2013 Wyoming muzzy antelope.

rmanwill

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LAST EDITED ON Aug-26-13 AT 05:36PM (MST)[p]Well the hunt has came and went. Always a great time in Wyoming in the outdoors!!!

First thing we noticed when we arrived in the hunting area three days prior to the opener for scouting was that the winter kill they talked about a couple winters prior was every bit as bad as they stated if not worst. There was not even a 10% of the antelope in the unit as in years past. They were very spread out and the herds were small (3-12 at best with about two herds of possible 30). Usaully herds of 40-50 around and groups of ten to twenty everywhere. The winter kill a couple years ago must have been something.

After scouting for three days in a unit that I have hunted about ten times in the past 15 years, we located one great buck that we put on our hit list and possibly two others we could slid on to our hit list. We kept an eye on the best buck from several miles off over the next couple days, as to not blow him out of the area and on opening day it was planned for my hunting partner to down the buck at legal light.

As plans go it did not work quit as planned. The herd was on the other side of the road as we came in and blow out into a large flat rolling opening. My partner stocked the herd and had one good look at the buck at 180 yards, but he was surrounded by does. I kept leap froging and watching from a distance and picked my partner up several miles from the start of the stock. I had seen that the big buck had not stayed with the herd at the end and neither of us knew where he ended up for sure, but know the general area and was hoping to get on him before another hunter did.

After making a large circle back to his wheeler I headed off to see if we could locate him. As I hit the main dirt road I waited for my partner, which never showed. I headed back and he was at his wheeler telling me to watch as he shot. I realized that he was shooting at the big buck that had headed right back to his original area.

My partner headed after the buck on foot to see if he could get on the buck over the rolling hill he had just went over. I knew the area and headed down the road a 1/2 mile or so and hit a two track that went up to a ridge with several trees and a pass that the antelope liked to travel in the pass. I went to the high ridge and glassed for the buck from behind a tree and nothing. I headed towards my partners last location, glassing from behind each tree as I proceeded. I had covered the ridge and had just cleared the last tree and glassed the vast open with no sight of the buck. Just as I was to head towards my wheeler a doe came out of the canyon/wash at about 70 yards. Right behind her came out a buck and caught me at a disadvantage in the open. I was not sure if this was our #1 buck on the hit list until he turned and looked my direction. There he was no doubt with his unique wide heart shape and his cutters extending straight out past his horns. He turned and looked in the direction he came from and I dropped to one knee, which alerted the doe. As he turned to look back in my directions I was chocking the breech, which started him in a slow walk. I placed the red dot one him and followed him for several feet and felt comfortable, so I pulled ahead of his chest to lead him and fired. I heard the sound of the hit and as the smoke cleared he came to a stop and stood in a hunched manner. I know he was hit and watch for a few seconds hoping he would drop. As he stood I slowly reloaded and just as I ran the ramrod home the buck rared over and hit the ground on his back.

As I approached he was just what we thought he was. He was wide, heavy and had good cutter that extended straight out to a measurement of 19 inched. His cutters forked high and three of his circumfrence measurements are below his cutters, pushing his rough score to 81 1/2. Very few deductions - very symetrical.

I returned to my wheeler and my partner was there and had no idea, since he was headed my way on his wheeler when I shot and did not hear it. I hated to tell him, since we had intended for him to take this buck, but after a few minutes I had to let him know the buck was down.

The hunt was great and we did go 2 for 2 with our muzzle loaders. On a bad year that is exceptional. The company was great, the weather was great, the food was even better and the hunt for the #1 buck on the hit list ended in our favor with a little twist!!!

Thanks to my hunting partner for all the help, freindship and for being a great hunting partner!!!

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Awesome Goat Congrats,and I agree hunting Wyoming is the bomb. My favorate place by far.

"Easy now, keep the croshairs right behind his shoulder & squeeze the trigger"
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-26-13 AT 06:28PM (MST)[p]One of these years I'm gonna learn how to shake buck fever and learn how to shoot straight!... :)

Keeping track of that buck for three days was a fun part of the hunt and you gotta love it when a plan comes together, even with a few twists and turns. Still amazes me that he split from the herd and headed right back to where we started. And it amazes me even more that we were in the right place at just the right time after chasing him all over hell and back....30 seconds sooner or 30 seconds later and we may have never seen him again that morning. Glad we made it happen and glad you got him!

I'm more than happy with my buck and had a great hunt! As you said, good company, good food, cold drinks, nice camp, and two bucks down with muzzleloaders, what's not to like! Wish we could find somewhere to hunt antelope every year with a muzzleloader! Lotsa fun where you actually have to hunt a bit, not just shoot.

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Great story and great bucks. That's what hunting is all about. And you can hunt them with a muzz every year; just might be in a different area. (And might nbe in rifle season, but still with a muzz.)

Congrats to both of you.
 
by and large, a lot of people don't give Pronghorn the respect that they deserve. That's a beautiful buck, Congrats!!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
A one buck and story!I bet there was some happy hooting and hollering in the sagebrush that day! Good looking camp too! Home sweet home! Hth
 
Fine story, great buck! I felt like I was there (or at least I wanted to be there).
Congratulations on an exciting and successful hunt!
Thanks for sharing bro,
Zeke
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-27-13 AT 09:20PM (MST)[p]Great story, great pronghorn, and some great pictures as well.

As to the score(at least B&C and P&Y)...I dont believe you can ever get 3 mass measurements below the prong. I believe there must be 2 mass measurements below the prong and 2 above, no matter where the 1/4 measurements fall. May be different in SCI or some other scoring system, I dont know.

Note D-3 must be taken
above the prong. If D-3 falls on or below the prong, then take this measurement immediately
above the prong.
 
Thanks BuzzH. Never been the score that made my hunts successful. Never really studied them. Just printed a couple off and while in camp followed the score sheet. Missed that note on the third circumference measurement. Thanks for the heads up.Still one of my best and probably the best looking I have bagged. Always go by the rule that if it makes you happy before you pull the trigger, go for it and don't second guess yourself afterwards.

Thank again for the heads up though.
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-27-13 AT 10:45PM (MST)[p]Congrats on that buck, it has the look that is very hard to pass no matter what kind of trophy hunter you are!

Buzz is right about P&Y, however B&C allows the d3 to be taken below the swell of the prong if the quarter falls there.(Ref Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game-B&C Club) This is a rare occurance and I think if your buck is quartered correctly, the d3 will not fall below the swell. Any buck I have scored that got a d3 below the prong has had prongs very near the curve of the upper horn and short looking tops. Not so with your unique buck.

By the way, B&C used to be like P&Y, but changed to allow d3 below the prong in the recent past.
 
Nice looking buck, but I was also questioning the three mass measurements below the prong. I shot a buck a few years ago that goes 15 5/8's with really tall prongs. I had several guys measure it trying to see if we could pull three measurements below the prong. No one could. Still grosses over 80 with 6" cutters. I have several close to B&C. That one would've made it with three measurements below the prong. Maybe one of these days...
 
Great bucks!rmanwill-your buck has "the look". Nice wall appeal. He will make an awesome mount. Congrats. Foreman-I love the way those horns go in different directions! Very unique.
 
Both Awesome bucks! You guys did very well. Headed to the old stompin' grounds today. Drew the area 100 Bull tag. Hopefully I'll be able to find a bull like the one you shot Rick. We've been scouting for a couple of months now, and things look promising.. :). Again, Congrats to you both.
 
That 100 tag is one of the funnest elk hunts I have been on. Talked with your brother and sounds like you have a plan put together. Hope you can get it done with the bow!!! Best of luck and keep in touch.
 
nice buck

just to validate your point, here is a buck I got that gets three mass measurements (B&C) below the prong
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