Blackbuck Antelope Hunt…For An Elusive Buck!
Jeff had been to the Patio Ranch a number of times over the past couple of decades. He had been helping with ranch maintenance, animal observation, animal capture, filling feed bins and any other tasks that he had been volunteered to perform free of charge by his brother, the ranch manager. During that time, Jeff had also been observing a number of animals on the ranch with the dream of someday hunting them on the Patio Ranch. Jeff had even looked at each type of mount to find one that would fit the wall space he had available in his home.
Jeff had decided that this would be the year for his long awaited hunt and chose a blackbuck antelope as his first exotic animal trophy. And he decided to try for a large blackbuck that had been calling the ranch headquarters area his home for years. What Jeff did not realize at the time he made his decision was that this particular blackbuck had been hunted two separate times in past years with no success. This blackbuck seemed to sense that he had become the center of attention when the previous two hunters had tried to find him. It was at these times that the blackbuck would disappear by using the deep canyons and thick brush as a hide-out from searching eyes.
And the first day followed the pattern of the previous two hunts that had tried for this blackbuck; we saw him disappear as we entered the pasture and then could not find him again. He seemed to walk into the prickly-pear flat and his dark black coat and v-shaped horns faded into the horizon. We searched the rest of the day, but the big buck did not return.
The next day, we decided to play the waiting game: set-up in a ground blind at a zone where trails converged heading from one side of the pasture to the other and wait for the buck to move while in a ground blind. The concept was simple, but the waiting was more difficult. Finally Jeff spotted the buck moving off to his right disappearing from time to time behind a large prickly pear patch and then reappearing at another spot. The shot was going to be difficult not only because of the intermittent sightings between obstacles, but Jeff’s heart rate was starting to rise and his hands to shake with the excitement of a long anticipated hunt. His voice was quivering with excitement and the buck was coming close to leaving the field of view. But Jeff had waited too long to let a little excitement stand in his way; he steadied himself and regulated his breathing. There was a shot and then the blackbuck was gone from Jeff’s field of view…he had dropped straight to the ground not to move again.
Jeff’s story is one of love of the land, admiration of the creatures that were placed here on this earth, perseverance and dreams fulfilled. Everyone has a different background, different dreams and hunting sagas that unfold completely different from any one before. We invite you to join us here on The Patio Ranch for a different experience. Come share a hunt with us and then, “…tell a different hunting story!”
Good hunting and best wishes for a grand summer!