Got home this last Saturday and trying to get back into the swing of things
Anyone that hasn't visited the Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge needs to put it on their list. It is a diverse beautiful high desert area with elevations over 8000 feet.
I went into this hunt after talking to dozens of past hunters, biologists, BLM range managers, state and federal game wardens and other taxidermists. And I had to throw everything that they told me out the door. After a 15 yr drought the snow pack was so great that there was water everywhere. The pronghorn were blind shy and would avoid the blinds and go to the next water hole that didn't have one setting on it. After setting 4 twelve hour days in the blind and only having a doe and her fawn come in it was apparent that this was going to be a spot and stalk hunt.
I've hunted pronghorn in MT 3 times previously and all 3 times it turned into a spot and stalk hunt with me bringing nothing home but knees and elbows full of cactus spines. So at this point moral was way down. My son kept me going telling me daily to be positive and acted as my rock.
Finally on the 6th day of the short 8 day season we found a buck in a great stalking position. The only problem was that he had 15 does with him. The does busted me early on and I was able to get up under the buck on the back side of the ridge. When he turned to see where the does were headed I was able to take 2 step up and guessed him at 40 yrds. Only seeing the top of his back my arrow arched over the rise and I heard the "THUNK" I was waiting for. By the time I got up the hill he was bedded down and I was able to get to 17 yrds for a follow up shot thru the heart.
Finally, the pronghorn monkey off my back. My son watched the whole thing unfold and by the time he got there I was a mess. What a special hunt in a special place with a special boy! It was truly a hunt of a lifetime!
