cooperjd
Well-known member
Hi folks,
I know it's been a long time since i've made any posts on here, but i still lurk on occasion. For the older members that remember me, i'm still in Alexandria, VA, still working, still hunting.
This year's "Cooperjd and Dad" hunting trip was a DIY (sort of) trip to Wyoming to chase antelope on public land. I have a good friend up there and we stayed with him and his family and hunted with him. It was a fantastic time and a great hunt. We took the rifles this time as taking a speedgoat with the bow was pretty tough to do in '08, and the opportunities i had i missed 2 long shots. this time with my T/C encore in .25-06 and Dad's .270, we were a little more prepared for the longer shots.
We did not hunt them like a lot of the locals do, from the truck... nope, we wanted to really hunt. so we parked the truck and got out and hiked to the top of an overlook before daylight every morning, and waited for the sun to come up and glassed small groups of lopes trying to find a group that had a decent buck in it. Once located, we would try to figure out how to use the land terrain features to sneak in for a shot before they moved off or busted us. We put in probably 5 or 6 miles the first morning to get Dad a shot. When i get the video off my camera i'll post it on youtube and share... Only time i've ever seen that man take more than 1 shot at an animal, but at 230 yards in really high wind, he took 3 quick shots to put the goat down. Hit him on the first shot, dropped him on the 2nd, but he was still struggling, so a quick 3rd to finish him quickly. we dont like to see anything struggle, and would rather lose a little meat and finish them off quickly.
we got close to another buck that day for me, but it was basically at the truck, and i didnt' want to end my hunt that way, so i let him walk. that evening we found a nice goat and went after him, but i couldnt get steady enough to shoot in the wind, and i let him go not wanting to risk wounding him with a bad shot.
The second morning we were back at it before sunrise, stalked a couple goats but passed on them for being a little too small. finally we spotted a big group of about 15, but they had us pegged at probably 800 - 1,000 yards, so we waited for them to go over a small hill and down into a little bottom, and we took off after them. after crawling to the top of the hill and peeking over, the goat was pretty good, good enough for me, so i set up my shooting sticks and dropped him with one shot at 190 yards.
my friends out there had tags to fill as well, so after dad went home i stayed a couple extra days and tagged along and tried to film their hunts. i did more belly crawling and got more cactus spines in me that i have on any previous hunt, but it was one of the most fun hunts ive ever been on. Pops and I had a great time. Our antelopes are not huge by any means, Dad's is 13" and has good mass, good hooks, a little ivory, but kind of weak cutters. mine is 12.25" with decent mass, is kinda wide with good cutters, but weaker hooks. We are happy with them though, our first lopes each and a fun and challenging hunt. those things can see so good you really have to plan your stalk carefully and use every bit of terrain you can.
After getting back from Wyoming, it's been time to get out on Ft. Belvoir and deer hunt. My Mathews Outback broke earlier this year, so i replaced it with a Bowtech Destroyer 340. I LOVE that bow. I bought it on a Thursday, put my sights on it and set it up Friday, and won a 3-d shoot with it Saturday. that thing is sweet! So i was very anxious to test it out on a VA whitetail. well last Saturday I got my chance on this buck. at 630 p.m. he stepped out of the woods and was headed into a field i was set up on, no binoculars needed, no 2nd guesses needed. and though he was a little farther than i prefer to shoot, he was perfectly broadside, never even looked my direction, and after i ranged him, i drew, anchored, and sent my arrow the 48 yards to the deer, double lunged him, and he was down in 40 yards. when i got down and found him i found that i had my best bow buck yet, and 2nd best all time. he isnt' very wide, only 14.5" inside, but has 22" beams, and good mass with 4.5" bases. i green scored him a little over 124" gross, he'll net a few inches less. i know it was a long shot and i might catch some crap for that, but i practice a LOT all the way out to 80 yards, and i'm pretty good even at that distance (though i'd never take an animal at that range).
So far it's been a great year, but its not over yet. I leave thursday for a DIY mule deer hunt in Colorado with a friend of mine in Pagosa Springs. So hopefully it will be a good hunt and I can find a nice mulie to introduce my 7mag to. I also have an otc elk tag in my pocket just in case old wapiti decides to show up as well
I will keep you posted on that trip once i get back.
Y'all take care, enjoy the pics, and good luck in the woods!
my lope
dad glassing:
sunrise:
Dad's lope
my VA deer:
my VA deer again
I know it's been a long time since i've made any posts on here, but i still lurk on occasion. For the older members that remember me, i'm still in Alexandria, VA, still working, still hunting.
This year's "Cooperjd and Dad" hunting trip was a DIY (sort of) trip to Wyoming to chase antelope on public land. I have a good friend up there and we stayed with him and his family and hunted with him. It was a fantastic time and a great hunt. We took the rifles this time as taking a speedgoat with the bow was pretty tough to do in '08, and the opportunities i had i missed 2 long shots. this time with my T/C encore in .25-06 and Dad's .270, we were a little more prepared for the longer shots.
We did not hunt them like a lot of the locals do, from the truck... nope, we wanted to really hunt. so we parked the truck and got out and hiked to the top of an overlook before daylight every morning, and waited for the sun to come up and glassed small groups of lopes trying to find a group that had a decent buck in it. Once located, we would try to figure out how to use the land terrain features to sneak in for a shot before they moved off or busted us. We put in probably 5 or 6 miles the first morning to get Dad a shot. When i get the video off my camera i'll post it on youtube and share... Only time i've ever seen that man take more than 1 shot at an animal, but at 230 yards in really high wind, he took 3 quick shots to put the goat down. Hit him on the first shot, dropped him on the 2nd, but he was still struggling, so a quick 3rd to finish him quickly. we dont like to see anything struggle, and would rather lose a little meat and finish them off quickly.
we got close to another buck that day for me, but it was basically at the truck, and i didnt' want to end my hunt that way, so i let him walk. that evening we found a nice goat and went after him, but i couldnt get steady enough to shoot in the wind, and i let him go not wanting to risk wounding him with a bad shot.
The second morning we were back at it before sunrise, stalked a couple goats but passed on them for being a little too small. finally we spotted a big group of about 15, but they had us pegged at probably 800 - 1,000 yards, so we waited for them to go over a small hill and down into a little bottom, and we took off after them. after crawling to the top of the hill and peeking over, the goat was pretty good, good enough for me, so i set up my shooting sticks and dropped him with one shot at 190 yards.
my friends out there had tags to fill as well, so after dad went home i stayed a couple extra days and tagged along and tried to film their hunts. i did more belly crawling and got more cactus spines in me that i have on any previous hunt, but it was one of the most fun hunts ive ever been on. Pops and I had a great time. Our antelopes are not huge by any means, Dad's is 13" and has good mass, good hooks, a little ivory, but kind of weak cutters. mine is 12.25" with decent mass, is kinda wide with good cutters, but weaker hooks. We are happy with them though, our first lopes each and a fun and challenging hunt. those things can see so good you really have to plan your stalk carefully and use every bit of terrain you can.
After getting back from Wyoming, it's been time to get out on Ft. Belvoir and deer hunt. My Mathews Outback broke earlier this year, so i replaced it with a Bowtech Destroyer 340. I LOVE that bow. I bought it on a Thursday, put my sights on it and set it up Friday, and won a 3-d shoot with it Saturday. that thing is sweet! So i was very anxious to test it out on a VA whitetail. well last Saturday I got my chance on this buck. at 630 p.m. he stepped out of the woods and was headed into a field i was set up on, no binoculars needed, no 2nd guesses needed. and though he was a little farther than i prefer to shoot, he was perfectly broadside, never even looked my direction, and after i ranged him, i drew, anchored, and sent my arrow the 48 yards to the deer, double lunged him, and he was down in 40 yards. when i got down and found him i found that i had my best bow buck yet, and 2nd best all time. he isnt' very wide, only 14.5" inside, but has 22" beams, and good mass with 4.5" bases. i green scored him a little over 124" gross, he'll net a few inches less. i know it was a long shot and i might catch some crap for that, but i practice a LOT all the way out to 80 yards, and i'm pretty good even at that distance (though i'd never take an animal at that range).
So far it's been a great year, but its not over yet. I leave thursday for a DIY mule deer hunt in Colorado with a friend of mine in Pagosa Springs. So hopefully it will be a good hunt and I can find a nice mulie to introduce my 7mag to. I also have an otc elk tag in my pocket just in case old wapiti decides to show up as well
I will keep you posted on that trip once i get back.Y'all take care, enjoy the pics, and good luck in the woods!
my lope
dad glassing:
sunrise:
Dad's lope
my VA deer:
my VA deer again
