Post by phil46 on Jan 31, 2022 17:41:31 GMT -6
Montana Pronghorn
In 2004 my buddy David and I decided we wanted to try for a pronghorn. It was too late in the year to set up for that year so we decided to try for 2005. After doing the research and talking to some outfitters, we decided on an outfitter in South Dakota. Two other buddies, Donnie and Sammie, decided they would go also. This outfitter’s ranch was right on the Montana/ South Dakota border and he had hunting areas in each state. Sammie and I got tags in Montana, David and Donnie got tags in South Dakota.
We decided to hunt the third week in September when the rut would be on. We would hunt out of blinds over waterholes. I shoot longbows, but since I was concerned with clearance I elected to use my 62” Blackwidow recurve, 54 lbs at 28 inches. For arrows I would use Grizzlystics tipped with 160 grain, 2 blade Magnus broadheads. David and Donnie would also be using Blackwidow recurves. We won’t talk about what Sammie was using. Just before we were ready to leave Virginia, I received a letter from Montana offering leftover doe tags. It was getting close to time to leave, so I purchased a doe tag and made arrangements to have it mailed to my outfitter.
We arrived at the ranch and got settled in on the 19th. The rancher, Alvin, showed us around and assigned each of us a spot over a waterhole. We saw lots of pronghorns and the bucks were busy chasing does. Then we shot our bows for a while. Later that evening, Alvin drove us out to an alfalfa patch where we saw some great whitetails. After he fed us a huge dinner we settled into the bunkhouse to try to get a good night’s sleep. After the long drive from Virginia we were dead tired, but sleep didn’t come easy, with big bucks running through our dreams.
Early the next morning, Monday, Alvin drove us out to our spots and dropped us off with plenty of water and lunch. He would check on us periodically during the day. He would not approach the blinds but would check with binoculars. If we needed him we would put up a small flag and he would come in. It was warm but not hot. I had pronghorns in view almost all day. It was entertaining watching the bucks chase does, and the bigger bucks chasing off the smaller bucks. I had several small bucks and does come to the water, but nothing I wanted to shoot. I had decided I wouldn’t shoot a doe until after I had a buck on the ground. Alvin picked me up just after dark and said that Donnie had taken a nice buck. Donnie was through as he did not have a doe tag.
Tuesday morning Alvin dropped me off again, and I settled in for a long day. Again, pronghorns were constantly in view. Midmorning a nice buck came into the water hole. He stopped on the far side of the water hole, about 25 yards out. He turned broadside and dropped his head to drink. When he had settled in and was drinking steadily. I picked a spot, came to anchor and released the string. The arrow just clipped hair off his back. The rest of the day I just had small bucks and does come in. When Alvin picked me up he said that both David and Sammie had taken bucks. David was now through, but Sammie still had a doe tag
Wednesday morning Alvin dropped me off again. All morning I had small bucks and does come in. There was one pretty nice buck came in, but he would never settle down and give me a shot. Midafternoon, I had a decent buck start working in toward the water. After about 1 ½ hours he finally came on in. He stopped at water’s edge about 15 yards from the blind. He was slightly quartering away from me. I picked a spot, came to anchor and released. The shot looked a little far back as he ran out of sight. Looking at the edge of the blind window I could see that my broadhead had clipped the edge of the blind window. I put up the flag and waited for Alvin to come in. By this time it was almost dark and after talking over the hit with Alvin we decided to wait until next morning to take up the trail. Alvin told me that Sammie had got a doe so he was through.
Thursday morning we only had a blood trail for about 50 yards. Since it was open country, Alvin took his ATV and scouted the countryside to see if he could spot the buck. Finally, about 600 yards from where we had lost the blood trail he spotted the buck lying dead in the bottom of a shallow gully. I now had my buck and it was time to concentrate on a doe. I got into the blind about noon. All afternoon I had does coming into the water, but none presented a shot.
Friday morning found me back in the blind. Throughout the morning I had does and some bucks coming into the water, but no shot. At about 1:00 I had a doe come in. She stopped outside of the window away from the water. She stood there, broadside, at about 15 yards. She didn’t act like she was going to commit to the water so I decided to take the shot. As the arrow sliced through her it looked like a good hit. She ran out about 40 yards and laid down. Her head was still up so I just settled down to wait. After about 30 minutes her head started to sink. I gave her another 15 minutes and she didn’t show any sign of life so I eased out to her, she was dead. I went back to the blind and raised the flag for Alvin to come in.
In 2004 my buddy David and I decided we wanted to try for a pronghorn. It was too late in the year to set up for that year so we decided to try for 2005. After doing the research and talking to some outfitters, we decided on an outfitter in South Dakota. Two other buddies, Donnie and Sammie, decided they would go also. This outfitter’s ranch was right on the Montana/ South Dakota border and he had hunting areas in each state. Sammie and I got tags in Montana, David and Donnie got tags in South Dakota.
We decided to hunt the third week in September when the rut would be on. We would hunt out of blinds over waterholes. I shoot longbows, but since I was concerned with clearance I elected to use my 62” Blackwidow recurve, 54 lbs at 28 inches. For arrows I would use Grizzlystics tipped with 160 grain, 2 blade Magnus broadheads. David and Donnie would also be using Blackwidow recurves. We won’t talk about what Sammie was using. Just before we were ready to leave Virginia, I received a letter from Montana offering leftover doe tags. It was getting close to time to leave, so I purchased a doe tag and made arrangements to have it mailed to my outfitter.
We arrived at the ranch and got settled in on the 19th. The rancher, Alvin, showed us around and assigned each of us a spot over a waterhole. We saw lots of pronghorns and the bucks were busy chasing does. Then we shot our bows for a while. Later that evening, Alvin drove us out to an alfalfa patch where we saw some great whitetails. After he fed us a huge dinner we settled into the bunkhouse to try to get a good night’s sleep. After the long drive from Virginia we were dead tired, but sleep didn’t come easy, with big bucks running through our dreams.
Early the next morning, Monday, Alvin drove us out to our spots and dropped us off with plenty of water and lunch. He would check on us periodically during the day. He would not approach the blinds but would check with binoculars. If we needed him we would put up a small flag and he would come in. It was warm but not hot. I had pronghorns in view almost all day. It was entertaining watching the bucks chase does, and the bigger bucks chasing off the smaller bucks. I had several small bucks and does come to the water, but nothing I wanted to shoot. I had decided I wouldn’t shoot a doe until after I had a buck on the ground. Alvin picked me up just after dark and said that Donnie had taken a nice buck. Donnie was through as he did not have a doe tag.
Tuesday morning Alvin dropped me off again, and I settled in for a long day. Again, pronghorns were constantly in view. Midmorning a nice buck came into the water hole. He stopped on the far side of the water hole, about 25 yards out. He turned broadside and dropped his head to drink. When he had settled in and was drinking steadily. I picked a spot, came to anchor and released the string. The arrow just clipped hair off his back. The rest of the day I just had small bucks and does come in. When Alvin picked me up he said that both David and Sammie had taken bucks. David was now through, but Sammie still had a doe tag
Wednesday morning Alvin dropped me off again. All morning I had small bucks and does come in. There was one pretty nice buck came in, but he would never settle down and give me a shot. Midafternoon, I had a decent buck start working in toward the water. After about 1 ½ hours he finally came on in. He stopped at water’s edge about 15 yards from the blind. He was slightly quartering away from me. I picked a spot, came to anchor and released. The shot looked a little far back as he ran out of sight. Looking at the edge of the blind window I could see that my broadhead had clipped the edge of the blind window. I put up the flag and waited for Alvin to come in. By this time it was almost dark and after talking over the hit with Alvin we decided to wait until next morning to take up the trail. Alvin told me that Sammie had got a doe so he was through.
Thursday morning we only had a blood trail for about 50 yards. Since it was open country, Alvin took his ATV and scouted the countryside to see if he could spot the buck. Finally, about 600 yards from where we had lost the blood trail he spotted the buck lying dead in the bottom of a shallow gully. I now had my buck and it was time to concentrate on a doe. I got into the blind about noon. All afternoon I had does coming into the water, but none presented a shot.
Friday morning found me back in the blind. Throughout the morning I had does and some bucks coming into the water, but no shot. At about 1:00 I had a doe come in. She stopped outside of the window away from the water. She stood there, broadside, at about 15 yards. She didn’t act like she was going to commit to the water so I decided to take the shot. As the arrow sliced through her it looked like a good hit. She ran out about 40 yards and laid down. Her head was still up so I just settled down to wait. After about 30 minutes her head started to sink. I gave her another 15 minutes and she didn’t show any sign of life so I eased out to her, she was dead. I went back to the blind and raised the flag for Alvin to come in.
