Bow hunting antelope over water is a cinch, right? All you
have to do is sit in the blind and as they stroll by to get a drink, you pick
out the one you want and that’s it. I know that’s true because I watch Outdoor
TV. So, after four years of unsuccessfully trying to sneak up on a speedgoat
with a bow I’d had it. No more crawling through cactus, sun burns or having
them laugh at me as I attempted to stalk them in an empty parking lot. This
year I was going to do it the ‘easy way.’
Spring rolled around and I gave a good friend of mine a call
to help me with my problem, Wes Atkinson of Atkinson Expeditions. After
talking to him for a while he proceeded to tell me how an antelope with a bow
was one of his harder hunts. Now I know that I heard him, but I don’t think I
was listening. We set the dates for the opening three days of the season and despite
his warning I already had a spot picked out on my wall. We were hunting over
water after all.
The two weeks prior to the hunt I was completely useless both
at home and at the office - counting down the hours until I would take my first
antelope. The season opened on Sunday and I had three days to hunt. Saturday
afternoon I left for eastern Colorado. After arriving at the hotel I met Jerome,
my guide, to go over what to expect in the morning. He told me of all of the
rain the week before, all of the standing water and showed me pictures of a
flash flood on his trail camera. I asked him if there was any good news, he
paused and said “There’s lots of goats.” Even after all of the bad news I
hadn’t lost my enthusiasm. I was going to wake up in the morning and take my
first big game animal of the season.
The alarm went off at 4 AM but I was already awake. I
grabbed all of my gear and went outside to meet Jerome. As I walked out of the
hotel door my heart sank, it was raining, and there was lightning in all
directions. It was cold. I was sick. Now I know that antelope hunting over
water is easy, but I wasn’t sure how thirsty they would be during a thunder
storm. I was the last hunter to be dropped off, and as we rode around the
property I noticed a disturbing trend, water every where. To give you an idea
of how much water I’m talking about, my personal little water hole had
stretched to 92 yards across. If a goat were to water he would have to come to
my side of the ocean.
As the sun started to rise, Jerome’s words rang true, there
were antelope everywhere. The bad news was they were all a mile away. As
noon rolled around I started to get antsy. I’m used to sitting in a tree stand
for morning and evening hunts and I had only been in the blind for 7 hours. I
still had 8 more grueling hours to go. Mentally I started to second guess
myself, could I really do this, sit all day long, for three days? So I sat,
played video black jack, ate a PB&J, drank some water and watched time tick
by slower than I’ve ever seen it. The only thing that even came into rifle
range was two coyotes and a stork. The sun set and Jerome came to release me
from my cell. Needless to say it was a quiet ride back to the hotel; we were
all exhausted and depressed.
Once back in my room I talked to my wife about the next
day’s weather. It wasn’t good, more clouds and rain. I went to Jerome’s room
to talk to him and discuss my options. There was no way I could take another
15 hours in the blind knowing they were not coming to water. It doesn’t matter
how many antelope there are or how good your guide is, you’re at the mercy of Mother
Nature, and if she decides that it’s going to rain, you’re in for one tough
hunt. Lucky for me, I live in Colorado, and had the entire season to hunt.
Jerome and I decided to try a spot and stalk in the morning then I would leave
and come back later in the season when things dried out.
Two weeks had passed when I got the text from Wes about a hot
water hole that the antelope were using. I couldn’t make it up that day due to
work but I was there two days later. We met in the morning and he told me what
he was seeing. The water hole was still being used, just not as much. The other
good news was his other hunter was having shot opportunities every day. My enthusiasm
was back. We drove around the ranches looking at our options when we found
“Blondie” bedded next to a dry creek bed.
Blondie is an average antelope who looks like he had all the
hair around his head highlighted. I belly crawled to within 70 yards of him
when he turned on his radar to see me laying there. He stood up, laughed at
me, and then ran. Wes proceeded to drop me off at the blind. It was a double
bull sitting on the edge of a small pond. He showed me exactly where they were
watering - 32 yards away. I liked the setup. He also explained that he
thought this was my best chance, and that if I saw a goat, more than likely he
would be coming to water. Wes left and I started a new day sitting in the
blind,
Two hours went by when Wes sent me a text telling me the
other hunter had just shot one. I was getting excited even though I hadn’t
seen anything. It was a toasty 97 degrees outside the blind. Around 4
o’clock, I saw my first antelope, two does and a small buck, I’m not even sure
he was legal. They came in and drank exactly where Wes said they would. I
could actually hear them slurping the water. That was the closest I’d been to
a live antelope. Wes picked me up just before dark and we decided that I would
come back by my self Saturday and hunt the same blind.
I drove up Saturday morning and climbed in the blind around
7:30 and got situated. It was a slow morning until just after 10:00 when I saw
two bucks at about 300 yards walking parallel to me. One of the bucks was very
small and the other was big enough to shoot - for sure. I slid on my black face
mask knowing that they had to be coming to the water. As they continued to
walk away from me and out of my life, I started to get that sick feeling
again. I had been sitting in a blind for three days and had not had one legal
buck in bow range. I was ten pounds lighter from all of the water weight I had
lost from sweating and the flies would not leave me alone. Once again, Wes had
sent me another text earlier that morning telling me his other antelope hunter had
taken his goat fifteen minutes into his hunt. It seemed like I couldn’t catch
a break. I slid off my face mask, had a sandwich and played some more black
jack.
It was 11:30 when I remember looking up and seeing those
same two bucks standing at 150 yards and coming straight to me. This was the moment
I’d waited for and thought about all year. I put my mask back on, turned on
the video camera and got into position. They both walked to the water but at
the last minute the older buck walked past me to a little mud puddle 120 yards
to the left. The little one drank at 30 yards. I couldn’t believe it. The
little one proceeded to drink for five minutes as the bigger one watched from a
distance.
As the smaller one finished the mature buck turned and
started walking in. Just as he got to the pond bank something was wrong. I’m
not sure if they caught my wind but they both jumped and trotted away. He
finally stopped and turned broadside and I was able to range him. I drew my
bow picked a spot and let go. I distinctly remember the sound of that arrow as
it struck home. Even though he was running, I could see that the shot was
perfect. His sprint was a short one as I got to watch him fall inside 100
yards. I had done it, finally! I can’t properly explain how excited I was,
but I was a wreck. I called Wes, my wife and then my father to share the good
news (just in case you ever talk to my wife, I called her first – Ok?). I
then went to my buck to soak it all in, he was beautiful.
Clint Morrow is all smiles after his hard-earned prairie goat!
That is the story of my 2010 antelope hunt. I can’t wait to
subject my self to voluntary confinement again next year, because after all, bow
hunting antelope over is water is easy right?
