A friend that I went to school with in Colorado (K-12 along time ago) and I have been getting together every other year or so for some kind of adventure. Two years ago we went fishing in Alaska. This year we decided to go Antelope hunting in Wyoming and I took along my two sons. One of my Dad’s best friends in Colorado retired in the 80s and bought a ranch in SE Wyoming. The unit is mostly private and fairly easy to get drawn. We applied for 4 either sex, 4 does and 2 reduced price does hoping to get anything and got all 10 tags.
The ranch is fairly small to Wyoming standards but is on a river bottom with bluffs on three sides. It hold some great whitetail, usually an elk herd around, several bunches of Antelope and mice. Our concern was that after the shooting started we would run them off the property (which did happen).
We pretty much had the run of the place, stayed in the bunkhouse with lots of mice. On a side note, I’m not a fan of mice and there were several within the confines of the small bunkhouse. I set 5 traps the first night and within 15 minutes all of them had snapped. I thought that I could get some sleep, but the room still had some movement whenever the lights went out including one sturdy ranch mouse who had not quite been completely subdued by the trap and was dragging it toward the couch I was on. My boys, knowing that mice were a big chink in my armor, laughed themselves to sleep in their bunks while I was molested by the vermin. Thanks boys... All I can say is that it’s good the 264 WM shells are so expensive…Did I say I hate mice..
Back to the antelope. On the opening morning I went with my oldest son and headed to the far end of the property. There was a nice herd with a decent buck bedded right next to the road. With few options, we had to wait until they milled their way up and over the hill. At that point we snuck up the hill behind them. When we got to the top the buck was rounding up the herd because there was a satellite buck on the ridge (my decoy). They were deep in the rut. For the life of me, I could not get the buck to stand still long enough to get a shot and in all fairness I kept thinking one of those F$%^&ing mice was still in my shirt. The Buck was running in circles and chasing does. Finally I took a shot that I found out later, had skinned 4 inches hair off his back. Didn’t bother him in the least, he was more concerned about the does. Seemed like a shooting gallery after that. Deep breath, let it half way out, swat at the mouse in my shirt, and squeeze the trigger. He would not stop running in circles and changing directions every couple of seconds. I finally put him down and I realized that my son had still not fired. (Probably memorized at the spectacle before him.) I slapped him once and I told him to take one of the does which he did with a single shot at a running antelope at 160 yards.
Hearing the shots the other two in the party headed our way and got there just in time to help us gut and haul the critters to the truck. I was too busy cutting the throat, gutting and skinning the mouse in my shirt. I drug him to the truck myself. We took them to the barn that had butchered many cattle in its time and started hanging the antelope and I made a special gambrel for the mouse.
There is a large meadow behind the barn so my friend and younger son went to check it out. There was a nice buck with some does about 450 yards away. That’s too far for us for most situations, but with a perfect rest and little wind the buck dropped in his tracks.
After taking care of that buck and dragging him back to the barn my younger son was the only hunter without an antelope. A bit headstrong and very competitive, he disappeared while we were skinning the latest buck. 15 minutes later we laughing and joking when we heard a couple of shots. We knew who that was. Half hour later we looked up on the hill to see him dragging a buck and doe down the hill. 5 down and five to go.
We spent the day taking care of the animals, boning, getting them in coolers and baiting mouse traps. It was in the 70’s, cooling off at night, but we didn’t want to take any chances. That afternoon I took my older son back to where we hunted in the morning. There were two smaller bucks with a doe in the field below. We got down low and as curious as antelope are, they walked from about 200 yards to about 80 yards where my son took his buck.
I awoke on day two to make breakfast. While approaching the stove, you guessed it, a mouse was sitting on the open container of home made chocolate chip cookies my wife had made us with crumbs on his jowls. Freaked but under control, I reached for my Glock and I swear I heard him say " do you feel lucky". Wasn't that my line.-- Later in the day my buddy was telling me how good the cookies were and I told him he could eat what he wanted and take the rest home. I swear that there were a couple of dried up raisins on that container.
We only had 2 ½ days to hunt and day two we realized that we had spooked most everything off of the property (except for the mice). The few we did see had no more curiosity left in them.
We took a great tour of the surrounding area and ranches. If you have never been to SE Wyoming, it’s spectacular, except for the daily 50 MPH wind. We had one antelope confrontation with three of us, all expecting the other to start the shooting. As my dad used to tell the story, I took a shot and missed, my buddy took a shot and hit him in exact same spot..
The day we had to leave, I removed the carnage from the mouse traps, and ate great breakfast of antelope back straps and eggs. We hunted the morning and took a good sized doe. The antelope had moved back in, but we figured we had taken enough going 7 for 10 and decided to pack it up and head home.
Great trip, we spent the evenings playing cards with the ranch owner, listening to the hunting stories I have heard all my life, seemed like I listened better now. Many of the stories were about my Dad who has been gone for a couple of years. I can t hear enough of them.
Great friends, family and good hunting, doesn’t get any better than that.
I always look carefully at my pictures to clarify any questions if possible. So on this photo; We didn't bag the dog, she just kept sneaking into the picture, The tags are secured inside the ears, and yes that's me in the Denver Bronco T-Shirt. Go Broncos...