I first heard about this hunt from Don Mortensbak. He has been a friend of mine for several years and I count him as one of the most knowledgeable and successful hunters in Arizona. He is a gentleman and a good friend to those who know him. Arizona is full of sportsmen like Don and that’s one of the things I’ve have come to love about this place. Thanks for sharing this story with Arizona Don.

 

4 Antelope and 1 Brahma Bull

 

The year was 1998 and I along with three of my good friends and hunting partners had drawn one of the coveted archery antelope tags. The unit that we had drawn was new to us so we set out to meet some of the people that lived in the area, and see about the possibility of hunting on some of the unit’s private land.

We scouted the unit and arranged to meet with one of the ranchers in the area and were given permission to hunt on their land. After talking awhile with the ranch foreman and getting the rules of the ranch and the location of all the water holes we took the tour. The ranch had a lot of area with good cover that would make spot and stock or still-hunting a good possibility, and we were seeing some antelope using these areas. We also had some water holes with blinds on them that we knew would produce if we had the patients to sit still for hours on end, but most of us prefer to spot and stock because the adrenaline rush would be the only think keeping us going in 100+ degree temperature. So after touring the ranch we all felt that we would have a fairly good change at taking our first Antelope with a bow. We stopped back by the ranch to thank the ranch foreman and to tell him we would definitely be back on opening day.

We set up camp by one of the few trees in the area and we were ready to hunt. The night before the hunt would start we talked about how awesome it would be to take an antelope with a bow. Size wasn’t an issue with us because any antelope taken with a bow is going to be a trophy.

Opening morning found us on the playgrounds with some animals that didn’t want to play by the same rules. So about noontime we decided to go have some lunch and maybe look through that rulebook again. (RULE # 1 Antelope do not stand still for predators!!! Note: Try any method needed to get within bow range.)

Well that afternoon I told my hunting partners that maybe I will try to sit a waterhole. Like I said earlier this method is not our favorite, but it is productive. So they told me good luck and that they would be over on the playground. I walked about a mile or so to get to the waterhole only to find that someone had a portable blind set up. Nobody was in the blind at the time but it was only 1pm and I knew they would probably be here shortly so I soaked my shirt in the water and headed back. I went to another waterhole we had seen a nice buck and sat there until about 4pm. Setting there I began to think about the action we had on the playground, I couldn’t take it anymore so I packed it up. When I got back where I thought the other guys were I tried to reach them on the radio but got no answers so I headed into the area with all the cover.

As I was driving down one of the ranch roads I spotted some animals off to my left about 200yds in the cover. I stopped when the cover was between us and the stalk was on. I worked my way through the brush until I saw one of the antelope standing quartering away at only 50 yards. I couldn’t believe it. I had been shooting my bow at 60yds for weeks getting ready for this hunt so I knew that the buck was in my effective range. I slowly nocked an arrow. All I had to do was step out around the bush and he would be mine. Well I guess he must have been looking through the eyes in the back of his head because when I stepped out at full draw he bolted. This is when it got exciting. I didn’t know it at the time but all these antelope I had seen from the road were bucks and I was smack dab in the in the middle of them. I let down on the bow and walked about ten feet into a little clearing and standing there at thirty yards was four other bucks. So I drew back and of coarse you know what happen next. Yes they all took off in different directions. I couldn’t believe this was happening. You’re not supposed to be able to get this close to antelope. My heart was racing so fast now that I thought that if I let my bow down I probably wouldn’t be able to get it pulled back again to make a shot. I could see the antelope in front of me still scurrying around in confusion wondering which way to run. So at full draw I continued forward. After taking another ten steps a small buck made a fatal mistake. He stepped out to see what everybody was getting excited about and I settled my 60yard pin on his chest. The 2413 found its mark and I had my first antelope with a bow. I couldn’t believe it! I called on the radio to inform the guys and have them help me retrieve him. They thought I was kidding them, but said they were on the way. I was a little nervous because there was only about 30 minutes of light left and there was a lot of thick cover in the area. When I made the shot I thought I saw the fletching sticking out of his chest so when I started the blood trail I was expecting to see part of the arrow along the way. The light was slowly slipping into darkness when words came across the radio, "We’ve got him Donnie he’s down!" That made all of that nervous feeling come out in a cheer of excitement. They were just coming through a gate when Neil looked ahead about 75 yards and saw him lying on the ground. The buck had only run 100 yards from where I made the shot. After some hi-fives, hugs, and some photos we were on our way back to camp with one down, three to go.

That night we all discussed the game plan for the next day. It didn’t sound like I could be of any help so I told them I was going to head for cooler grounds and try to fill my deer tag, but if something happened, give me a call on the cell phone. The next couple of days would turn out to be very eventful but not productive. Monday around 1pm my cell phone rang and it was Bob. He told me that had just arrowed his antelope. I hurried down the mountain to congratulate him and get in on the picture taking. Four days in to the hunt and we have two bucks in camp.

The next day we decide to pair up. I would go with Neil, and Bob would go with Jesse. We played cat and mouse all morning, but could not get Jesse or Neil a shot. That afternoon we were heading out to the playgrounds. Neil and I just closed the gate into the ranch when we got a call on the radio. Neil, Don come up!!! Jesse just made a beautiful stalk on a nice buck, and drilled him at sixty yards. Neil and I looked at each other and thought "no way" they probably want us to come back and get the gate for them or something. After asking Bob a few more times to quit messing with us we turned around to check it out. Sure enough number three was lying on the ground with a hole in his chest.

I am sure all of you know what the odds of success are on archery antelope. It is about 26%. We are now at 75% for our hunt. By now most of the animals are staying in the open country. This is where Bob and Jesse both harvested their bucks. The next day the three of us would try to push the antelope to Neil, but they would never seem to make the right turns and give Neil a shot. I knew the frustration Neil was feeling as we were all sitting out in the middle of this big open prairie trying to let the sweat dry. After all what are the chances of 100% success for an Archery Antelope Camp?

Back in 1990 when I first met Jesse David we started talking about bow hunting and as a result became good friends and hunting partners. Well that year I was hunting deer in unit 21 and on the last day of the season Dec. 31^st I took a nice 4x4. After showing off my pictures to Jesse and everybody he started calling me "Buck Master". Well that name has stuck with me to this day. So while we are all sitting around trying to figure out how we can get Neil on a antelope Neil looked over at me and said "Well Buck Master what now?" I’m sitting there looking at one of the five Brahma Bulls the rancher was grazing on his property so I said Neil, you see that bull over there.

He kind of grinned and said yes, why? We need to build us one of them. Neil is one of the most determined and dedicated bow hunters I know and if he thinks there is any possible way it will work to harvest a animal he will try it. So when he was done laughing he said, "What are we going to build it with?" I told him that we would have the helpful hardware man down at ACE help us out. So we are off to visit the hardware store on the way back to camp. I didn’t know this until the hunt was over, but Neil asked Bob on the way to the hardware store, do you think he is serious about this? Bob said yes I think he is. Neil laughed and said, " Ballard you have to put me on an antelope, I don’t want to do that cow thing." But after Neil spent about 20 bucks on materials we were on our way to camp. While Bob and Jesse were making us all lunch Neil and I started construction on "WOOLY BULLY" as Jesse named him.

That afternoon we would put it to the test. We get to the playground and we see this antelope on the same ridge we have been seeing a small buck on for two or three days so I tell Neil, come on lets go get your antelope. It was about a mile or so to the antelope. We get about half the distance and Neil said, are you sure that’s a buck? I left my binoculars at the truck so I could carry the rangefinder so I told him that I wasn’t sure. As we got closer we could see that is was doe. Neil said, you mean to tell me I am stalking a DOE? I said hey we’ve come this far so lets see if this will work. The doe was kind of working her way towards us and as she got closer we started to get excited because we could tell that she did not have a clue. We ended up getting 20 yards from her without her knowing we were there. I told Neil to go through the motions and see what happens. So with the doe at 20 yards quartering away Neil draws his bow. I slowly turned the bull out of the way and she still did not know we were there. We both thought it was pretty neat that we could be 20 yards from a antelope full draw and undetected. I think that convinced Neil that this cow thing would work after all. It was getting late so we headed back to the truck, and what did we see, the real "McCoy", a Brahma bull!!! How would he react to us? We would soon find out. As we closed the distance he finally saw us and he must have thought we were one bad bull because he took off like a shot. At a full gallop straight away from us he could not take his eyes off of us. This was so funny because I have never seen a bull run so fast without looking where he is going. We laughed all the way back to the truck. When we arrived at the truck we asked Bob and Jesse if they got to see all that took place. They did and only wished they could have had the video camera. By now I think we were all convinced that the cow thing would work so for the next couple of days Bob, Jesse and myself would take turns operating the "Bull" for Neil. I thought we were going to work poor Neil into the ground. After a few more pieces of duct tape, touch up paint, new window for the rangefinder and a few more close calls. The moment of truth was getting close.

Day seven of the hunt, again the three of us gave Neil a workout all day long taking turns with the bull. That afternoon about 5:30 p.m. the stage was set for a perfect stalk. We had the sun to our back, one of the model bulls was close to the herd and the wind direction was in our face. I would be the one operating the bull and ranging the shot. We had about 200 yards to get within range. As we closed the distance to 80 yards I started ranging. 72,66,52. I don’t know how long a battery will last in a rangefinder but 52 yards would be the last reading this one would give us. After moving to what we guessed to be 45 yards Neil and I switched positions. Neil backed up a few steps as he looked through the window of the bull, drew his PSE back, nodded his head for me to move the bull out of the way and sent the ACC on its’ way. #4 is in the bag!!! We called Jesse and Bob on the radio and told them to bring the trucks around and help us load this Antelope. After burning up some more film we got on the cell phones and started calling everybody we knew. We couldn’t believe it!!! Four bow hunters, four antelope. That "Ain’t no "BULL", but don’t tell those Antelope that. Neil, are your legs sore? Come on Buddy we’ll buy you a beer. Congratulations!!!