2005 Hunt pics and story

J

jpine

Guest
I've been on and off the MM site for about a year, very few posts due to a hectic work schedule. I've enjoyed the posts, threads, advice, pictures, and stories, all have been very helpful. My son and I are from Michigan, we're avid whitetail bow hunters whom have been dying to get out west to WY. Thanks to some help from Prizm, last January we were able to come up with a landowner?s list and some advice from the BLM on targeting a place to hunt. After writing 189 letters asking for permission and many hours on the phone with some great and not so great people we came up with 5 potential places to hunt with no trespass fees. Most of the ranches wanted $1,000 and up for mule deer, $250 and up for antelope. We were pumped to find private ranches as the area we targeted had pretty limited public access in comparison to the number of hunters.

We spent the year preparing for strenuous hiking and shot until we were comfortable out to 400 yards. It was a great time in itself. After an agonizing wait it was finally time, we started the drive from Grand Haven to WY, after 16 hours we hit the state line right at daylight?.what a sight; thousands of antelope and hundreds of mulies on our way through. Absolutely gorgeous, it was worth the trip just to see the country! Were we cranked up.

When we arrived we unpacked quickly and started the follow up calls to landowners (we did so all year long, the last call was three weeks prior to departure). Talk about shell shock, of the 5 ranches we had lined up: one rancher had a stroke two weeks prior and we couldn't get on to the ranch, 2 were elderly and had decided to allow others to hunt, 1 wasn?t worth hunting as the owner was looking for $ with no animals. Our last resort for private land was a small parcel which our cabin tenant allowed us to use as a back up. We spent the rest of the day driving to BLM parcels I'd marked with my GPS from topo BLM maps looking for animals and options. We were able to line up seven potentials, after 30 hours of road time it got dark and we headed back to the our cabin to have a frosty with the cabin owner, he gave us the coordinates to his property 30 miles away. We decide to hunt it first and then hit the BLM tracks. We swapped lies and stories with the cabin owner over a cold frosty one and hit the sack.

Opening morning finally arrived; my son and I were pumped. We join the traffic and headed out to our ?spot? sight unseen, wait for daylight and followed the landowner?s direction for hunting the small piece. We set up on a ridge line on the small parcel which bordered a mile square of landlocked BLM property only to have a guide and client drive by on the fence line, park, and cut us off from the BLM piece ?.ouch. We walked away in a different direction and glassed what we could, saw nothing?.87degrees, decide to go fill my sons antelope tag.

The day before we'd seen speed goats fighting on a BLM tract, after making the drive we're a little late as we find two hunters pursuing the bucks. Plan B is to check seven other BLM tracts of land?tons of hunters too much heat for long hikes to get away from the roads too far, on the last stop a Fish and Game Officer drove by. We tried to flag him down for advice; he wouldn't stop so we followed him ten miles until he did. Not a real happy guy, but he did give us one walk in area to try that he'd seen 100?s of antelope on earlier in the day, 50 miles away on the other end of our hunt area.

After making the track to the walk in area, we found one other hunter?and three square miles of area. In speaking with the other hunter we agreed to stalk the east side of the tract. The temperature had risen to 90 degrees, hot and sunny with 40 mph gusts of wind, John and I take off on a hike with T shirts on, not quite like the weather in Michigan. We encountered a lot of antelope, all are just outside the fence of the walk in area; we see dozens of nice bucks all just outside and none willing to cross the fence?.tough luck but fun stuff. After a few hours we decide to get some refreshments and food planning to return for another try later, as we're walking back to our truck we hear a shot. Upon return to the truck we meet a couple and their 15 year old daughter whom have connected on a buck 100 yards from our truck?LOL. After congratulating them we find out they live locally, also that they moved there from Grand Haven, our home town. Having discussed Lake Michigan, the pier, and the sights they used to know back home the couple give us another option/place to hunt, very nice people. It turned out we never get to the property they mentioned, as we're pulling out my son spotted a nice buck 400 yards out just inside the walk in area. So, we circled around the buck to some cover and stalked fifty yards, my son made a great shot. One down, we couldn't wipe the smile from our faces. Lot's of work, great fun.

The next day we went back out to the 350 acre parcel and post up on a ridge to glass, after a light rain we see a double rainbow?what a sight, we split up and opt to spot and stalk. About 20 minutes after separating I came across a lone 2x2 sneaking through a trough and decide I'm going to try for him. After stalking across the back side of a ridge I'm able to belly crawl to within sight and have got a 300 yard shot. Taking my time, rest on a pack, inhale/exhale, pull the trigger slowly?? I managed to shoot right over his back; normally a bad problem?not all bad this time considering 4 bucks and a dozen does jump up in the sage! I pick out a nice 5x4 aim dead on and he dropped, boy was I tickled?.until I see a nice 5x5 with kickers looking across the ridge. When the buck took off it ran right toward my son?..I waited for a half hour just to see John coming over a ridge from a completely different direction. Whoops☺.

That afternoon we decided that John will spot and stalk in the direction the 5 x 5 went while I set up hoping that an unlucky antelope stray onto the property. My son doesn't have to go far, as he crosses up and over the first ridge he spots a doe moving parallel to the ridge; 100 yards behind the 5 x 5 is following. Both deer cut behind some tall sage leaving only a neck shot. John bumped on a radio looking for advice on a long shot at the neck?.he decides he can make the shot?..bam and he connects on his first mule deer. A year of planning, two days no sleep, hours in the truck, two days of hunting, one nice antelope, and two nice mulies. Beautiful state, great time!
dhalladay
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-10-06 AT 09:46PM (MST)[p]Great
Great
GREAT STORY!!

Congratulations to both of you!
Looks like your dedication and persistence paid off!
Sorry to hear of your misfortunes on private land access but happy to hear all worked out for the best.

Chef
"I Love Animals...They're Delicious!"
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-10-06 AT 09:44PM (MST)[p]great story. Sounds like it all came together. Congrats.
Here are your pics.
55AndJohnconnectsonhismuledeer.jpg

48Ohyeah.jpg

41Niceshot.jpg



fca2e9e9.jpg
 
You going back for an antelope too?!

Congrats again.

Chef
"I Love Animals...They're Delicious!"
 
Great story, it's a breath of fresh air, and you never would have that if not for your dedication, hard work and persistence. Great job, way to stay with it! I love to hear a real hunting story like that. You?re a breath of fresh air from all the landowner tag, conservation/auction tag and high priced guided hunt stories (no offence).

That said, I'm sorry to hear that you had such a hard time finding a place to hunt! Your story exemplifies the true spirit of fair chase, and is the cornerstone to why we all need to protect our public lands for current and future generations! Just imagine what your life would be like if you were not able to fine any public land! Keep our public land open, and available!

Thanks for posting you story.




"Roadless areas, in general, represent some of the best fish and wildlife habitat on public lands. The bad news is that there is nothing positive about a road where fish and wildlife habitat are concerned -- absolutely nothing." (B&C Professor, Jack Ward Thomas, Fair Chase, Fall 2005, p.10).
 
Tx much, nice to hear positive feedback from the responses. I've enjoyed the sight and the info!
 
Sounds like you enjoyed a great time with your son. What a hunt!

Did you catch those deer on the cabin owners property? Coming from that far away and going 3 for 4 is outstanding!

Thanks for posting.
 
jpine,

Congrats to you guys. It's great to hear you guys had a successful hunt and you worked hard for it. Congrats! Good luck on your future Western adventures!
 
Congrats on your success. It was only accomplished through perseverence and good effort. Looks like you were right around my home. I sympathize with you on finding a place to hunt. Even after doing your homework, you got several negative surprises. I'm glad you stcuk it out and had some success.
 
Both of the mule deer came from the landowners place. John shot the speedgoat on a walk in area, I chose not to shoot one as I had a doe tag. We butchered our own game....we chose to enjoy as compared to taking care of another animal.

Thanks for the response,

JPINE
 
Awesome story! It is great to hear a story such as yours where you were able to get help from complete strangers (this site) and have such a successful hunt. I did the same thing after drawing a tag in a unfamiliar area last year and posted on this site for some information. I was amazed at how many people were willing to help and had tons of responses and cannot express enough how appreciative I was and am of those people offering up info on their hunting areas.
 
Great story. Just goes to show that persistence really does pay off. That's exactly we need to teach kids to hunt it gives them a life skill that is a lot of fun to learn.
 
I've heard that when hunting antelope waving a white rag or hankee will attract or pull them in closer?? Is this true?
 
Yeah that works great for 2 year old bucks or those that have never been hunted. Mature antelope bucks are a little different ball game.
 

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