# Bagged a LOPE



## 2litl2l8 (Jan 16, 2008)

Like always sorry about the grammar.

So I will start of this report by doleing out my thanks. First is to my wife for all that she does for me. Ashley if it weren't for you, I would not have a blind in the first place and second I would have never been able to make the shot. Also thanks for going out there until 1am with me to help set up the blind. Thank you for finding the wood for me to make my blind. 
2nd person to thank will be my father-in-law for being my guide for the last 5 years, thank you for being my scout out in the middle of no-where and finding me the perfect spot. Thank you for getting me into hunting, and I hope that you will continue to be my hunting partner. 
Now I will start this by saying that this is an opening day antelope. It is not that big and not close to being a "book" lope. That said and the reason I am writing this out is...this has probably been the most interesting hunt I have ever been on. Okay now to begin. 
I put n for antelope this spring with 1 point from last year. You can probably imagine my surprise when I drew the tag (no central deer though). A few days later is when I realized that I had accidentally put in for the archery antelope, I thought of just turning my tag in but my wife kept talking me out if it. So I started my research. Did you know that antelope deemed to be the hardest North American big game animal to hunt (spot and stalk). I didn't know that until after I had purchased my bow, being my first bow hunt and the fact that I am as graceful as a moose on a ice rink, I decided to just use a blind. Well the summer flew by as they have a tendency to do and before I knew it was August and I still did not have a blind set up. Luckily my father-in-law works out in the desert and he had found a beautiful little pond that had a few buck watering on it. We loaded the kids in the car and headed out to the desert with a few pieces of wood and some shovels. After 2 hours we had successfully dug about 2.5 inches. I was so frustrated that I was going to turn my tag in on the way home, but once again my loving wife talked me out of it. I only had a week to get my blind set up and it was going to have to be completely above ground. I having only ever hunted mule deer was completely skeptical of the whole blind idea. I also had limited fund age because some fool had stolen a check out of my car and written a $450.00 check and my bank has to wait 6 weeks before they give me my money back. Once again my beautiful wife came to my rescue, She had put an ad on KSL for scrap wood and she had collected several large pieces of ply wood and several 2x4's. So once again we headed out to the desert. We didn't get out there until it was almost dark. I really don't know what to say about my blind and all you other hunters out there will laugh at the sight of it.


















By the time I was done the only thing that came to my head was...stupid. I kept thinking this is so stupid, this is never going to work I am going to sit in this stupid thing for a week and nothing is going to come in the water right. 
I headed out to the blind on Friday night about 5:30pm with my brother (we took care of some jackrabbits) he headed home at about midnight and I realized I had left my tag at home so I followed him. When I got home I was happy to see that my wife was still awake I figured if she was sleeping there is a good chance that I would get shot. She rolled her eyes at me when I explained what had happened and made a comment about the price of gas. By the time I got back out to the middle of nowhere it was 3:45am. I layed down in my blind in the dirt and tried to sleep. My watch alarm went off at 5:30am and I wanted to cry. I sat up and stared out and the pond and once again thought I was stupid for even trying to get a antelope in this idiotic way. The sun came up and still no antelope. I stood up as much as I could and tried to get a look around the back side of the blind witch I had not thought to put an opening in. Completely frustrated because there where no antelope in sight I plopped back down in the dirt and about crapped myself because right out of the window there was a doe about 20 yards away getting drink of water I froze because I was sure the lope could see right into the blind. I very slowly and carefully reached for the camera clicked it on and snapped a picture...stupid me forgot to turn off the flash and I about panicked, the lope looked straight at me and went back to drinking.










Well that lope left and once again I was alone. Just as I as about to give up again a buck walked into view. I know that he was nervous, it walked down to the water too far out for me to shoot. Someone with more experience would have hit it no problem. All of the sudden it jerked its head up and ran back from the water about 20 yards and stopped. That is when I got the picture.










I figured something was coming because it kept looking off to the side where I couldn't see. I figured I was done for the day when 2 more bucks came into view. One was quite large and the second one was about the same as the first, he just bolted to the water right in front of me and I could not pass him up. Now everything that I have read and seen pretty much points out that with a bow antelope can usually run about 100-200 yards after they have been hit. I hit mine and it immediately hit the ground and my hunt was over. Oh ya and lopes REEK.










In this picture it looks like I hit is pretty far back but the lope was quartering away so I feel that it was a pretty good shot as it angled through the vitals.



















This is what happens when you buy cheap $6 broad heads from Wal-Mart


----------



## billybass23 (Sep 11, 2007)

Great Story, it teaches not to be so quick on giving up when a dificult oppurtunity presents its self. Nice job, that's a trophy with a bow for sure! I'm jealous :mrgreen: What hunt draw was that, just wondering?


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Thanks for sharing; how far of a shot was it? That shot did look really far back, but for quartering away looks pretty good. Congrats!


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Great story. Nice antelope. 

Love the blind.


----------



## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

Great story and I'm happy for you and your success. 

I don't know if you are going to have him mounted. If you aren't then it's no big deal but if you are then I need to give you some advice that might be as valuble as buying better broadheads. Wrap your head and cape in towells or other cloths instead of using plastic. Plastic will not allow the hide to breath and especially when it's warm your hide will slip and you will lose the hair. Never, Never, Never use plastic. (I should have used one more Never) Like I said if your doing a European mount or just a buck horn then Never mind and others might learn something but you might be in trouble if your having it tanned and mounted.  The problem is that I might be Too Little Too Late. ha ha

Again, Great story and congrats on your effort and hard work coming to pass.


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Nice job! I also loved your story. 

I sure hope you stick with bow hunting.


----------



## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

What a story! And what a buck! Nice goin'.

I guess you learned some things about pronghorns.

#1 They need water every day and they'll usually throw caution to 
the wind to get it. Even ignoring any strange new structures.
And once they've decided to go after it, almost nothing will 
deter them.

#2 They've got the best long distance eyes and legs there is and 
they become so dependent on them, they don't use their ears 
or noses that much to detect danger. They saw your blind a 
long way off, but since they didn't see any movement, they 
weren't afraid of it. And by the time they got to it, they had 
already accepted it.

#3 They don't see real well and cant judge distance up close
because their eyes are designed for long distance viewing and 
are set too far apart to focus up close.

#4 They're not that hard to bring down. They're thin-skinned and
their lungs and hearts are oversized for all that running, so the
vital zone is much larger than we think.

#5 They reek! Especially during the archery season which is during
the rut. Maybe it's too late for your situation, but they need
to be field dressed, washed out inside with a damp rag and/or
water, carefully skinned at the kill site and cooled ASAP. The 
smell is mostly on the outside where they do the usual peeing 
on themselves, rolling in the sagebrush and dirt, so DON"T let
the hair touch the meat and don't touch the meat with the 
field dressing gloves you used to skin the animal. Quarter the 
animal, but only after you skin/cape it. Take several pairs of 
skinning gloves! And bring a big cooler of ice to put the 
quarters in. And butcher it right away, don't age it! When
done properly, the meat is actually quite good.

#6 Pronghorn Archery tags are much easier to get than rifle tags.

Glad you had fun and welcome to the world of bowhunting antelope.


----------



## 2litl2l8 (Jan 16, 2008)

billybass23 said:


> What hunt draw was that, just wondering?


Riverbed



Huge29 said:


> how far of a shot was it?


The shot was really close about 18 yards (paced out after the shot.)



elk22hunter said:


> Great story and I'm happy for you and your success.
> I don't know if you are going to have him mounted. Never, Never, Never use plastic.


I learned this on Saturday afternoon when I took him to the taxidermist. Lucky for me I was planning on just a European mount, but in the future I will Never, Never, Never, Never use plastic.



elkfromabove said:


> Maybe it's too late for your situation, but they need
> to be field dressed, washed out inside with a damp rag and/or
> water, carefully skinned at the kill site and cooled ASAP.


I skinned it in the field, pretty much butchered the whole thing out there. I cut the shoulders off, the hind quarters, backstraps and tenderloins, I even took the rib meat. I have several options if I don't like it....jerky and sausage.


----------



## Firstarrow (Sep 28, 2007)

Congrats!!!

Great story! There is something magic about the first year you pick up a bow.

I hope you've been converted to it.

Best of luck!


----------



## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Great story. You are right about the lopers smelling a bit. They are the stinkiest critters I've ever hunted. But tasty. Great hunt. Thanks for sharing the hunt.


----------



## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

A guy I work with here calls em "stink goats". :lol: I guess I've never been close enough to smell one but have wanted to hunt them for a while. Congrats on your trophy... he looks like a nice buck. I've had antelope salami and it was quite good so hopefully you enjoy your lope. 8)


----------



## Kill it and grill it (Aug 19, 2008)

Hey dude it's your brother in-law. I just puked in my mouth.  You got to be kidding me. I feel like I just got sucker punched. 

I'm calling beginners luck. So you going to convert to bow hunting now? Going play with the big boys. I read that a mature mule deer with a spot and stalk technique is the hardest animal to hunt. Bring it!!! 

Just playing, congratulations.

-Sam


----------



## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

GaryFish said:


> Great story. You are right about the lopers smelling a bit. *They are the stinkiest critters I've ever hunted.* But tasty. Great hunt. Thanks for sharing the hunt.


You have never hunted Javalina?


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Glad to see your hard work pay off. They are a fun to hunt. That a dandy buck there. What did he measure out at ? congrats on a good goat there. Btw nice shoot place ment.


----------



## 2litl2l8 (Jan 16, 2008)

Kill it and grill it said:


> Going play with the big boys. -Sam


I guess I am part of the big boys club...when are you going to join seeing as how you have yet to harvest anything :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:



dkhntrdstn said:


> What did he measure out at ? .


I negelected to tape him before the taxidermist got him.


----------



## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

> You have never hunted Javalina?


Aaaa, no.


----------



## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

You tube makes it look like a blast.... but a guy I've talked to here at Easton has hunted them and agrees, they're disgusting little buggers. Fun to shoot, but thats about it. He says they're weird critters... like if you shoot one, the others kinda try and drag it off to munch on it. I don't know.... maybe just a tall tale. At least with antelope, all you worry about is the smell. :lol:


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Riverrat77 said:


> but a guy I've talked to here at Easton has hunted them and agrees, they're disgusting little buggers.


It all depends on how fast you take care of them. I have had them in jerky there good that way.I have had tehm in a roast and there yummy that way and I ahve had them salomy and there yummy.

Yes they are a blast to hunt. You can put on stalk after stalk after for them.. I have not heard of any goats trying to drag the other one off to eat them . They will run or come back and see what going on. So i will call BS on the story. I hope you don't belive that Riley.


----------



## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

Oh, I was talking about javelina, not the antelope. :lol: Yeah, I haven't heard of any cannibal goats yet.... That antelope salami we had in the boat was definitely good stuff.


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

O dont know about them. I thought you where talking about some antelope there.


----------

