the buck followed. He stopped at 260 yards and started digging. My daughter was on a stool and rested on the tripod. I thought it was a for sure thing. Well, another miss and off they went. About an hout later, spotted another nice heard buck. And once again, we were busted as we moved in........Sunday afternoon we settled in and glassed a nice buck. Watched him bed and walked out in the dark. We did not spook him and the does.

 

Monday morning we walked in early and thought we would get there before they got up. Well, no such luck and they were already feeding. They were feeding away from us but when the buck was forced to chase off a coyote, we closed the distance. This coyote was very persistant and kept trying to get to the does. Three more coyotes moved in and this buck was working hard. The coyotes finally gave up and as the buck walked back to the does, my daughter had a 250 yard shot. He stopped and she shot - another miss high. She shot again and the shot went left into the dirt. Needless to say, she was extreemely dissapointed.

 

As we sat there we did not say too much to each other. I told her it was ok and we should wait it out and see what happens. About 30 minutes later, I glass her buck. He was only about 180 yards when I spotted him and he filled the entire field of my 16s. He looked huge. As he closed to 165, she pulled the trigger and down he went. She was so happy and thankful. We both were. She shot him at 8:00am. The truck was almost 2 miles away. The next 2 and half hours was tough, but I am pretty sure we were smiling and talking the whole time.

 

 

 

[Flatlander]

Love it!

[PseAZ]

Awesome story, glad you guys were able to get out and experience it together.

[DUG]

Congrats on a well deserved buck! Great job!

[Redman]

Thank you for the write up, very special indeed. Congrats to a daughter and father team

[Guest oneshot]

OutStanding!!!

[Eagle mountain ranch]

Very nice , really cool . Congrats

[218buck]

Great job congrats great memories there

[Zeke-BE]

Awesome!!!!! Great write up!

[anthonyrmatthews]

Awesome story and Congrats on a beautiful antelope!

[Allforelk]

Love families that hunt together! Nice goat!

[6ANut]

Great write up Sam, thanks for sharing your daughter's success.

[IA Born]

Great story and Go Jacks!!

 

Congrats on a great buck!

[Couzer]

Wow great job!!!!!! Congrats, proud dad right there!!!

[8OWHUNT247]

Well Done!!