# Montana Extravaganza



## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Just got back from my second trip to the Big Sky country trying to score on an antelope. The first time up over the opening weekend was a rain out and waterhole hunting was a bust. So, AP and I just hung out and enjoyed the Fallon County Fair and Rodeo for three days...

When I arrived in town last Friday night it was 91 degrees and not a cloud in sight. Perfect water hole hunting weather! So I slipped into my blind the next morning with high hopes of seeing lots of goats and shooting a really nice buck. The morning prime time came and went and I hadn't seen a hair of a goat. Nothing! Ap texted me and asked me how many I'd passed up so far and I texted back that I hadn't even seen one yet. He said, "is there any water in the tank?" Well, I thought, now it never occurred to me to even look. It was full of water two weeks ago... But, sure enough, the rancher had piped off the water and run it up over the hill to a different tank so his cows could drink. **O**

Plan B. So I climbed out of my blind and drove over to AP's to look at the goat population there. Goats EVERYWHERE! So many in fact I couldn't get in the blind without them seeing me so I had to wait all day and go in the next morning. I climbed into the blind the next morning in the middle of the antelope petting zoo and settled in. By noon it was 93 degrees and climbing and I still hadn't seen any antelope yet. *WTF!* No goats! _and_ no cows either... The day before there had been cows all over the place and today there were none. Hmmmm. Well, later I found out that the evening before Good Ol' Fred Hoosvicka decided to jump on his wheeler and move all the cows on this place over tho another place. And in doing so, ran all the goats plumb out of the country! Great! Now what? So, the next day I jumped into another blind on a different water hole and sat another *14 HOURS* in the 95 degree heat only to find out the wind was wrong all day and the only buck that came in that day smelled me and split. The antelope Gods clearly hated me. :evil:

Sitting a blind on a water hole for 14 hours will give you a lot of time to solve the worlds problems and see a ton of other wildlife. The bird life on the prairie is awesome and I had quite a variety show up and pose for some pictures.

Meadowlark









Clay Colored Sparrow with a prize Hopper for supper.









And there were *THOUSANDS* of these guys.









I had all but given up on Antelope hunting and was ready to just hunt birds the rest of the week. Then late the next after noon I came along a small buck out feeding all alone. I watched him bed just under a hilltop in some tall grass. The wind was right and he'd really put himself in a stupid and vulnerable place. The sneak was on. I got the terrain in my favor and jockeyed around so I could come up behind him. Just as I crested the hill I slowed it way down and took one inch steps the rest of the way. I was able to get within about 30 yards of him and shot him in his bed.  WhooooHooooo! My Antelope monkey was off my back!

Not the biggest buck in the herd but I don't care!









Go to the Upland forum to see the bird hunting half of my trip.


----------



## HunterDavid (Sep 10, 2007)

Congrats Tex! Very nice!

HunterDavid :wink:


----------



## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Good going Tex-O-Bob. Looks like you got those new arrows bloody too. Sounds like you had a lot of fun.


----------



## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Way to go with the slow bow! Nice Lope. I would have shot it too. :mrgreen:


----------



## north slope (Sep 8, 2007)

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: nice work :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:


----------



## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Good to see you again little troll buddy!


----------



## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

Not only is that buckie not the biggest in the herd.......................................He's the SMALLEST!  Great job Tex 0 Bobber. I have been hunting them viscious critters nearly every day. I have a couple of doe tags and the fact that you snuck into long bow range is way cool. I have had a couple of shots but every time, the Antelope is in the next county before the arrow gets there. They are FAST!


----------



## stillhuntin (Feb 14, 2008)

Congratulations tex-O-Bob. :mrgreen: 
That one crest looks a little smeared tho :?:


----------



## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Good job. Spot and stalk has to be way cool.


----------



## Firstarrow (Sep 28, 2007)

Schweeeet pic!

Tell us about the shaft (weight make up etc) and broad head.

Thanks!


----------



## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Home made cedar arrows:

11/32 shaft hand straightened to within .005.

5.5 inch natural barred turkey feather fletch burned to shape.

Black lacquer cap dip with custom crest.

145 grain snuffer broadhead.

Mercury nock.

Total arrow weight, 625 grains.


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Nice work there Tex.Glad to see you get one. Now injoy those steaks.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

nice job tex. it is good to see you kill that stupid monkey and some great table fare.


----------



## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

alpinebowman said:


> nice job tex. it is good to see you kill that stupid monkey and some great table fare.


You got that right! All that shooting I did this summer with the longbow paid off. I still can't believe I made a 30 yard shot with that thing! :shock: AND, it was windy too! :shock: :shock:

And speaking of table fare.  For me, it's a toss-up between antelope and deer as my very favorite wild game meat. (non bird) Give me a goat tenderloin cooked medium rare on the barby-Q... I need a new pantie-shield!


----------



## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

with a 625gr arrow I'm pretty sure you could make an accurate shot in a hurricane!


----------



## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Mass = Stability... What a concept. Who knew...


----------



## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

you're beginning to make me wonder why we ever switched over from spears to bow/arrows! hehe
Tex, you and Anaconda are like Utah's own little Tred Bartas...love it!


----------



## Anaconda Pintler (Oct 29, 2007)

Do not ever refer to me a Tred I think he is a phony bastage! Taking unresponsible shots at whatever game and distances and then playing off a lost critter as "Oh Well that is the way it goes sometime" I absolutely cannot stand him and his unethical ways! He gives traditional bowhunting a badlight! Now is there any questions on how I feel about this loser? :mrgreen:


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> alpinebowman said:
> 
> 
> > nice job tex. it is good to see you kill that stupid monkey and some great table fare.
> ...


Amen man. I will be throwing a couple on the barbie in a day or 2 and I can't wait. I also wish I had that tall grass you had to use. we had an abundance of 4" grass and not a sign of a sagebrush or tumble weed within a mile of any goat we could hunt. Needless to say my shots were slightly longer than 30 yards :wink:


----------



## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

my bad...I think he's a clown...sorry...hit a sensitive spot :lol:


----------



## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Well, you can call me Tred, or you can call me Fred, but ya doesn't have to call me Johnson...


----------

