Got lucky B&C pronghorn

[DOUBLELUNG]

HardCorpsHunter and I got back from Wyoming Saturday morning.  We had a dandy time, both took nice antelope, 4x4 mule deer (149, 152 gross for you scorers).  My antelope didn't ground shrink.  Initial estimate was high 70s, then after the shot was pretty sure he'd break 80.  Tale of the tape, 84 gross, 83 4/8" net green score.  15 7/8" x 15 5/8" lengths.  I'll post more details later.
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[bobcat]

Congratulations! What a great looking antelope! Not bad on the mule deer either!

[BLKBEARKLR]

Real nice goat, congrats to you. And yes that is a nice mule deer also.

[Ridgerunner]

DANDY antelope.  Great job on that prairie speedster.

[ribka]

Congrats and that is one nice lope. Nice deer too

[winston2789]

Very nice animals. Congrats  , I'll be heading there soon. I've got both a deer and antelope tag and hope I am as lucky as you   

[Widgeondeke]

THe mass on your lope is great. Thats where the high scores come from, mass, mass, mass. I saw another hunter that shot a 13 7/8" goats that scored over 80; big cutters and fat. 
Nice job.
What area were you in? Don't need specific units if you don't want to share. Just curious. I'm happy with what we saw and shot in 72 and plan on trying again for there next year. 

[Elkstuffer]

Nice animals. Congrats!

[bow4elk]

What an awesome trip - nice job!  I love the photos of your pronghorn on the ground, especially the 5th one (close up) with your rig in the background.  Toss that one in the hat for October POM. 

[DOUBLELUNG]

THe mass on your lope is great. Thats where the high scores come from, mass, mass, mass. I saw another hunter that shot a 13 7/8" goats that scored over 80; big cutters and fat. 
Nice job.
What area were you in? Don't need specific units if you don't want to share. Just curious. I'm happy with what we saw and shot in 72 and plan on trying again for there next year. 

We were in 25.  I agree with being happy with 72, I have seen many big antelope from the Rattlesnakes herd (70-72).

[bucklucky]

Awsome critters man, congrats!

[Gobble]

SWEET!  Good job

[Buckmark]

Very nice.
That lope is awsome, he has a great face on him, hope your doing a shoulder mount.

[DOUBLELUNG]

So, a few more details.  I worked Friday 10/1, then picked up my hunting partner and made the lovely 1,000 mile drive to Casper WY.  We unloaded at our camp, then headed straight out to start glassing.  It was quickly obvious that 2010 is a very good antelope year, the average quality of bucks was the best I've seen.  However, while we saw lots of nice antelope, including several we were confident were high 70s, none had it all.  That pattern would continue with all goats seen ... we also, through intensive glassing, looked at 25+ buck mule deer, but saw nothing that needed a dirt nap right then.  Back to camp that evening with no powder burned, and a decision to sleep in, having been up all the previous night. 

Day 2, we were up at 7:30 and in the field by 9.  We hit a new area, that has been good in past years for deer - piles of antelope, but very few deer, and only one that we would even consider going after.  We headed back to where we had seen most deer the previous day - it was time for a hike.  We left the truck at noon, and headed out into some badlands.  We quickly saw a pair of average 4 point bucks, then HCH spotted a pretty nice buck bedded.  After lengthy deliberation, we let him live.  Next, a big antelope 3/4 mile away caught our attention - after the sneak in and peak, he lived too.  We then glassed, a LONG way away, a group of 3 buck deer that held a promising looking buck, and began our approach.  While on approach, we glassed up an extremely heavy, short-horned antelope with extreme (7"+) cutters, and decided he deserved a tag.  On the approach, I bounced a buck we hadn't seen, bedded at about 15 yards - I had a quick opportunity and passed - mistake: as HCH spotted and I got set up, he was a solid 160+ class buck.  I never got a shot opportunity.  We decided he would wait until tomorrow, and continued to circle in on the antelope.  As we got closer, we spotted the three buck deer seen earlier, and eased over for a look.  None was what we had hoped, but as we watched unseen, a 4th buck spooked up from the bottom.  I could see decent mass, 4 -point, some character ... he stopped quartering away and looked back - I shot.  One down, 5 to go.  I dressed and halved him, while HCH went back to the truck to get as close as possible and bring back the frame pack.  The skinned hindquarters went into my Badlands 2200, and HCH packed the front half on the frame pack.  Back to camp LATE, a quick bite and into bed.  More to come ... 

[DOUBLELUNG]

Very nice.
That lope is awsome, he has a great face on him, hope your doing a shoulder mount.

I am.  A friend's wife in Glenrock WY has won national taxidermy competitions with her antelope shoulder mounts, she has him.  I will pick him up sometime next year.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Great looking animals Congrats!

[Ray]

Nice animals!

[washingtonmuley]

Congrats on a great hunt.

[rosscrazyelk]

Thats cool. I need to go goat hunting again. congrats. Looks like a fun time

[saylean]

Nice work guys! I'd love to get a speed goat!

[jackelope]

Way to go, Doublelung...couldn't have worked out for a nicer guy!

[winston2789]

 

[Widgeondeke]

THe mass on your lope is great. Thats where the high scores come from, mass, mass, mass. I saw another hunter that shot a 13 7/8" goats that scored over 80; big cutters and fat. 
Nice job.
What area were you in? Don't need specific units if you don't want to share. Just curious. I'm happy with what we saw and shot in 72 and plan on trying again for there next year. 

We were in 25.  I agree with being happy with 72, I have seen many big antelope from the Rattlesnakes herd (70-72).

Cool. Really like the ivory tips on the lope also. We saw a couple legal deer bucks, but weren't in their ideal terrain to be looking much. Definately going to look into doing the combo hunt next season if it works out.
 

[bucklucky]

Very nice.
That lope is awsome, he has a great face on him, hope your doing a shoulder mount.

I am.  A friend's wife in Glenrock WY has won national taxidermy competitions with her antelope shoulder mounts, she has him.  I will pick him up sometime next year.

Just curiouse, does she have a website. Id like to see her work. I met a lady a couple years ago out of Wyoming that had done a sweet elk pedestal fot the Boise competition and took a first with it. Wondering if it was the same gal?

[DOUBLELUNG]

Very nice.
That lope is awsome, he has a great face on him, hope your doing a shoulder mount.

I am.  A friend's wife in Glenrock WY has won national taxidermy competitions with her antelope shoulder mounts, she has him.  I will pick him up sometime next year.

Just curiouse, does she have a website. Id like to see her work. I met a lady a couple years ago out of Wyoming that had done a sweet elk pedestal fot the Boise competition and took a first with it. Wondering if it was the same gal?

Her name is Kimberly Lutz, and her business is Kim's Art Wild.  I don't think she has a website.

[Machias]

Congrats, thanks for the story and the photos!!

[Craig]

Great Lope.

[Ironhead]

Way to go Doublelung, that goat is a stud and the cape on your Deer is beautiful. I am looking forward to the rest of the story. Thanks

[cohoho]

Great Job Beau....  The white tips are what I really noticed and like............

[yelp]

congrats looks like you had a blast!  love the cutters..

[ELKBURGER]

Looks like a great trip for you guys! Beautiful lope and a great deer. Congrats!

[DOUBLELUNG]

Thanks for all the kind words, guys - it really was a hoot. 

I had left WA with a tickle in my throat, which blossomed into a nice case of the crud.  As a result, the next day I stayed at the truck while HCH headed back out.  I planned to look for an easy doe deer.  After a long nap, I took off in the truck, and pretty soon spotted a couple of does on the south side of a tall ridge, above the road.  I circled around the toe of the ridge, planning to come over the top - it was not to be.  A lone doe at 165 yards, one shot to the neck and she was DRT.  Dressed out and a quick drag, 2 down, 4 to go.  I picked HCH up after dark, he'd seen quite a few critters but no powder burned. 

Tuesday, I stayed in camp to take care of the two deer (caped the buck, boned out both deer).  HCH hunted, but again, no bucks died.  He did, however, fill his doe deer tag, 3 down 3 to go.  By that night, I told him I might not be going out in the morning; crud had hit pretty hard, I felt run over.  Morning came, and I felt awful - but made myself get up.  No question, I was killing a pronghorn today.

We headed out, glassing from the truck.  I spotted a beautiful 4-point buck, feeding up a small draw, but HCH didn't want to go after him, he had a past years' honeyhole to check out.  Near a solar well, we saw about 40 antelope.  HCH said "That's a pretty nice buck".  I looked and saw he was tall, with nice cutters, but weak bases - high 70s I thought.  About as good as anything we'd seen.  HCH said as much; "we ought to shoot him".  "Go ahead" I said.  "No, you take him", said HCH.  Fair enough.  I grabbed my rifle, got a solid prone rest within range, down he went - laying down, but head up.  As I looked through the scope, I told HCH "that's not a nice antelope that's a BIG antelope".  A 10 minute sneak later, a .308 to the neck put him down for good.  I walked up, looked at this guy really well for the first time, and said "he'll break 80".  Pictures and field dressing, we headed off to HCH's honey hole - but wait, there's another nice antelope.  Not as tall as mine, but equal bases and same huge cutters.  HCH took off, and i watched his sneak, shot and execution.  5 down, 1 to go. 

While HCH sneaked off to Crease Canyon, I caped and boned out my antelope.  Then, I grabbed the tape and green scored both goats.  HCH's very respectable buck grossed 75 6/8", net 75 even.  Then ... 84 gross, 83 4/8 even.  SOB - I used to think i could judge antelope, but I totally underestimated this guy.  HCH returned, without seeing anything of consequence on his pilgrimage to where we had been outdone by a HUGE buck deer in year's past; too dry, the deer were elsewhere.  Heading out the way we came in, we decided to see if we could find the 4x4 we'd spotted that morning.  We did - he was bedded just 100 yards from where we'd seen him hours earlier.  A closer evaluation, and HCH made his decision.  BOOM.  6 down, tagged out. 

Then of course, the fun began.  At 3:20am, the last package of meat was wrapped and into the freezer.  At 2pm, HCH woke me up, we grabbed a bite and cleaned up camp and loaded up.  Dropped off my doe and some apples at my wife's grandparents, then hit the road.  I dropped HCH at his house at 8:30am Saturday, and was home myself at 9.  Another great Wyoming hunt in the books.
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Happy little guy enjoying the sunshine
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Antlered doe with fawn

[MuleySniper]

Dang nice job Beau! Sounds like a blast!
MS