Wyoming antelope 2017, story and photos

[Bob33]

Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam
Where the deer and the antelope play…


This was a meat hunt for doe antelope and an excuse to visit the beautiful country of north central Wyoming for a week.

I had four licenses: two each in two different units. All licenses were purchased as leftovers because the quotas weren’t satisfied in the two draws.

Day 1: up in the dark, drive to various spots and just as daylight peaks out I glass a large Hunter Management Area (HMA) and locate a small band approximately one mile off the road. I park at a designated area, get out and start getting ready to hike when a Ford F150 from Ohio roars up, pulls in front of me, the driver jumps out, and starts trotting towards the antelope. I headed the other direction in hopes of finding another herd. My suspicions of his (lack of) character were confirmed about 30 minutes when I heard “Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam.” Nine shots in rapid succession; a real sportsman.   

I drove to the other unit I had two licenses in; it has a few sections of public land I’m familiar with. When I arrived and glassed, antelope were spotted at just over a mile. I ranged them, took a bearing, and marked the location in my GPS. I drove to the one public access point of the section and made a blind stalk using the GPS. Belly crawl up the last few yards, and there’s the herd. Pick out a large doe, wait for a clear broadside shot, and shoot - that’s one down. Haul it out, drop it at a local processor to cool, and go back to the first unit. Just as I get there, a small herd runs across the road in front of me and runs up a hill onto a public section. Up the hill I go, belly crawl, and shoot antelope #2 at 200 yards. I assume four stalks are required for one antelope, and one antelope per day and so I’m well ahead of schedule.

Day 2: the HMA is dead at daylight. Back to the second unit, and the prime section has no antelope on or near it. Drive about 10 miles using the GPS to look at other public sections and get lucky on the third one. There are six antelope (four bucks and two does) about 350 yards away. They’re facing straight away though, and one of the does is blocked by a buck. I try belly crawling to get a clear shot at the one doe. There’s a good wind blowing. Forty-five minutes and 50 yards later I have a bleeding elbow but still don’t have a clear shot at the one doe. I don’t want to risk shooting the other from behind and missing or crippling it. Finally one of the does stands, and #3 is down. I drop it at the processor, and go back to the HMA until dark. No luck.

Day 3: it’s midweek and there are no other hunters anywhere. I glass the HMA at daylight and spot a herd just over a mile away. I mark them with the GPS, park, and start hiking. Part way out I see they’ve moved, and are closer at just over 800 yards so I sit down to see what they’ll do next. The next time I range them, they’re 600 yards and quartering my way. I lay down prone and wait. Peering through the grass I can see they’re now just 250 yards away and walking. One stops at 150 yards and I shot my fourth antelope to tag out.

After processing the boneless meat weights were 26, 28, 27, and 36 pounds from the last one. It’s one of the largest does I’ve killed.

I spent the next two days sightseeing, taking some pictures, and enjoying rush hours on I-90 where it was sometimes possible to spot a vehicle within two miles. While the third day had been 82 degrees, the fourth day was 30 degrees with wet snow and wind gusts up to 50 mph.

We ate some grilled backstraps from one of the antelope last night, and it was fantastic as always.

It’s hard to come home, but it will soon be time to start planning for next year.

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day

[TomT]

Cool trip!  Great photos!

[archer0135]

Great trip & awesome pictures!!!!!! Can't wait until I draw a tag!!!!!!

[fishsticks]

Awesome, thanks for sharing.  Wyoming antelope is a truly enjoyable trip.  We've been twice and should have enough points to draw again next year.  Posts like yours make the wait seem longer! 

[Hectocotylus]

  What do those doe tags cost?


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[Bob33]

  What do those doe tags cost?


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$34.

[Dan-o]

Sounds like a great hunt, Bob.   

Thanks for sharing. 

[Timberstalker]

Thanks for a great write up, Bob. Always enjoy your stories.

[jmscon]

Great pics and great write up!

[hunting4sanity]

Great hunt report and photos, congratulations on your goats!

[Widgeondeke]

Thanks for sharing Bob

[Hectocotylus]

  What do those doe tags cost?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

$34.

Hot dang that’s a great deal


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[Sitka_Blacktail]

Nothing better than a good meat hunt.

[RB]

That is really cool, hope to do this hunt some day soon, congrats on the tasty meat! 

[bowhunterforever]

Great write up and amazing pics what camera are you using?

[bradslam]

Great post Bob and beautiful photos.  It's nice to see someone focusing on the "journey" instead of just the kill.  Thanks for sharing.

[jackelope]

Well done, Bob. Always nice to see your photos.

[7mmfan]

Love that ground out there. Have hunted north of 90 out of Sheridan a few times for deer. My very first hunting trip when I was 13 was there, killed my first buck 20 minutes into the first day out by Wyarno. I'll never forget it. The landscape is one of my favorites anywhere, love all the fossils. We never hunted antelope. Might be a trip that I have to make happen soon.

Thanks for sharing!

[Rainier10]

Great write up and amazing pics what camera are you using?

Awesome write up and even better photos.  Looks like you have really got it dialed in.

[quadrafire]

I look forward to your Wyoming hunt each year. Great pics and stories. Thanks for sharing.
That is some Beautiful Country for sure.
Wonder of your Buddy from OH tagged out, or just got in some shooting practice 

[Stein]

Sounds like a great trip.  I never thought about picking up tags in an adjacent unit, but it makes total sense.  I'll have to look at doing this for next year.

[Eric M]

 

[Ridgerunner]

Great photos and looks like a great hunt, days spent in Wyoming chasing antelope are some of my favorite days in the field for sure.

[cohoho]

Nice job, we didn't get drawn this year, glad to see the speed goats are doing well!