Archery speed goats in SE Idaho

[520backyard]

Well been scouting the last two days here in SE Idaho. First day I saw 9 bucks and about 30 does. First one I saw I did a half ass creep on and got to within about 70 yards before he busted. Second day I saw about 10 bucks 35 does. A couple of those bucks were pretty big I estimate they were 14-16" tall and pretty thick, their cutters were well above the ear. Talked to a local farmer and secured permission to hunt the area next to his field on his property. The desert bumps right up to one of his fields and those goats like to come in and water and eat. So I set up a blind and covered it with vegitation about 40 yards from the road and 40 yards from the field where a bunch of trails come in off the desert. The road was covered with lop tracks at that place so it's well used and the prevailing winds come off the desert. It's about 90 plus here and supposed to be getting hotter. It's like hunting on the moon when you are used to hunting western Washington. But I'm adapting to the conditions and just waiting for the season to open on wed the 15th. Going back out this afternoon to check out some new areas. If I can figure out how to post pics I will of the lops I am seeing.

[520backyard]

Well just got back in from the desert. I saw 9 bucks again today 30 plus does. Saw one buck three days in a row in the exact same area within a hundred yards. He's about average sized. I call him lonesome George because I have never seen him with any other lops. I think they may be entering the rut maybe because I saw a couple bucks with 4 or 5 does each. And a couple smaller bucks all alone. I have seen three bucks that look to be above average two of which were in a group of 15 or so does. Little windy today and hot. I'm seeing mostly the same bucks day after day. I know the area has good water and feed, plenty of does and those buck lops are not going anywhere until rifle season I bet. Might have a glitch in the ground blind pretty sure that irrigation pivot power head will hose my blind partially but should be all dried out by Wed the start of season. But the location is as good as it gets for that area and I'm not moving it.

Going out scouting again tommorow.

[MLBowhunting]

good luck

[HornHoarder]

Getting an antelope with a bow isnt an easy task. Sounds like your setup is pretty good. Shoot straight.

[deleted BGS]

When does the season start, I am thinking of doing that next year with a bow. I have a WY rifle tag this year, but really wanna hunt earlier and with my bow.

[520backyard]

When does the season start, I am thinking of doing that next year with a bow. I have a WY rifle tag this year, but really wanna hunt earlier and with my bow.

The season starts in another day on the 15th

[520backyard]

Went back out today and sure enough the average buck I call lonesome George was back in around the same area within 1/4 mile. Thats 4 days in a row I have seen him. Besides him I saw 10 other bucks today. One of which is slightly above average and is running with 4 does and I have seen him in the same area within 3/4 mile three days in a row.

As I was working up on my blind, I pulled up to glass it from about 400 yards or so off and saw that a pretty large group of antelope of about 25 to 30 were close to and around it. I was glassing it watching a rather large mature buck who was only about 30 yards from my blind with several other bucks further out from it . It was about that time I noticed a truck behind me and pulled out of the dirt road. Three guys were in it and as they passed I gave them a nod. I continued glassing and watched as the antelope busted and took off for the desert brush. I watched as they pulled up and got out of their rig and walked over to my blind and looked at it. They never once looked in the direction of my rig. I'm pretty sure they saw the out of state Washington plates on my truck and probably put two and two together. So I guess I'll go out tomorrow and see if my blind is still up. I don't plan on changing my plan, since it seems from what I saw today the antelope were all around it and it seemed to work.
I'm not sure how those fellas planned on hunting those lops. There is NO WAY to approach a group of lops like that on foot in this country. The bucks by themselves don't seem to get too spooked but the does bust very easy and from afar and thats a lot of very good eyes, it's tougher than working up on an elk herd I know that. There were no other blinds in the area so opening morning should be rather interesting if they show up. I plan on being in the blind at least an hour and a half before sunrise. I have plan B and a plan C but until plan A is a cluster flock I'm going with it. Hope for the best prepare for the worst.

I did go scout another area after that and did see 2 other bucks and 4 does so I'll keep that in mind.
There was a pretty big desert fire about a month ago and some lops are comming out of the desert area they got pushed out of due to the fire. My father in law says that the amount of bucks I'm seeing isn't normal but that the same thing happened 10 years ago after a big desert fire and a lot of bucks started showing up. There is also another fire currently burning north-NE of here about 120 miles or so away so there is a bit of smoke in the area which kinda filters the sun so it was only about 92 today.

[bearpaw]

sounds like you are dialed in, good luck... 

[520backyard]

sounds like you are dialed in, good luck... 

Thanks having never hunted lops I'd like to think I have all the bases covered. Time will tell.

[bearpaw]

Be thinking of a backup plan now and as you are hunting. If you have another blind, set it up in a good spot too, or make a blind out of onsite materials.

[520backyard]

So today I saw 9 bucks and about 35 does. My blind was still up and doing well and as I glassed it from 400 yards off I saw a pretty large buck by himself about 80 yards from it. The main group of lops of about 25 to 30 with 5 bucks( three of those bucks are shootable with cutters high above their ears one is a real hog) were about 200 yards away down the hill.

So tomorrow in the morning I'll slip into my blind about an hour and a half before sun up and see how it goes. Time now for one last gear check and one beer cause it's about 95 degrees. Patience patience patience will be the order of the day tomorrow and every day till one of those shooters gets into range and a shootable postion.

[rasbo]

where abouts are you in se idaho,any water holes where your at???I lived in minidoka county for several yrs seen quite a few speed goats north of norland,east of split butte

[520backyard]

where abouts are you in se idaho,any water holes where your at???I lived in minidoka county for several yrs seen quite a few speed goats north of norland,east of split butte

North of Aberdeen towards coffe point. These lops are comming in to drink out of the irrigation pivots wheel ruts and puddles and eat alfalfa. No other water holes that I have seen in my scouting of the desert. Also going out deeper into the desert scouting the last 5 days I have seen very few lops. And I think that would be out of my unit.

[520backyard]

It seems archery road hunting is tried on antelope here in Idaho also. Had a herd of about 30 I was watching work their way straight towards my blind from about 500 yards out. They were about 120 yards away when a rig drives down the road the antelope looked at him and high tailed it. As they busted I stood up and gave him the finger. Not sure how and the hell anyone would think they are gonna drive up on an antelope herd and get close enough for a shot. Had another rig drive by as a group of lops were about 80 yards away. But I had a smaller buck 60 yards away first thing this morning. Had a doe fawn and another small buck about 50 yards away, the doe winded me and off they went. The blind location is in a good spot they come off that desert on the high ground and thats just were I put my blind and there is a pivot track that has a deep rut and holds water all the time about 30 yards away and those lops know where that water is. I guess I can put up with a few road hunters, they actually might even increase my odds. Those lops like 2 spots in that 160 acre field and I'm in one of them and I can't see the other spot but those road hunters make those lops bust into the desert and they then come to my spot some of the time. But I had pretty good action and you can see those lops out there with binos most of the day. They sure pop up quick it seems and you never see them running in from the desert, just out to it.

Its a long ass day when you slip into the blind and hour before daylight and leave at dark after about 14 hours. The wind and the sun beat the hell out of you and I feel like I was busting my ass all day, but it was planted mostly in a chair. The wind in the afternoon makes any long shot impossible and was blowing pretty good. I saw horse flies as big as a damn dog out there too. Well tomorrows another day out on the desert and I know those lops will be there, and so will I.

[HornHoarder]

Thanks for the update. Are you trophy hunting, or just trying to fill your tag?

[520backyard]

Thanks for the update. Are you trophy hunting, or just trying to fill your tag?

Well I have seen a few toads that I'd like to take home, but I'd settle for a decent buck. Had a really nice buck come in with a group of about 25 yesterday but he'd never come closer than 85 yards. There was probably a 20 mph headwind with stronger gusts blowing off the desert. A decent buck a little better than average  with that group worked into 53 yards and I decided he'd do. So I pinned up and let go. I didn't see where the shot hit cause he jumped the string and was moving so damn fast. They ran off about 100 yards and looked around to see what the hell that noise was, then they turned and worked off. I couldn't see them too well and glassed them as they cleared a hill and the brush about 300 yards away. I couldn't quite pick out the buck I shot at or even know if he was with them. As they walked away I was watching to see if any of the bucks were acting funny and at the end of the line I picked out a buck that would lay down then get up walk a bit then lay down. I watched him lay down and put his head down and I was thinking just stay down. I knew then the shot had to have been in a non vital if he had worked out that far. He laid down one more time then got up as the group moved further out over a hill and out of site. I couldn't see any signs of blood or a wound on him on either side.

As soon as they went out of site I exited my blind and went to look for my arrow. In the foot high alfalfa it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I looked for better than an hour and didn't find the arrow or any blood. I started to get a knot in my stomach and went over the direction where they had stopped at 100 yards away to look for blood but did'nt find any. I worked out to where I had seen him lay down but the desert all looks the same and it was hard to find exact spots. I didn't find any blood or green ooze and went to where I had seen him go over the hill. I glassed and started doing circles furter and furter out until I came to the next hill and then turned around and glassed no seeing anything. I thought they might have gone left or right so I went left for a ways doing circles then came back and went right doing circles not seeing anything. I then continued over the next set of hills looking didn't see anything. I looked for the rest of the day not seeing anything, but with out a trail or sign to follow it was pretty thin going and it's a big desert. There were tracks here and there but the desert has tracks all over it.

It could be that I missed 53 is a good poke but not out of the realm but between the wind and his jumping the string it's possible I did. But his behaviour was out of the normal and made me think he was hit. I just felt sick as I drove home.

Then it went from bad to worse.

When I got into the blind today and settled in for a long wait after about 2 hours I had a plane buzz my blind barely over the top. I was like what the hell is it the owner or someone looking for lops just having some fun. then they did it again. I turned to look again and the SOB started crop dusting right next to me. I grabbed my stuff and headed up to my truck 400 yards away breathing whatever it was he was spraying. I threw my stuff in my rig and turned around as I watched him spray the alfalfa field. I c

[520backyard]

The rest

 I called my father in law an old retired tater farmer and asked him what in the hell they would be spraying on alfalfa and he said fertilizer. So I went to another area and looked around, I did find where those lops have a serious fence crossing. I waited till he was done spraying and went back an hour later. I got out of my truck and smelled what he had been spraying and went and got in my blind. I did notice a couple dead flies on my blind chair and began to wonder if it was indeed fertilizer he had sprayed. I wasn't in my blind ten minutes when I heard some snrting and blowing bhind me and about 90 yards away was a pretty decent buck looking my direction and snorting and blowing to beat hell. He was there about a minute and took off out into the desert. I waited about an hour and saw a group headed exactly my direction only to stop 200 yards out they then paralleled the field but wouldn't come in and turned and headed off back into the desert. It wasn't me they smelled but the spary. So I decided that I'd better bail out and have a look to see if he was running his irrigation pivot and he wasn't so I think it was pesticide that was sprayed. Funny thing was he had to have seen my truck and my blind and more than likely me in it and he sprayed anyway. I know they are supposed to post when they are going to spray but it wasn't posted cause if it was I would not have been in there. So my blind is out of commision for a couple days till he turns his irrigation  back on and that spray dissipates and the antelope start comming back in.

I'm going to set up a secondary blind on that fence crossing I saw cause thats the way to the closest water and feed and it's used alot by the looks of it. Hell it's only the third day of the season I'm wondering what will happen next.

[rasbo]

wow sounds like a bad ass day.hope it was nothing bad on you...

[520backyard]

wow sounds like a bad ass day.hope it was nothing bad on you...

Well I had a headache for awhile but I think I'll live. Probably should have bailed out after I saw those dead begs in my chair but right after that I also saw that buck and well the hunting instinct kicked in.

[520backyard]

Yesterday I went back in and the irrigation pivot was watering so I settled in and waited. Saw two diffrent lops herds but they went to the bottom and did not come to the area near my blind. They come in two diffrent ways and they really like that bottom. On my way out I looked at the alfalfa and it was grazed low for about 500 on the edge and about 50 feet in. So I decided to park my rig down there the next day and see if it would change their pattern.

Today I did park down there and it sure as hell worked. They would come in and look at it from about 300 yards out and then turn my direction and work in. Right off the bat two does, a fawn and a decent buck came in. The closest the buck came was 86 yards. Then a shootable buck came in within 55 yards but didn't stop to feed just kept walking through to the middle of the field. Then the large group came in with 3 bucks one of which is  the toad I'd been seeing over the last week. 90 yards was the closest he worked in to my blind and 65 yards was the closest one of the decent bucks was. The second time they came in they came in a little closer one of the decent bucks worked within 55 yards and the toad was working my way and had my attention. He worked towards me and got within 65 yards when the wind shifted and one of the does about 45 yards away winded me I think and off they went. Had a shot at one of the decent bucks but wanted to see how close the toad would get before I did anything. He's at least 16" and thick and worthy of my patience to say the least. Seen him every day and I'll see him again tomorrow and maybe just maybe the antelope gods will reward all those hours in the blind.

The best I can describe how antelope are is to say they are like elk the day after modern season X's 100. They are cagey and wily and you never know what the hell they will do.

[520backyard]

Had two diffrent groups of lops come in but the closest bucks were 80+ yards out. I did see the biggest buck yet but he stayed out about 500 yards and didn't come in. He bedded down on a hill and stayed there for hours, he was with another buck that was pretty big too but neither would came in. I also got buzzed by another plane but it wasn't a crop duster. I have 5 days left so any buck that gets within range gets pinned.

[rasbo]

anyway to set up off the trail out further

[520backyard]

anyway to set up off the trail out further

I'm off the edge of the field where 3 trails come in at the top of the hill. My feeling is that they are used to my blind now and it's a 160 acre field. The does have been within 40 yards but there are 4 does or more for every buck. Just gotta wait for the shot.

[520backyard]

I'll also add that from what I have seen with all the road hunters for lops I bet I am getting closer than the majority of hunters. Not many guys wanna sit in a blind for 10 to 14 hours a day. I'll wager I have gotten closer to the toad than anyone has this lop season at 65 yards. Not sure how those road hunters figure they will ever get a shot because just walking anywhere near those lops will cause them to bust out to 500 yards to stare back at you. I just keep being patient, believe me I wanted to stalk them at first when they'd go out of range, but I know better now. But with their eyes, the lack of cover and the country being so open they'd bust you easy.

[dreamingbig]

Have you tried a decoy on them yet?  They can be curious buggers.

[bearpaw]

Sounds like you had a fairly solid hit on that one lope if he was laying his head down, but on occasion I have seen them go a long ways bedding down many times, then after a few days I notice them getting stronger and within a week they were back with the herd, so hopefully he will recover.

Decoys
Works best after the rut starts usually roughly about September 8-22.

Fence Crossing
That sounds to me like your best bet, especially if it is well worn, they will likely use it again. I'd get a blind set up there

Moving Antelope closer to your blind
Put up a new blind or two on the other side of the field, the new objects will cause the antelope to move closer to your hunting blind which they are used to seeing. (Are you sure they have never seen you get in and out of it? If you notice them grazing close to one of the other blinds, then you know where you need to hunt.