my wifes antelope [pics]
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:18 pm
well, we had a great hunt! my wife drew her first antelope tag this year in a unit that normally takes 12 points to draw. she was lucky and drew it with 7! this is in the unit i grew up in and i had killed antelope 8 yrs ago. so i figured we could do allright.
now as much as my wife loves going hunting and would go any chance she could, it's still a little different than when i go. she will put on a good hike, but when that part of the hike comes around, you know the " why and the heck did we just climb this mtn for no apperant reason" time? thats when she calls it quits for the hike:) but i wont complain, she did all the hiking i asked with no complaints. to top it off we really wanted Danner, are 3 yr old daughter to be along with us. so out came my kelty kids pack.
first morning we went to an area that is well know for lots of goats, i knew we would run into more hunters but we gave it a try, knowing full well my backup area would not get hunted and we could save it. sure enough after 1 1/2 hrs of rigs driving by, seeing goats, driving like nascar drivers, we decided we didn't want any part of it. so although alot earlier than originally planned we headed to the backup area.
as soon as we got there, right where they were supposed to be, there was 22 does and 1 buck. we put the stalk on them and got to 150 yrds. by this time they were in the timber so we couldn't find the buck. she had her gun ready and i was trying to find him . single file through a 6 ft opening they were walking through. finally ,bringing up the tail, here he came. for some reason when he hit the opening he has moving a little fast[ still walking, but almost to a trott]. i probably should have told her to hold off, but i had her shoot. not sure of any hit- we gave him a little while and then went and looked. we found a little blood but it wasn't promising.3 spots, as big as a softball was it. she sat down with danner and i started trying to really get on his trail. hunting it 3 ft. tall meadow grass, when your following 20+ animals is tough. after 3 hrs we figured he was lost. i had plans to go get a buddies dog, come back in the morning, maybe get some help, but i wasn't finding him alone. [ burn of a good guide huh??
]
we went back to the rig bummed, it wasn't looking good.
before heading to town i wanted to go check a meadow they headed toward, just in case.
sure enough there they were, WITH ARE BILLY!!! he would limp just a little when walking, but 15 minuts later , during are stalk, we found out that once he was spooked, he wasn't hurt bad. had no problem keeping up with those does while they were running from us
so we felt better knowing he wasn't just out there dead on a hill rotting.
we still made plans to be right there first light. but figured we needed to be a little more mobile , so danner stayed home and went to church with gramma and grampa
next morning , at the crack-o-dawn, we spotted them tried to get a shot, didn't happen. 1/2 hr later tried to get close again for a shot, didn't happen.
we litterally stalked this group of antelope probably 8-10 times. they were wising up to us. i figured we needed to give them a break and head to another area. but i just wanted to check out 1 more meadow that they were headed toward:)
sure enough they were there. out popped the girls 1 by 1. JoAnne had her gun ready. Doe,Doe,Doe etc.... finally here he comes. 150 yrds he stops. my wife pulls the trigger-------------- CLICK! her"guide" didn't chamber a bullet before giving her the gun](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
so she racks a shell in but he was moving again. finally he stopped again 225, BOOM!
he dropped in his tracks!
we got up there and she had hit him in the base of the neck, game over- no tracking. we found her bullet hole from the day before. if her bullet had been 2 inches higher it would have been a heart shot, honestly i couldn't believe it wasn't. as it was i had her shoot my new 220 swift, she didn't hit any bone, so i poked a hole through some meat and i can say 100% that buck would have lived. but it was nice to stay on him and get him.
she was a trooper and you should have seen danner when we got home, she was so excited that mommy got the antelope!
anyway, here are some pics. we had fun
now as much as my wife loves going hunting and would go any chance she could, it's still a little different than when i go. she will put on a good hike, but when that part of the hike comes around, you know the " why and the heck did we just climb this mtn for no apperant reason" time? thats when she calls it quits for the hike:) but i wont complain, she did all the hiking i asked with no complaints. to top it off we really wanted Danner, are 3 yr old daughter to be along with us. so out came my kelty kids pack.
first morning we went to an area that is well know for lots of goats, i knew we would run into more hunters but we gave it a try, knowing full well my backup area would not get hunted and we could save it. sure enough after 1 1/2 hrs of rigs driving by, seeing goats, driving like nascar drivers, we decided we didn't want any part of it. so although alot earlier than originally planned we headed to the backup area.
as soon as we got there, right where they were supposed to be, there was 22 does and 1 buck. we put the stalk on them and got to 150 yrds. by this time they were in the timber so we couldn't find the buck. she had her gun ready and i was trying to find him . single file through a 6 ft opening they were walking through. finally ,bringing up the tail, here he came. for some reason when he hit the opening he has moving a little fast[ still walking, but almost to a trott]. i probably should have told her to hold off, but i had her shoot. not sure of any hit- we gave him a little while and then went and looked. we found a little blood but it wasn't promising.3 spots, as big as a softball was it. she sat down with danner and i started trying to really get on his trail. hunting it 3 ft. tall meadow grass, when your following 20+ animals is tough. after 3 hrs we figured he was lost. i had plans to go get a buddies dog, come back in the morning, maybe get some help, but i wasn't finding him alone. [ burn of a good guide huh??
]we went back to the rig bummed, it wasn't looking good.
before heading to town i wanted to go check a meadow they headed toward, just in case.
sure enough there they were, WITH ARE BILLY!!! he would limp just a little when walking, but 15 minuts later , during are stalk, we found out that once he was spooked, he wasn't hurt bad. had no problem keeping up with those does while they were running from us
so we felt better knowing he wasn't just out there dead on a hill rotting.
we still made plans to be right there first light. but figured we needed to be a little more mobile , so danner stayed home and went to church with gramma and grampa
next morning , at the crack-o-dawn, we spotted them tried to get a shot, didn't happen. 1/2 hr later tried to get close again for a shot, didn't happen.
we litterally stalked this group of antelope probably 8-10 times. they were wising up to us. i figured we needed to give them a break and head to another area. but i just wanted to check out 1 more meadow that they were headed toward:)
sure enough they were there. out popped the girls 1 by 1. JoAnne had her gun ready. Doe,Doe,Doe etc.... finally here he comes. 150 yrds he stops. my wife pulls the trigger-------------- CLICK! her"guide" didn't chamber a bullet before giving her the gun
so she racks a shell in but he was moving again. finally he stopped again 225, BOOM!
he dropped in his tracks!
we got up there and she had hit him in the base of the neck, game over- no tracking. we found her bullet hole from the day before. if her bullet had been 2 inches higher it would have been a heart shot, honestly i couldn't believe it wasn't. as it was i had her shoot my new 220 swift, she didn't hit any bone, so i poked a hole through some meat and i can say 100% that buck would have lived. but it was nice to stay on him and get him.
she was a trooper and you should have seen danner when we got home, she was so excited that mommy got the antelope!
anyway, here are some pics. we had fun
very well done, thanks for sharing