wyle_e_coyote
09-27-2006, 11:39 PM
Well we cut our Antelope hunt in Wyoming short this week. Why?...becuse we tagged out in 4hrs opening morning!!!!
Made a trip out to Wyoming to chase some speed goats with Adam.....I mean Merganzer. We drove 14 hours to Cheyenne where we met up with Labdog99 (Tim). Then we hooked up Tim's camper, loaded all our gear, and headed for our Antelope hunting zone.
The day, the day before season started, we spent scouting our zone. We found an area the seemed to hold 100's of goats. After gaining permission to hunt the ranch, the plan was to start there in the morning. Feeling good about this area, it was back to the campground for dinner, beer, and evening cocktails.
The next morning, we flipped for first stalk, I lost...nothing new. We arrived at the ranch just at day break, glassing the hills below we spotted a herd of goats. Tim (our friend and guide) took Merganzer to make a stalk. I stayed behind to help keep an eye on the herd. After they made a long stalk I got to watch 'ganzer shoot his first Antelope... a 10"-11" pronghorn, a very nice goat for a first timer. Now...I am leaving out some very ..very funny info about his shooting skills, because I'm a buddy...:lol: :evil: . I'll let him report on that if he so chooses. I tried to find a way to get in front of the rest of the herd, but it was no use. I met the guys at the road, only to hear them tell me I screwed up, because a goat about the same size ran right by where I was sitting...again, nothing new.
After listening to the story and having some laughs, I told Tim that I saw a bunch of antelope run towards the other side of the ranch. We jumped in the truck and drove around to spot the valley below a very long bluff.
Now my story is a bit longer, because, well, cause I was there. :lol:
As we stood at the top of this bluff glassing the valley below, we spotted 3 pronghorns about 300 yards to our right, standing at the very bottom of the 100yrd drop. Tim put the spotting scope on them and reported, "oh he's a nice buck, well a shooter anyway" , so the stalk was on. We worked our way along the top of bluff, peeking over the edge every 100yrds. The goats were moving away at the same time, making it a longer walk to catch up. Finally 'ganzer crawled to the edge peeked over, and gave me the hand signal for "they are right down there" mouthing those words at the same time. :lol: Using my pack as a rest I got close to the edge, 'ganzer ranges them and whispers "130" then all of the sudden the goats turned and started to run away, I was sure we were busted. I almost made a bad choice and took a running shot, but I heard Tim in the back saying "no...no" so I didn't. Just then the 2 does turned and ran back, the buck followed. I hurried up and got settled back on my rest. I got the cross hairs on the buck, as soon as he stopped 'ganzer gives me a range..."101" .
BAM!! The buck's back legs gave out, then his front, a 13" buck was on the ground! Now I'm not sure who was more excited me or 'Ganzer...I just remember hearing "f**k yeah, he's down!" yelled from behind me...:lol: . Then high fives all around. What a great hunt.
This was going to be a one time hunt for us, but I think we will be returning again next year. This time being a bit more picky, and prepaired to catch some of those big rainbows and browns we seen landed in the river behind the camper.
I have to thank Tim and his wonderful wife Liz for everything. Tim was one hell of a host and guide to us. Liz cooked us up some great meals for a week of camping even though we only got to eat twice. Plus she was kind enough to let her husband run off to help some friends from Michigan hunt Antelope after being gone for 2 weeks hunting Elk himself. Not many good women like that out there...not sure how he tricked this one. :lol:
Here are some pics of a great time with some great friends.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/medium/Picture_03111.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=49325&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=9629)
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/medium/Picture_0302.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=49324&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=9629)
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/medium/Picture_02611.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=49326&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=9629)
Tim has more pics, maybe he can post some.
Made a trip out to Wyoming to chase some speed goats with Adam.....I mean Merganzer. We drove 14 hours to Cheyenne where we met up with Labdog99 (Tim). Then we hooked up Tim's camper, loaded all our gear, and headed for our Antelope hunting zone.
The day, the day before season started, we spent scouting our zone. We found an area the seemed to hold 100's of goats. After gaining permission to hunt the ranch, the plan was to start there in the morning. Feeling good about this area, it was back to the campground for dinner, beer, and evening cocktails.
The next morning, we flipped for first stalk, I lost...nothing new. We arrived at the ranch just at day break, glassing the hills below we spotted a herd of goats. Tim (our friend and guide) took Merganzer to make a stalk. I stayed behind to help keep an eye on the herd. After they made a long stalk I got to watch 'ganzer shoot his first Antelope... a 10"-11" pronghorn, a very nice goat for a first timer. Now...I am leaving out some very ..very funny info about his shooting skills, because I'm a buddy...:lol: :evil: . I'll let him report on that if he so chooses. I tried to find a way to get in front of the rest of the herd, but it was no use. I met the guys at the road, only to hear them tell me I screwed up, because a goat about the same size ran right by where I was sitting...again, nothing new.
After listening to the story and having some laughs, I told Tim that I saw a bunch of antelope run towards the other side of the ranch. We jumped in the truck and drove around to spot the valley below a very long bluff.
Now my story is a bit longer, because, well, cause I was there. :lol:
As we stood at the top of this bluff glassing the valley below, we spotted 3 pronghorns about 300 yards to our right, standing at the very bottom of the 100yrd drop. Tim put the spotting scope on them and reported, "oh he's a nice buck, well a shooter anyway" , so the stalk was on. We worked our way along the top of bluff, peeking over the edge every 100yrds. The goats were moving away at the same time, making it a longer walk to catch up. Finally 'ganzer crawled to the edge peeked over, and gave me the hand signal for "they are right down there" mouthing those words at the same time. :lol: Using my pack as a rest I got close to the edge, 'ganzer ranges them and whispers "130" then all of the sudden the goats turned and started to run away, I was sure we were busted. I almost made a bad choice and took a running shot, but I heard Tim in the back saying "no...no" so I didn't. Just then the 2 does turned and ran back, the buck followed. I hurried up and got settled back on my rest. I got the cross hairs on the buck, as soon as he stopped 'ganzer gives me a range..."101" .
BAM!! The buck's back legs gave out, then his front, a 13" buck was on the ground! Now I'm not sure who was more excited me or 'Ganzer...I just remember hearing "f**k yeah, he's down!" yelled from behind me...:lol: . Then high fives all around. What a great hunt.
This was going to be a one time hunt for us, but I think we will be returning again next year. This time being a bit more picky, and prepaired to catch some of those big rainbows and browns we seen landed in the river behind the camper.
I have to thank Tim and his wonderful wife Liz for everything. Tim was one hell of a host and guide to us. Liz cooked us up some great meals for a week of camping even though we only got to eat twice. Plus she was kind enough to let her husband run off to help some friends from Michigan hunt Antelope after being gone for 2 weeks hunting Elk himself. Not many good women like that out there...not sure how he tricked this one. :lol:
Here are some pics of a great time with some great friends.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/medium/Picture_03111.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=49325&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=9629)
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/medium/Picture_0302.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=49324&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=9629)
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/medium/Picture_02611.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=49326&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=9629)
Tim has more pics, maybe he can post some.