Wyoming Antelope 2013

[hunting4sanity]

Sometimes when you look at hunting, if you just add up the cost of tags, the time, the fuel (ouch, my truck seems to have a drinking problem) and the other costs, you start to wonder if it's worth it.  However, we all know there's much more to it than the cost of putting meat in the freezer, it's a chance to feel renewed and alive again. In my case it's also a chance to spend time with my sons. I'm lucky enough to get to farm with my sons, but hunting with them is more fun than working with them and certainly of a different quality.

At home we had finally finished onion harvest and it was time to head to Wyoming with my sons, Derrick and Spencer, to hunt antelope. When we got to their unit we found some snow and muddy roads. One area we had planned to hunt still had snow drifts over the road that no one else had driven through, so we hoped we would have the area to ourselves. The other areas we had tried had some very spooky antelope, even at distances well beyond 1,000 yards if the antelope spotted us they just took off. Even this snow drifted area seemed to have very alert animals, so we did a lot of long range glassing and stalking, just to find that even unaware antelope had always fed or wandered off to areas where we couldn't close the distance enough for a shot opportunity. We did find one willing participant and while a 50 yard shot and a 20 yard drag to the two-track road was tempting, we settled on just taking his picture.

Derrick took a picture of his feet while we rested, that was one of my favorite photos from the hunt, it may not show much to the casual observer, but to me it reflects some long stalks, sore feet and time spent with my sons.  During the time we were there, the snow had pretty much melted away, but the tracks in the mud showed "our area" was still only being hunted by us, so we hiked in again and things took a turn for the better.  After another long stalk resulting in a white butt disappearing into the distance, I headed back to get the truck while my sons went over yet another ridge. As I drove further into "our area" I spotted two bucks in the distance and as I watched them I was wondering if there was any chance my sons had seen these bucks? As I watched through my binos one of the bucks suddenly collapsed, I kind of laughed to myself and thought, 'I think they saw them.' Naturally,we always want a bigger buck than the last one we shot, but Derrick decided as tough as it had been getting close to antelope in this unit he wasn't going to pass up an 80 yard shot and notched his tag.

While Derrick and I cleaned and hauled his antelope to the truck, Spencer headed over the ridge to see if a group of 8 they had earlier seen in the distance was still in the area. Just after we got to the truck, Spencer called on the radio and asked if we wanted to come over his direction with a couple of backpacks. That call sounded like we had some work ahead of us, the kind of work that when it's done leaves you with a big ol' smile and a sore back. He had followed that group of 8 for quite some distance, slowly getting closer, watching the one buck in the group chasing does and feeding. He had everything ranged, 347 yards, adjusted for the wind and was about to take the shot when one of the does stopped running from the buck, apparently the rut wasn't over yet, he waited a little longer and figured at least the buck would die happy.

Happily exhausted and sore, we slept well that night and then drove 986 miles home the next day. I wanted to drive around an extra 14 miles just to make it an even 1,000 miles in a day, but my sons quickly let me know that wasn't happening.  Sorry about the long-winded story, but Wyoming provided some great memories in a rather short amount of time. If I look at that antelope meat on a cost per pound basis the trip might not make sense, but any other way I look at the hunt with my sons it was priceless.

[bowhunterforever]

Cool looking goat congrats

[Michelle_Nelson]

That bottom goat is pretty neet.  Never seen horns like that on a goat.

[Taco280AI]

Awesome, great trip 

[Widgeondeke]

Some meat is better than none. You can't put a price on the quality time with kids and the memories.

Congrats 

[washingtonmuley]

 

[dscubame]

Great write up and thanks for the story.  I just committed with a hunting buddy to apply in Wyoming next year and so excited.

[splitshot]

am I crazy, I just committed to a muzzy hunt in Wyoming for 2014?    mike w

[bobcat]

I didn't know Wyoming had muzzleloader hunts.   

[splitshot]

   oops will have to check.  was told they did and did not fill last year.   mike w

[deltaops]

Father in law owns ten acres in Wyoming. Thought about hunting it, just don't know if I want to shell out that much money for tags. He says he has a lot coming in and eating the apples, also says that the deer come in as well. If we move to Wyoming I will thin the herd for sure!

Nice pics and congrats. The memories will last for sure.

[go4steelhd]

Nice work!! I love hunting in Wyoming

[bearpaw]

congrats to you guys... 

[cohoho]

Missed it this year, but will be back next year.  Congrats on your hunt...  Antelope are addictive for sure...

[dscubame]

Any Wyoming antelope hunters on here willing to share a unit that they enjoy success with that has decent public land to hunt? 

[steen]

Great story, pictures and lopes!  I think the last one is a 3  point!

[Curly]

Nice goats!

I notice you guys are wearing orange hats and camo clothing.  And you say the goats were skittish if they spot you even at 1,000 yards.

So, not having hunted speed goats much, and apparently they have good eyesight, I wonder .........would it be any better to wear orange gloves instead of an orange hat?  (I think WY law says you need to wear one article of orange clothing).   Or are they color blind like deer and elk and they are just spotting movement?  1,000 yards away and they are spooked would make for some difficult stalking.

I know it is probably a silly question, but I had to ask cuz I'm probably going speed goat hunting next year and it is just one of those things I was wondering about.  (Would having an orange square on the back side of a shirt be better, for instance?)

[Bob33]

Nice goats!

I notice you guys are wearing orange hats and camo clothing.  And you say the goats were skittish if they spot you even at 1,000 yards.

So, not having hunted speed goats much, and apparently they have good eyesight, I wonder .........would it be any better to wear orange gloves instead of an orange hat?  (I think WY law says you need to wear one article of orange clothing).   Or are they color blind like deer and elk and they are just spotting movement?  1,000 yards away and they are spooked would make for some difficult stalking.

I know it is probably a silly question, but I had to ask cuz I'm probably going speed goat hunting next year and it is just one of those things I was wondering about.  (Would having an orange square on the back side of a shirt be better, for instance?)

Gloves will not satisfy the hunter orange requirement.

Pronghorns do have exceptional eyesight. I've seen some spook at 1200 yards. I've also been able to get within 100 yards of them on several occasions.

Most of the time, you can get within 400 to 600 yards of them while being seen. After that, you should plan on using terrain whenever possible to stay hidden while getting closer, or allowing them to come closer to you.

[Curly]

Another question:  How did they taste?

    or         or somewhere in between?

Are they any better if they are feeding on alfalfa or just out in the sage?

[Bob33]

Another question:  How did they taste?

    or         or somewhere in between?

Are they any better if they are feeding on alfalfa or just out in the sage?

I've heard stories of bad antelope meat. I can only tell you from personal experience that I've killed and eaten the meat from over 60 pronghorns , taken in three different states, and have never had a bad bite. It is by far my family's favorite game meat over elk, moose, and deer.

I really don't know why it's so good for us, and others report it being poor. We don't do anything special. I've killed them and left the hide on for three hours on rare occasion, and it was still good.
 

[DeerThug]

I wore full orange and did not seem to spook them.  from my experience if you used the lay of the land and came over each rise on your belly and if there were antelope over the rise i ofter got to within 100 yards  - if there was nothing there stand up and hoof it to the next rise and repeate

As for the meat i had some that were ok and some that my dog would not even eat.  all were skinned on the spot cut up and were on ice within an hour  so not sure what made ok and bad meat as they were all treated the same.

[Curly]

As for the meat i had some that were ok and some that my dog would not even eat.  all were skinned on the spot cut up and were on ice within an hour  so not sure what made ok and bad meat as they were all treated the same.

That is the same thing my father in law said about the pronghorn he got in NM (his dog wouldn't even eat it).  Could it have been in the rut?

[bobcat]

Much better than an orange hat would be this:

[Curly]

   You go ahead.

I'll go with the orange vest or hat.

[JohnVH]

awesome! we have not been drawn since 2010 

Love hunting lopers!

[finnman]

Last year we hunted south central WY, it was an 18 hours drive, we brought the utility trailer to sleep in and brought a small freezer and generator, we would run the generator during the day when afield and turn it off at night while sleeping. We placed the quarters in the freezer and they stayed really nice and cool, but not froze solid. We placed the capes in an ice chest with ice. The meat was awesome! Some of the best out there! In fact on the night of the New Orleans game with the Hawks I pan seared the 6 antelope tenderloins I had been saving, we dipped them in horseradish sauce! OH man!!! Tasty!!!!

[Bwana Bob]

Finnman,
Did I meet you and your crew at the fountain of life campground in Thermopolis in Sept?