Speedgoatin’

Well the calendar keeps rolling forward and Montana’s General Archery opener is quickly approaching.  This past week we were able to get the time off to go brush up our archery skills by chasing around some of the elusive antelope.  Conditions started off with temps in the upper 70s and low 80s but deteriorated quickly by the time mid-week hit.  The last 4 days of our hunt saw rain for the most of every day.  Quality gear was a must this year as the rain can quickly put you back in the truck if your not prepared.  After getting some real good stalks in early we decided to go meet up with our good friend Branden VanDyken who is the co-owner over at BeTheDecoy.  We quickly got started with him as Travis was able to lay down a nice goat our first day out as a crew of three.  I was able to get one down on the last day after a long and stressful day prior spent in a constant downpour.  Life is total chaos right now trying to get ready for elk/deer so I’ll leave you with some photos from the hunt.

This is what it looks like when the 3 bucks you just stalked in their beds pop up and don’t give you a shot at 30 yards.

The sun sets on Day 1.

Zack hunts smart before hunting hard on Day 3. Being able to wake up and pull out the spotter is the nice part about living out of your truck.

Travis uses some natural barriers to get to 30 yards before slipping an arrow through this bedded buck’s chest.

Travis with his 2014 Montana antelope.

The guys packing out Travis’ goat. Not much weight when it’s split in half.

Looking for the “Hundred Dollar” buck in the pouring rain.

Tony being a turd and forcing us to bump him out of the wheat.

The final stalk. The antelope was bedded below the rock and Zack was able to slip down the hill using the rock as cover. After getting to the rock it was an easy 20 yard downhill shot that ended our day with the 2nd tag being filled.

Zack with his 2014 speedgoat.

The final pack out and the lightest we’ll have all year.

If you have never bowhunted antelope I’d highly encourage it.  When we set out on Day 1 I told Travis that I didn’t feel very deadly.  I hadn’t hunted in months and it was awesome to get back out and start hunting again with the bow in hand.  By the end of the trip we definitely felt ready to tackle just about anything we could encounter come elk and deer season.  Good luck to everyone this year!  And thanks to the companies we work with that make some of the best gear out there – Vortex Optics – Bear Archery – Mystery Ranch – Sitka Gear – YETI Coolers –FHF Gear – Danner Boots – Trophy Taker –

-Zack