ONLINE BOWHUNT: Antelope In Wyoming
Sept 13, 2000 - Day #6 
(11:42am) Ande dropped me off at my blind and he went to the Pit Blind. It's been a slow morning here, a doe walked up from behind me and passed by only 5 yards away. She walked between the two water pools and continued over to the windmill I mentioned yesterday. There is run-off water over there right up against the fence and she stuck her head through and drank. Then she munched stuff around my blind for an hour and eventually she disappeared behind the blind.

Here is a shameless plug for something that really works well here. It is "Blistex." Out here it is very dry and it gives everyone a major case of chapped and cracked lips. I've used Chapstick or Carmex before but I forgot it this trip. They weren't that effective anyway. Scot Hornbuckle asked if any of us needed anything from town and I asked for chapstick. He came back with Blistex Regular, there are different kinds but this one comes in a dark green applicator that you turn to push out the Blistex magic stuff. It whipped my problem into shape in one night. The stuff works.

(2:19pm) Here come a group of antelope. Three does and a buck that looks like the one on Day 4. They are out in the flats 400 yards and moving toward me. We'll see what happens...

(3:00pm) Two of the does came right to water and drank. I sat still instead of taking their pictures. I wanted the buck to come in and didn't want to risk anything messing up. The third doe stayed back with the buck and they watched the other two drink. But they did not come in. The drinkers joined them and the group walked uphill and out of sight. Rats!

(Meanwhile) Ande Rushing was getting frustrated with the situation of the fabric blind placed inside the wooden framework of the pit blind (we set it up that way yesterday). Several good bucks came in, but the fabric blinds shooting windows didn't line up with the Pit blind's Wooden frame windows, and the places where the antelope came to drink were impossible to get a shot. Late in the afternoon Ande dismantled the  blind. As he folded it up he saw does and a buck on a  hill and they were coming toward him. He dropped down in the Pit Blind and backed into a corner so he would be in the shadows of the Pit. They passed him broadside and stopped. Ande was on his knees and drew, but in the limited space he couldn't get his bow back because his elbow was against the wooden wall of the blind. He slid forward and drew again. He fired and hit the top of the bottom board in the Pit's shooting window. The buck walked off.

The sun set and he came to pick me up. We have one day left to hunt and we need to make plans.