Can I say Finally.......I mean, I don't think I've ever worked as hard for a goat in my life. Through this year of scouting, I've seen some real nice bucks that would push the 80"....which is huge for ND.......and when I had spotted this particular buck earlier in the year, I had completely misjudged him....in fact I never gave him a second thought, but I always had his shape in the back of my mind....verticle and swept back......
To start here are some quick pics from the past couple weeks, from both hunting trips and scouting trips......this first one was a bad day for this farmer....
Couple homestead shacks.....first ones are rock and the last one is rock and sod....I always like Nemont's pics of old houses, but I figure I'll spin my off in a slightly different direction...keeping mine to pics of "nature" homes......and this area has got a bunch of 'em......
Here's a couple young bucks scrapping over a small herd of does.....
And here we go....here was an earlier pic from a distance of the buck I ended up shooting......like I said, it was horns that intrigued me more than his score........
And here is the field photos.......this buck had given me several exciting hunts.....including two misses...one miss when I had decoyed him within 20 yards....I was concentrating so hard on holding my 30 yard pin on him as he rapidly approached, that I didn't even pay attention that he had gotten closer before he stopped broadside......Imagine my sickness when I saw the arrow skim just past the top of his back ??!! |oo I also passed-up several shots as wells.......I had bellied crawled to the edge of a small knoll overlooking him and his does as they were bedded in a stubble field.....65 yards was more than I was willing to take at the time (I only had pins out to 50).................
The hunt finally came together just hours before rifle season was to open......I found him bedded on the side of a large butte overlooking a stubblefield and a water tank.....I made another lengthy sneak to the top of the butte overlooking him.......it took some time, but I got the shot I needed, but it ended up a bit further back then i would have liked......I had to wait him out, but it didn't take long, as I at least caught liver............
I had been working 12 hour night shifts and hunting this goat during the day.......I caught many naps on hill tops and along fence lines as I tried to get near him for a shot through out the last week.......to say I was exhausted and short of sleep was an understatement......I slept from yesterday afternoon until 11:00 this morning...yawn...
Funny thing is I find myself now appreciating the hunts he gave me more than I do having him on the ground.....almost remorseful that it has ended......sound weird ?? Clay
To start here are some quick pics from the past couple weeks, from both hunting trips and scouting trips......this first one was a bad day for this farmer....
Couple homestead shacks.....first ones are rock and the last one is rock and sod....I always like Nemont's pics of old houses, but I figure I'll spin my off in a slightly different direction...keeping mine to pics of "nature" homes......and this area has got a bunch of 'em......
Here's a couple young bucks scrapping over a small herd of does.....
And here we go....here was an earlier pic from a distance of the buck I ended up shooting......like I said, it was horns that intrigued me more than his score........
And here is the field photos.......this buck had given me several exciting hunts.....including two misses...one miss when I had decoyed him within 20 yards....I was concentrating so hard on holding my 30 yard pin on him as he rapidly approached, that I didn't even pay attention that he had gotten closer before he stopped broadside......Imagine my sickness when I saw the arrow skim just past the top of his back ??!! |oo I also passed-up several shots as wells.......I had bellied crawled to the edge of a small knoll overlooking him and his does as they were bedded in a stubble field.....65 yards was more than I was willing to take at the time (I only had pins out to 50).................
The hunt finally came together just hours before rifle season was to open......I found him bedded on the side of a large butte overlooking a stubblefield and a water tank.....I made another lengthy sneak to the top of the butte overlooking him.......it took some time, but I got the shot I needed, but it ended up a bit further back then i would have liked......I had to wait him out, but it didn't take long, as I at least caught liver............
I had been working 12 hour night shifts and hunting this goat during the day.......I caught many naps on hill tops and along fence lines as I tried to get near him for a shot through out the last week.......to say I was exhausted and short of sleep was an understatement......I slept from yesterday afternoon until 11:00 this morning...yawn...
Funny thing is I find myself now appreciating the hunts he gave me more than I do having him on the ground.....almost remorseful that it has ended......sound weird ?? Clay