Melissa Bachman, host of Winchester Deadly Passion (airing Sundays at 11:30 am ET on Sportsman Channel) has recently returned from her first bowhunt of the season – a combo mule deer and antelope hunt in Colorado. I spoke to her during the weekend she was in Colorado and heard first-hand all the struggles of hunting in the heat. It truly is not something I don’t think I can do! I asked Melissa for her tips on how she comes away successful with food for the freezer during hunts that well, take a lot of grit to accomplish. Michelle Scheuermann, editor, Archery Wire.
Q: Melissa, no matter what you are hunting, it sounds like you enjoy spot and stalking the most. But sometimes, you must sit in a blind. During this Colorado hunt, you sat in a blind near an antelope watering hole for 15 hours in ONE DAY! It was 104 degrees outside – how did you keep sane (and hydrated) during that wait?
A: The hardest part of antelope hunting in a blind is being mentally tough enough to withstand the brutal heat. There wasn’t a breeze and it felt like you are in an Easy Bake oven cooking all day. The good and bad about antelope hunting is usually the hotter and dryer it is outside, the better that is for you, since you are sitting at a water hole. Many people believe antelope only water during the day but that is not true. I’ve put my SpyPoint cameras on water holes and have proof on the card of antelope watering at night. To prepare for a long, hot sit, we always take a huge cooler full of ice, drinks and snacks to keep us hydrated throughout the day. I like to freeze several water bottles the night before as extra ice and then usually pack at least eight water bottles per person and more snacks than I could ever eat in a day.
Q: And were you successful sitting over that watering hole? How is hunting for antelope so much different than other deer species?
A: This year we were not successful in antelope, so we decided to change up our hunting methods and went spot and stalk instead of sitting at the water hole. Spot and stalk hunting is much more fun, but a lower percentage rate of success hunt. I believe people don’t give antelope enough credit sometimes. When you hunt the day after day and watch where they bed, stand, group up with others, it’s amazing how great of locations they choose. Antelope use their eyesight to their advantage so they like being in the wide open. This makes it extremely difficult to close the distance to get within bow range.
Q: After the antelope hunt, you decided to get moving and go after mule deer, spot and stalk. What is it about spot and stalk you enjoy so much? And how can you move the needle of success more to your favor?
A: Spot and stalk is by far my favorite method to hunt. You need to make quick decisions on the fly and adjust constantly. You may have a perfect plan going into a stalk but everything can change along the way. The better you are at making adjustments and quick decisions - the better your odds. The best way to move the needle of success is in numbers. The more stalks you do, the higher your chances of success. I try to learn from every single stalk and discuss what could have been done differently and why. Persistence is key and just don’t get discouraged; keep after it and a little luck goes a long way!
Q: You have a singular focus when hunting that must help you stay in one place for such long periods of time – no matter if 100 degrees or -20 degrees, do you believe this is something that is trainable for all hunters? Or how can a hunter develop the “stick-to-it-ness” of sitting in a treestand or blind or glassing a hillside for hours upon hours?
A: I think this comes down to mental toughness. I credit my past coaches for helping me get to this next level. It also helps when you put in the time and effort and then see the rewards. You do this enough times, you learn that perseverance is probably the single most important aspect to any hunt.
Q: Because we are all curious, please share your bow set-up for this particular hunt.
A: I shoot a Mathews PRIMA in Realtree with a 64lb draw weight and a 25.5 inch draw. I have an HHA Tetra Max single pin sight, Easton FMJ 4mm arrows with a Rage Hypodermic NC + P broadhead. I like to use Nockturnal lighted nocks so I can see exactly where my arrow hit. I shoot a Short N Sweet release that’s over 20-years old but my favorite. I use a BOG Sherpa set of tripod legs for my spotting scope and a Swarovski spotting scope and binocular along with a MagView Gear for filming the animals through my spotting scope. For apparel I wear DSG and in hot weather the Bexley pant is my favorite along with the long sleeve camo tech shirt.
