Lance

First thing Friday morning we located him beded in the perfect spot and put a quick moove on him to seal the deal with a 32 yard double lung shot! It was a beutifull sight watching the glittering pink mist fill the sky as he ran off into the sunrise! A couple seconds and a hundred yards latter he skidded to a stop. I called my wife who was just getting the kids up for school and she said " Boy , that got them up!" I could hear them screaming and bouncing off the walls in the background! I told her to make sure they know it was the "Split Prong" buck. And then I heard them promply correct her and say "Mom, we named him the "Double Pronged" buck! And then they screamed even louder! I was their hero again! Thanks guys for the awesome hunt! And thanks CWT members for listening! Lance

So Thursday we go out and I realy want to be done by Friday cause I want to go home and spend some time hunting with my family before elk season. So it is what I call 5pt day. Where you are still not going to shoot a spike but you have lowered your standards. So we come accross the buck my boys named the "Double Prong" buck when we saw him before season. This was a meidium buck that we had seen many times and one of the bucks I had a shot at but passed on opening day. Every time I talked to my kids they would ask me about this buck like it was their favorit! "Dad did you see the Double Prong" buck?" Dad would you shoot the Double Prong buck". When I told my 9 year old son that I had passed the buck on opening day he looked at me like i was some sort of idiot So I told him maybe latter in the season if it came to that. "Well" I told the guys "I guess today is the day " So we put the move on him and got a long shot. Before I shot I thought "you know, i've been shooting a little high so I am going to put my pin on the bottom of him and see what happens Well, I shot high again!! And before I could do anything about it we were on him again and I got another shot. this time I used my next closer pen and took the shot for 10 yards shorter than what my range finder said. Well this time he was on to the game and he string jumped and I hit him a little far back in the ham. So I finally deside that something is dreadfully wrong with my bow and has been all week duhhh! I know I know I was a little slow figuring that one out. I'll blame it on the over abundance of sun rays on my brain for the week We went and fixed my bow and got it shooting right! And went back to see if we could finnish the buck! He gave us a good run arround the rest of the day and we made plans for the next cause I was now determened to finish the job. Not to mention that my boys now knew I had hit the buck and the were very excited! This picture is the Double Prong buck that was my boys favorit buck! He was much smaller than the bucks I had been after but now that I was after him instead of passing him up I was now treated like a hero by my boys instead of an idiot! Kids are great arn't they!

Wednsday.... I missed another good buck by shooting over it I know, I know, duhhh! We did anywhere from 8 to 12 stalks a day. We passed on young bucks every day. Not that I would have hit them cause I likely would have shot high Thursday was totally for Russ. We were joined by Russ's father Moris. And Moris and I took the high glassing point while Russ and Arles hiked for miles and miles all day as we put them into buck after buck for one stalk and or decoying opp after another! Russ missed one shot that day after an awesome stalk and missed some chances because of the direction the bucks came to the decoys or because does were in the way. But latter that afternoon while he was stalking yet another goat, the buck saw some movement in the trees and came to envestagate! Russ did the buck in with a 22 yard shot while Arles videoed! Russ's buck was a toad! High Wide and Heavy! The only camera they had with them was the video camera so we havent gotten field photoes off of that yet. But we took some pictures at the house so you could get an idea.

We found this huge bug on a fence post! About 4" long He was very transparent and blended well with the post! Millions of hairs on his fealers and antennae! We thought it was photo worthy And I know I have never seen one before. Look hard it's right in the middle of the post

We found three badgers together ! We chased them down prairie dog holes where they backed in and made a stand! They were snorting and growling and carring on making a scary fuss! Way Cool! We took pictures from meer feet away! I stuck the video camera on the end of the tripod and put it about a foot away! Amazingly enough I still have a camera!

That Tuesday I missed another buck by shooting over it Was thinking that something was wrong with me but I shot a little high on the coyote also. Hummm.... You would think I would have figured it out a little earler that something was wrong with my bow but no, I just kept hunting and telling myself to consentrate more and pick a spot! Dadgumit! We encountered many cool things while hunting and scouting Like this collard lizard! This huge lizard actually let the kids pet it!

Teusday Brought more stalks and more decoying. We decoyed a group with some mature and young bucks though they didn't quite come into bow range. One was quite calm and went and bedded down just about 200 yards away we got a patch of sunflowers between us and we both stalked him into 40 yards in his bed. I drew my bow on him and let down. He then got up and relised we were right on top of him. He ran out a ways but came back into bow range when we decoyed him. That night while glassing we were split up looking for a buck that had huge prongs. I glassed up a coyote harassing a doe and a yearling fawn. The evening was quite as it gets so I through out some lip smooches! They were about a half mile away but the coyote heard it and came running! By the time he got to me he was at a steady trot. I drew my bow as he passed behind a tree but had to let down when he didn't come out He then came accross an oppening passed behind my 30 yard tree, I drew my bow, he came arround it and stood by it looking my way. Crack! The sound of the bow and the sound of the arrow were as one as it penatrated the lenth of the coyote stopping with only the fletching sticking out! The shish-ka-bobed coyote tiped over stiff leged in his tracks for the fastest and cleanest bow killed coyote I have ever witnessed!

Forgot to mention that I passed on two bucks on that opening day. Ranged them, drew my bow, sighted them in and let down. Very Fun! My hunt was with Russ Jacoby of Flag. Arles Miller of Page came along to help out and video our hunt. Thanks Arles! Monday- Found us persuing the big buck again, No go, so we went after many of the other bucks in the area. I did two stalks that morning that put me in for good shots. The first stalk was at the arrow jumper buck from day one. Stalked into 52 yards from him and his three does in their beds. I sat up to range him and went back down to draw my bow. Something hapened and the "archery antelope factor" came into play as I watched them sprint accross the prairie arrow still on the rest. The next goat gave me a good brodside after my stalk and the arrow passed cleanly over him. Latter, after a two hour stalk and belly crawl I sent an arrow over another great goat. Many more stalks and decoying that day and passed on another young buck. This is pictures of the second buck I shot over that day.

I haven't even had a chance to think of that buck. I'd rather shoot one of the Coues that are on my trail cameras with my new longbow! I know my brother in law and his daughter have hunted him. And my Wife and Son have hunted him some while I was gone. I might take the wife and son to hunt him tomarrow since the kids don't have school. But I'v been gone and I don't know if he is still there or if he made it through the weekend? Guess we'll see. Lance

Awesome! GREAT JOB! Thanks for the pictures!

SCORE!!! Two tags, Two bucks and one awesome week of hunting with good people! I'll post pictures latter! PS. not the big one But still an awesome hunt! Lance PS. Posted story on "Other Big Game" section!

This is the unit ummmm, unit 42 goat I'll be going after tomorrow! It is hard to find a buck that will go over 75 " this year Good luck to all you archery hunters going out tomorrow!!!!! Lance

I have been out of town so my wife has been taking my boys and my Nephew deer hunting. On the way to the hunting spot my wife spots a 2pt and my boy 11 years old gets out with his cousin also 11 years. My wife drives off and then realises it's a decoy! Too late the boys are flinging arows!! One shot high and the other shot low. They didn't have a range finder and I guess it was about 40-45 yards. They thought it was wierd but begain to knock another arrow when the G&F and my wife converged on them It's all good. They had walked accross and got off of the road I wish they would have poked holes it it but they both ruined their brodheads on the rocks Lance

Oh yea! congrats! thats a nice one! Josh, Do you have live pictures of that buck?

Leaving in the morning! Thanks for lookin out fer me!

We got on him three diferent times Friday. Could have shot some of his does as they were very coroperative. But his other does saved his life. He had 7 does and he wanted to bring thim all over to see us! Half of them came willingly but the other half would have nothing to do with it and kept there distance. He tried as hard as he could to push them our way and wouldn't come without them. Maybe he'll get rid of those stuborn girls and we'll have a fighting chance. We are going back out tomaro for the week or unitll we are done. Lance

Yikes and Yee Haw!!!

Haven't seen ANY bulls out there

Some pictures form this morning! Velvet comming off left and right Lance

These are pictures from the 14'th of Aug. I saw 26 bulls that day and only two had rubed off. Oh yes, and then there is the one we call "Bone Head" Betya cant guess witch one that is? He's been around for a while. This year he is a 9X13. Lance

I know loads of people will be hunting him and likely you and I, but still, I would realy like to see what he looks like next year!

"Bone Head" (what we call him) is not a real respectfull name for him. But he earned it when he was a raghorn

It is tough over there this year I have thew unit 10 and 18 Archery tag that starts on Friday. We have looked at around 100 bucks between the units and only found one that I feel would go 80". We have seen a couple of bucks that were seen last year, and they are smaller than last year Drought I suspect Good luck and and keep on it! Lance

He is hard horned. I don't think he will ever get all the velvet out of his nooks and crannies but he is trying.

Dude... I put my stand in that tree last week! Didn't you see it? Of course I'm kidding. That is one awesome buck and a great spot you got there! Keep us posted on it!