Live Hunts - Wyoming Archery Antelope Hunt - September 18

Live Hunts - Wyoming Archery Antelope Hunt - September 18 - Day 2

September 18 - Day 2
Wyoming Archery Antelope Hunt

Tuesday
Got to the water hole plenty early this morning to set up my blind and get things organized before light. Had a bit of a time getting the blind stakes stuck into the hard ground, but a nearby heavy, flat rock helped me out with that.

I got organized with time to spare, and greatly anticipated daylight. This is the first time I have ever bowhunted antelope at a water hole blind. I'm curious to see what it's like.

Shortly after the sun rose, I saw my first antelope, coming over a hill towards water. 2 does. They got to about 35 yards and came close to the water, but the sight of the blind was just a little too much for them, and they circled back to try the other side. They didn't like that side either, so never actually came in to drink. Shortly after that, a smallish buck came in and did pretty much the same thing, then left. After him, a very nice buck (15" plus) came over the hill on the left side, a few hundred yards away, chasing some does. He only made a brief appearance. A little later, he showed up again, again chasing does. The third time he showed he actually stuck around a few hundred yards out. He and his adult does were a little leary of the blind, though, I think. The wind was also swirling pretty good. The only antelope that actually came into the water and drank were 2 fawns, in the top photo on this page.

At least someone didn't mind my blind - too much

A view out one side of my blind

From about 10 a.m. till 1 p.m., I felt like I was the main event at a beef cattle convention. That's right, this was the best cow water for miles around, apparently. Probably had 100 bovine's around me at one point. From about 12:30 until 5, antelope activity was dead, then a pretty nice buck made an appearance at about 500 yards and was on a mission/beeline towards the water. He acted like he didn't have a care in the world until he got to about 45 yards, farther than I wanted to shoot. Then he pulled up short, looking at the blind, and didn't like the situation. He circled to the other side, didn't like that either, decided to pull out. Saw a few more does and little bucks running around on the hill, then called it a day. Saw quite a bit of activity today, hopeful that they will not mind the blind as much tomorrow. Incidentally, your hind end does get a tad sore sitting for almost 14 hours. Also, I am sorry to relate that most of the photos I took through the shoot-through netting of my blind focused on the netting instead of the subject. Sorry about that.

Now THAT is a beautiful sunset

- Go to Day 3 of the Hunt -

Trip Notes
This hunt takes place about 60 miles northeast of Douglas, Wyoming. I'll be hunting public land on the Thunder Basin National Grasslands. This is a self-guided hunt. When looking for an area to hunt, my criteria were: lots of public land, good numbers of antelope, and broken terrain for stalking. I don't have the patience to sit all day every day at a water hole, so I'm starting this hunt out as a spot and stalk hunt. I have my ICE blind and may resort to using it at the end of the hunt if I've not had much success stalking and decoying. I believe they should be in the rut right now and hopefully responsive to a decoy. I'm not holding out for a trophy, just an average buck would make me happy. Like each of the last 3 Live Hunts, in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, this is new country that I've not previously hunted. I've hunted antelope in Wyoming, but nowhere near here. As always, it's very exciting to hunt new areas.

Equipment
I'm shooting a Martin Jaguar bow, set at 72 lbs. Arrows are 29-inch Easton 3-60 ACC's, with Wasp 125 gr. 3-blade SST Hammer broadheads. Depending on the terrain, I'm wearing almost exclusively Predator camoflauge. I have Fall Gray, Spring Green, Fall Brown, and Evolution with me on the trip, and will probably use all of them. Predator is awesome, and particularly in the Rocky Mountain West. I've also got a new Master Guide backpack made by Crooked Horn Outfitters that I'm eager to try out.

e-mail Joshua Flournoy

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