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Offline Willibow

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First Archery Tag!
« on: May 30, 2015, 02:37:41 am »
Finally drew an archery tag! Been trying for three years. Looks like my first archery hunt will be for antelope in the east half of Pershing county, NV. Big game tags are given out on a lottery,  here in NV so to finally get an archery tag is a big deal. I couldn't be more excited!  Now I've got to get my latest bow finished.

Do you remember the feeling of drawing your first archery tag? August can't come soon enough  ;D
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Lord, grant me the courage to attempt this bow build.
The strength to pull it to full draw.
And the wisdom to listen to the wood.
-- Bowyers prayer

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2015, 08:02:50 am »
In Michigan our deer tags are much easier to get, at least for now. We had a huge EHD breakout 3 years ago that killed a lot of deer and just a few days ago they found the first wild deer with CWD. My guess is our easy tags are going to get harder real soon.

Congrats on your tag draw and enjoy your hunt(s).
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2015, 02:46:30 pm »
Hope you have a quiet set-up!  Them speed goats are faster than any knitting needle arrow fired from the fastest wheelie bow ever built!  Why, they even run so fast they often arrive at their destinations long before they start the journey!  That's why it often looks like you have missed them with an arrow....you see, they caught the flight of the arrow from the corner of their amazingly powerful eyesight, ran away over the hill, spent a little time grazing and loafing before becoming overwhelmed with curiosity that made them run back over the hill and stand in a spot close, but not too close, to where they stood before....just to watch your arrow fly by!

Post pics of your hunt, win or lose, brother!
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Offline DC

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2015, 03:58:15 pm »
I spotted a couple when I was on holiday. They were standing right by the road. By the time I got stopped and took a picture all I got was two little white butts on the horizon. North American cheetahs went extinct trying to catch them.
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Offline Traxx

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2015, 09:20:41 pm »
Saw about the biggest buck ive seen,in quite a while,standing in an old hayfield by himself,out in Palamino valley the other day.
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Offline Willibow

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2015, 06:30:34 pm »
Thanks for the encouragement and humor everyone. I've got a scouting trip scheduled for the weekend of the 10th of June. Hopefully I can find where they hang out in my area.

I've also got to get a new bow built and a set of arrows by the first week in August. Lots to do!

I'll try and remember to take some pictures so the story can go up, either way :-)
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Lord, grant me the courage to attempt this bow build.
The strength to pull it to full draw.
And the wisdom to listen to the wood.
-- Bowyers prayer

Offline crooketarrow

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2015, 10:41:09 pm »
  Same way here in WV. here we can also buy all kinds of exture tags. Antelope with a self bow thats a perty good step for yor first hunt. GOOD LUCK
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2015, 10:33:05 pm »
Driving across South Dakota today, I saw a decent antelope buck.  His horns were not particularly long, maybe 13 inchers, but he had big ol' cutters spading out from the main beam.  I grinned to myself and thought of you, brother. 

Every day is a day closer!
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Offline Willibow

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2015, 01:23:04 pm »
Hey gang,

I hunted for a week, from August 1 to 7 last week. Did all spot and stalk hunting, no blind or decoys used. 

Opening morning was the closest I got to one of those speed goats at about 10 feet. He was bedded down under the same juniper tree me and my buddy were going to for shade. It was a downhill slope and I saw his ears and horns as we approached over a Mormon tea bush. We stopped and I drew an arrow from my homemade limb quiver. That's when I learned one of those lessons that stay with you for life...

My limb quiver holds three arrows. I grabbed from the broadhead-end and pulled on it. Of course this caused the feather end to move. Those feathers touched ever so slightly and rustled. At about ten feet, any sound was too much sound and he bolted!

I never did get as close again. I managed to sneak to 50-60 yards several times on different bucks and groups. I even managed to get sub-30 yards on one group of 11; too bad it turned out to be all does and fawns!

Long week, but tons of fun. My season ends the 20th, so I took this Friday off to go out for one more weekend. Hopefully I can make it happen! I sure have learned a lot in the week I've hunted these speed goats!

Also, I've gotta' say I'm 100% hooked on archery hunting. It's so much more personal and deliberate. Really a game of wits, trying to outsmart the prey much more than I ever had to with rifle hunting. So much fun!

I'll post some pictures up next week after the season is over. Hopefully I'll have some of an animal, but even if not it's been the most fun I've ever had hunting; hands down!
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Lord, grant me the courage to attempt this bow build.
The strength to pull it to full draw.
And the wisdom to listen to the wood.
-- Bowyers prayer

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2015, 09:36:57 pm »
Quote from: Willibow on August 12, 2015, 01:23:04 pm
Also, I've gotta' say I'm 100% hooked on archery hunting. It's so much more personal and deliberate. Really a game of wits, trying to outsmart the prey much more than I ever had to with rifle hunting. So much fun!



More personal and deliberate. Boy howdy, did you ever say a mouthful. I know a guy that quit because it was a little too personal and he could not take it.  You will understand that for your first kill, but not until.

And a game of wits?  And we show up virtually unarmed, LOL!

I saw a monster of a buck this last week at Custer State Park here in South Dakota.  He was head down and grazing on a little swell of ground on the edge of a prairie dog town.  I drove past until out of sight and pulled over.  I trotted thru the potbellied tourist attraction fat-rats and up the hill.  I had the wind right at my back blowing up and over to him.  One prairie dog after another gave the alarm call and it was echoing back and forth across the prairie. There was no way this mature speedgoat buck could not know I was coming his way.  But as I crested the hill, the first thing I saw was his withers!  Head down and puttin' on the feedbag at under 20 yds!

I crouched over and duckwalked a little closer until my foot kicked a stray rock and his head came popping up.  I was at about 15 yds with him quartering toward me.  Not the best archery shot in the world, but it was not season and I had no bow AND I was in a State Park! 

They are a little goggle-eyed to begin with, but his did the Warner Brothers Cartoon thing and popped outa his head!!!  He lit the afterburners and scorched the earth for 20 yds.  I hollered "KEWWW!" and he pulled up short like someone had stood in the stirrups and leaned back on the reins.  Apparently he was suddenly interested in looking for the boss doe shouting warnings at him. 

I had a good chance to look him over at a broadside view at 35 yds.  Either he had record short ears or me may have gone as much as 17 inches with narrow but long spades.  I was sweating and shaking and laughing, dang I miss hunting them things. 

Looking forward to the pics and the stories.  And next time, have arrows ready, pilgrim!
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Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Willibow

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #10 on: August 12, 2015, 09:46:12 pm »
They will be posted Halverson. I was warned (wisely, I think) against traveling with one nocked by a buddy who tripped and had a broadhead go through his calf. That's definitely one lesson I DONT want to learn the hard way, hah! So I don't ready an arrow until I know a shot is 99% going to happen.

My arrows stay in the quiver a lot HAHA!
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Lord, grant me the courage to attempt this bow build.
The strength to pull it to full draw.
And the wisdom to listen to the wood.
-- Bowyers prayer

Offline Traxx

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2015, 01:21:03 am »
Spot and Stalk is definitely the toughest way to hunt Tannu.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2015, 01:30:44 am by Traxx »
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Offline Pappy

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Re: First Archery Tag!
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2015, 07:07:58 am »
Thanks for the update, sounds like a great week, good luck on you next hunt. :)
 Pappy
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