2023 was a fun successful year

[go4steelhd]

I started off my year by joining a winter indoor 3-d league, since I had not put a serious effort into archery hunting in years. I figured I needed to knock the rust off. I started out archery hunting for antelope. I took my son along who turned 9 in October. He was telling me when we set up camp how dumb antelope are, and how easy they are to get. The next morning after we we on multiple stalks, he said dad I was wrong they are pretty smart. I seen an antelope buck up in the juniper’s and figured that may work out for a good stalk. I also had a decoy to try out for the first time. I was able to get into 100 yards and was using a juniper to stay out of the bucks sight. Unfortunately he fed a little faster than anticipated and saw us moving mostly abducted by the juniper tree. I decided to set the decoy up and see what happens. The buck ram over the ridge then circled back to us. He actually came into bow range and peaked over the ridge, I just couldn’t see the kill zone.
The next stalk my son and I clawed into bow range of a herd of antelope with a nice buck in it. I was hurrying the stalk a bit because I was supposed to meet my wife at a set time, and realistically I did not have time for this stalk, she was going to take our son to his soccer game. When I ranged the buck, I just was not confident I was getting an accurate read. (Crawling in and staying low enough not to be seen, then lifting up just high enough to range, often caused you to get an inaccurate read bouncing off of something in front or behind the antelope) so I did not take a shot. When they ran off, I stood up and ranged where they were standing, my earlier read was correct. So I went and dropped my son off with my with and went back out hunting. When I got back to my spot I could see the buck with some does that I had last stalked bedded in the open. Even though this was an extremely low percentage stalk as I had no cover, I tried it anyway. Soon I was at 100, then 80, 70, then I ranged him at 60 yards and knocked an arrow. I was able to get to 52 yards before he’d stood up. I had just ranged him so I was confident in the yardage. I drew back and settled in, and touched off the release. The arrow looked good and I could here the familiar drum sound hit. The the buck ran about 30 yards and went down. I was really jacked as this was my first antelope with a bow. The only down side was this was the first stalk without my son with me.

[go4steelhd]

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[go4steelhd]

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[go4steelhd]

Next was archery elk hunting. I went and scouted a few evening before dark to see where the elk were at. Then opening morning I seen three 5 points. I picked the one I. The most stalk able spot and went after him. Soon I was able to get into 50 yards and he was feeding slightly quartering away. I aimed for his offside shoulder and touched off the release. I seen the arrow hit it’s make and he ram 14 yards and tipped over I was by myself ski then the work started   the second photo the arrow broke when he fell down so the angle looks different than what it was

[go4steelhd]

Had this little surprise when I got the bull all packed out

[go4steelhd]

Then it was my wife’s turn. My wife son and I made about a 1 mile stalk out on the white tail. She made a great shot  and he was down.

[greenhead_killer]

That’s a great run this year! Good to see. Congrats!

[Taco280AI]

Good year for sure 

[Mfowl]

Very nice! Congrats!

[buglebuster]

You always kill it Matt! Congrats on another successful season

[go4steelhd]

The last hunt of the year was for deer with my son. I have a really big buck a few warning shots to let him know season was going. Then the next weekend my son and I found this guy. We got into 200 yards but he popped up on the skyline so we let him go, then he ran out of the country. We caught back up with him about 1 1/2 miles away. We had about a 2 1/2 mile pack out. This was a fantastic day I. The field with my son. And this was the second buck I passed on the skyline this season
. The fort buck got away, this one I was able to get back on. I bring this up due to the other story I seen on here. About some one not paying attention to their target and what is. Beyond it.

[go4steelhd]

While packing him out. With one of many breaks. Packing a whole deer out by myself is not getting any easier 

[go4steelhd]

I was able to get a few days on the river with my dad…

[go4steelhd]

A few more. My son reeled all but one of these in

[go4steelhd]

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