Has it really been a year since my last post. I guess I went on blogger-comp. It's not like I haven't had any hobbies in the last year but after being retired for nine years it became difficult to write about how much fun I was having. Salmon fishing on the Sac last year was pretty good and Steelhead fishing on the Trinity was good also, but not good enough to inspire me to blog about it. I skipped the annual trip to the Umpqua and made a lot of sawdust in the wood shop. Bass fishing at Almanor in April was just OK, the Hex hatch never amounted to much but the Florida trip was a blast. We got there just after a hurricane passed which made the Red Fishing suck. The surf fishing was a new experience but the Margaritas were very smooth and the trip home was a story in itself. The best part of Florida was the bonding time we had with Jody and Kerry and we can't wait to get back soon.
I guess that brings us current with what has been going on and I guess it took a once in a lifetime experience to inspire my keyboard to start clicking again. Earlier this month I logged on to the Dept of Fishing and Game website to check on our deer tag drawings and I couldn't believe my eyes when I was drawn for an Archery Antelope tag in Big Valley. I was bouncing off the walls and sputtering incoherent words of joy when Michele asked what was the big deal. Big Deal..... I hit the friggin lottery was my answer. Zone 5 Antelope has approximately 2500 square miles of hunting and I drew the one and only tag. No competition for the good spots, land owners that hate Antelope as much as the darn squirrels that eat their profits and friends in the right places to make contacts and scout for the big one. Was I dreaming?
Needless to say I have been spending countless hours of research on the web and many sleepless nights in anticipation of bagging my first ever Antelope. To put things into perspective I talked to a hay contractor working on the ranch I will be hunting a few days ago and he said his son has been putting in for an Antelope tag for 28 years without luck. I spoke to many hunters who have maximum points and still haven't been drawn for an Antelope in over ten years. I'm a lucky man.
Michele and I just got home today after spending five days in Big Valley watching the goats. The hay ranch I will be hunting has a current herd of about 70 to 100 Antelope. The best I could figure there was about 10 to 15 shooter bucks with 3 in the record book range. One buck has been chased by hunters for the last three years and have named him the Heart Buck because his horns have such a curl that they almost touch in the center. I only saw him one day and when he looked directly at me that perfect heart over his head made my heart jump a beat or two. I'm certainly not going to pass up any good bucks waiting for Mr. Heart, so to bag him I'll probably have to hit a second lottery.
After five days of watching the habits of this herd I think I have it wired. There are three lakes on the property and many ditches with water so setting up on a water hole is almost useless. Spot and stock is very difficult because of the number of eyes in the field and most of the bucks are in small groups of 4 to 6 and Antelope have very good eyes. I have decided to start by setting up my blind in a pinch point where the animals walk through a 40 yard strip between one the the dams and a grassy ditch. There are a few other good pinch points but the prevailing wind makes it impossible to setup a good ambush spot. Michele and I setup the blind on Sunday and look who came to watch.
These girls are about 70 yards from my blind location.
Notice the green grass line behind the antelope. My blind is at the far left end of this ditch.
These antelope just passed through the pinch point and are paralleling the ditch. The prevailing wind is left to right.
All of these photos were taken with my iPhone because I left my regular camera at home. Michele will be sitting with me in the blind videoing the hunt. The plan is to park at the barn and walk about a half mile across one of the dams and down the ditch to the blind. I didn't see any goats cross this ditch in 5 days. They all passed through the pinch point between the ditch and the second dam. Antelope are funny animals because they won't jump fences and don't like areas with tall grass, bushes and trees. Areas like this are where their predators hide in ambush. (like me) We will enter the blind before first light and exit when it gets too hot to bare. Back to Adin (camp) for lunch and hopefully I can post updates on the hunt daily. The antelope bed down during the heat of the day and get up late in the day and feed until dark. We will re-enter the blind about 4 pm and exit at dark.
I think I'm ready. Check out this four shot group at 30 yards. My pinch point is 40 yards wide with the major trail at 30 yards. Now if it weren't for buck fever I might be confident.
