rmanwill
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 6,190
LAST EDITED ON Aug-26-13 AT 05:38PM (MST)[p]Well the hunt has came and went. Always a great time in Wyoming in the outdoors!!!
First thing we noticed when we arived 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 heards 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 a 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!!!
First thing we noticed when we arived 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 heards 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 a 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!!!
