This was my first time hunting antelope. I was offered a tag through G3 Outfitters for New Mexico’s unit 23. On Friday, we spent the entire day glassing. The buck we were searching for was known as the “TV buck” as it was spotted between two TVs dumped on the side of the road.
By Saturday morning, we were glassing again, and we worked our way to his location. We found TV! We were 440 yards below him, but I wasn’t confident with the shot because this was my first time shooting up an elevation at that distance. I rushed and skyed him, missing his head by an inch. Thankfully, it was a clean miss. He took off, and I was left deflated. This was possibly the largest antelope I’d ever see, but Tommy Holder was calm and convinced me it wasn’t over. We pressed forward, finding him yet again, but this time, he was 800 yards away and walking away from us. My redemption shot wasn’t a possibility. As I watched TV walk out of my life again, he took a piece of me with him. I was left to replay that terrible shot and the mistake I made over and over in my head. As you know, the hunt must go on, so we continued.
Meanwhile, we got a phone call from Bobby Holder, who was a mile from us, saying he had TV in view. When we arrived, we made the walk on the ridge facing down into the valley. There were no antelope in sight, much less my TV buck. As we were reaching the end of the ridge and I was reaching the end of my dream, there he was. It was TV again! He was less than 200 yards below, giving me the perfect opportunity. We all ducked down, and I readied my gun. As I steadily raised up, he was heading directly up the ridge in our direction. I told myself, “This is my final attempt!” I calmly pulled the trigger, and he dropped in his tracks.
My previous mistakes led us all to this opportunity, and I’m so grateful it played out as it did. This was by far the best hunt I’ve ever been on. It wouldn’t have been possible without G3 Outfitters, Spencer Burns, Tanner Strain, Tommy Holder, and his father, Bobby Holder. This was truly a buck-of-a-lifetime and a hunt I will remember for the rest of my life.
New Mexico Antelope
By Saturday morning, we were glassing again, and we worked our way to his location. We found TV! We were 440 yards below him, but I wasn’t confident with the shot because this was my first time shooting up an elevation at that distance. I rushed and skyed him, missing his head by an inch. Thankfully, it was a clean miss. He took off, and I was left deflated. This was possibly the largest antelope I’d ever see, but Tommy Holder was calm and convinced me it wasn’t over. We pressed forward, finding him yet again, but this time, he was 800 yards away and walking away from us. My redemption shot wasn’t a possibility. As I watched TV walk out of my life again, he took a piece of me with him. I was left to replay that terrible shot and the mistake I made over and over in my head. As you know, the hunt must go on, so we continued.
Meanwhile, we got a phone call from Bobby Holder, who was a mile from us, saying he had TV in view. When we arrived, we made the walk on the ridge facing down into the valley. There were no antelope in sight, much less my TV buck. As we were reaching the end of the ridge and I was reaching the end of my dream, there he was. It was TV again! He was less than 200 yards below, giving me the perfect opportunity. We all ducked down, and I readied my gun. As I steadily raised up, he was heading directly up the ridge in our direction. I told myself, “This is my final attempt!” I calmly pulled the trigger, and he dropped in his tracks.
My previous mistakes led us all to this opportunity, and I’m so grateful it played out as it did. This was by far the best hunt I’ve ever been on. It wouldn’t have been possible without G3 Outfitters, Spencer Burns, Tanner Strain, Tommy Holder, and his father, Bobby Holder. This was truly a buck-of-a-lifetime and a hunt I will remember for the rest of my life.
New Mexico Antelope