2024Vol41No3NBUJournal

SCHEELS Spotlight SCHEELS is a major sponsor of the NBU Banquet and also a great partner of Nevada’s wildlife. NBU will be running a SCHEELS Spotlight every journal issue to thank them for their support. Learn about their wonderful employees and the hunts that they have experienced! POSITIVE VIBES ONLY By Sarah Meloni

April is when the hardest decision is made: what tags do I put in for? In doing this there is always a dream tag; moose, sheep, elk, or that big 8 point mule deer. And then there's a choice of a tag that is not as exciting; horns shorter than ears, does and cows, a further location, or a new weapon to hunt with. But hey, it gets meat in the freezer. I was a rifle hunter who thought it would be fun to try archery. I had a bow and was decent at it, so why not put in for archery tags? I decided to make my 5th choice an antelope archery hunt. My husband, Lu, told me that it wasn’t the best idea because I hadn’t trained for archery and all our gear was outfitted for rifle hunts in the winter months. But I figured everyone starts somewhere, and I might not even get the tag. It doesn't hurt to try. The month of May comes around and the office is abuzz with people learning what their draw results were. As people started to celebrate and cheer with their sheep hunts and elk hunts, others were kicking and swearing that they only get points for the season. I was standing dumbfounded at my results. I got my 5th pick, Archery in early August. My last choice for a hunt, but it was better than nothing. Lu was a part of the swearing group as he got more points. When I told Lu what my results were he was in as much shock as I was. We both had tense levels of anxiety. My bow was not at a legal draw weight for hunting, I was not that accurate with my shooting, and we had never done an archery hunt. Our gear is tailored for winter rifle hunting, not summer archery. Everything we had was pointing towards an unsuccessful hunt. This made Lu very stressed and I was starting to talk myself into returning the tag. But we both love to hunt, and it was the only tag we got between the two of us. It wasn’t an option to give up before we even tried. Lu was being very honest with me and told me I had a lot of work ahead of myself. We sat down and made a plan with some long to-do lists. As the list got longer, Lu was getting more and more stressed with the process. We had less than two months to get everything done and we were starting at ground zero. Lu was feeling very unprepared. I pulled him aside and told him that it was a lot of work, but it could be done. We needed to keep a positive mindset and stick to the plan we made so that our hunt would be a success. May through July was training time. I was focusing my gym routines around workouts for archers, participating in 3D shoots at Silver Arrow Bowmen Archery Range, and taking every spare weekend I could to practice. I was learning how to fletch arrows, researching broadheads, and researching how antelope behave on the SageBrush Steppe. By the end of July I was able to get my bow to legal draw weight and I could confidently and accurately shoot 60 yards. Just enough to get the job done.

conversations with coworkers and some quick trades and favors, he was given the location of a prime watering hole. While we didn’t have to trade our first born for the knowledge, we did have to promise not to share the location with anyone else. And I had to promise to bag the animal. No pressure. With the location selected and my training evaluated, we decided to hunt from a blind. Lu was dreading the long hours in the hot summer sun in a camo sauna, but I was excited that we had a method that put the odds more in our favor. Positive vibes only! It was now time to get the rest of the gear. For reference, Lu is 6’4”, and I am 5’7”. Both of us are not small people. We had to find a blind that we both could fit in and I could shoot from. We were very fortunate to find a blind that both of us could fit in. I needed to be able to stand and draw my bow and Lu needed to be comfortable while spotting my shots. We then used our chairs for duck hunting and our blind was the Taj Mahal. Being comfortable in the blind was necessary for us to keep our sanity. We got outfitted in First Light summer camo and we were ready for the hunt. It’s the end of July, one week before the hunt, and we decide to set up the blind at the watering hole. Our plan was to leave it there for a week so that the animals would be able to acclimate to it, and to deter other hunters from taking that spot. The location was perfect. Lu was referencing that we should put the blind on a far side of the bank where it is tucked into a small ridge, but as I looked closer at the water there were some strong signs of antelope, cow, horses, coyotes, and some mule deer on one side of the watering hole. I told Lu that we should set up closer to that side so that as the animal drinks I could easily get it on the left broadside. There was also a sign of animals entering the watering hole from a tall ridge. This would then be an opportune shot when they come down because there would be a back stop for the shot. We set up the blind, placed some rocks at 15, 20, and 30 yards for reference, and went to a further hill to glass the area. The whole time we are setting up, Lu and I are opposite in energy. I was so excited to finally be setting everything up. All the training and prep work was coming to fruition. Lu was convinced that we still weren't ready, and he wasn’t seeing any fresh sign of antelope in the area. I then started to tell Lu, “Positive vibes only!” Through all the frustrations and victories with my training, I needed to keep a positive mindset around this hunt. As tacky as it sounds, your mindset can determine the outcome. While we were driving to the unit, setting up the blind, and glassing, we didn’t see a single antelope. It was a battle to keep the positive vibes going. But sometimes you gotta fake it till ya make it! As we were leaving the watering hole to let the blind acclimate with the surroundings, Lu was convinced that all this work was going to be for nothing. Not to mention we would be roasting in a blind in the August heat for a week. In his eyes, this was going to be our worst hunt.

While I was focusing on being physically capable, Lu was electronically scouting the units. Through private

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