BAKPAKR
Well-known member
That didn’t take long! Congrats.
Wilderness Backpack Pronghorn Hunt
- Thread starter BackofBeyond
- Start date
rtraverdavis
Well-known member
Hell yes.
OwyheeHuntr
Active member
Congratulations, can't wait to hear the details!
Slm864
Well-known member
Awesome!! Looks like a nice one from the view of that picture. Looking forward to the story.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
As promised, I played hookie from work Thursday afternoon. Even managed to leave just a little early. Fueled up both the truck and myself, filled a cooler with ice and I was off like a like herd of turtles.
Drove to my spot, grabbed my pack and headed in. Plan was to drop my camp at the spot I planned to camp, and just keep trucking to a spot I’ve started calling Pride Rock. It’s a 30’ section if rimrock overlooking a water hole about 4 miles from camp.
I managed to get there and set up around 4:30, plenty of time to put the glass to use and figure out what was going on. During my scouting trips I’ve only ever seen two bucks in there, a little 12” tall dink, who I named The Dink (super creative, right?) and a taller/bigger buck who’s horns do a funny little S curve at the tips. He became known as Squiggles.
Here’s a picture of The Dink
Not much for size or mass, but very distinctive ivory tips. Squiggles is the buck I posted in the first post. Decent buck for Idaho.
Drove to my spot, grabbed my pack and headed in. Plan was to drop my camp at the spot I planned to camp, and just keep trucking to a spot I’ve started calling Pride Rock. It’s a 30’ section if rimrock overlooking a water hole about 4 miles from camp.
I managed to get there and set up around 4:30, plenty of time to put the glass to use and figure out what was going on. During my scouting trips I’ve only ever seen two bucks in there, a little 12” tall dink, who I named The Dink (super creative, right?) and a taller/bigger buck who’s horns do a funny little S curve at the tips. He became known as Squiggles.
Here’s a picture of The Dink
Not much for size or mass, but very distinctive ivory tips. Squiggles is the buck I posted in the first post. Decent buck for Idaho.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
Anyways, pretty slow glassing, not much moving in the afternoon, I’m guessing because of the full moon.
I did manage to find The Dink and his group of does a mile and a half to the South, but the wind was blowing directly at them. Getting to them there would be a very long loop to get the wind in my favor and he just didn’t ring my bell. So I stayed put, had a McTogie and kept on the glass.
I did manage to find The Dink and his group of does a mile and a half to the South, but the wind was blowing directly at them. Getting to them there would be a very long loop to get the wind in my favor and he just didn’t ring my bell. So I stayed put, had a McTogie and kept on the glass.
perma
Well-known member
These McDoubles are the fad.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
The moon was so full I made most of the trip back to camp without a headlamp. As I was getting my tarp set up, and camp set there was a bugle off the northeast, maybe 1/4 mile or so. So I pulled a diaphragm call out of my bino harness and started cow calling. Two soft cow calls and a deep throated growl of bugle torches off maybe 100 yards to the southwest from me. Mind you, up to that point I had been pounding tent pegs in with a rock while I listened to a podcast, not exactly being discreet. I cow called again and he bugled again, obviously closer. Right after my third cow call I felt a tickle of wind on the back of my neck and all I heard was crashing brush maybe 30 yards from me. Fun stuff. I love September.
Chilli Mac for dinner, while I listened to @Big Fin chat with an indigenous gal from Alaska. Phenomenal conversation, give it a listen if you haven’t already.
Full moon, elk bugling, wilderness. All alone. Nothing better. Felt amazing to drive past multiple people with campers set up, ATV trailers parked, and several people on their SxS doing the road hunting thing.
Nothing against it if that’s your thing, just not mine deal.
Besides, I’ll probably get my fill of that when my FIL comes down. I put him in with me on a group app (without him knowing) so Gordo and his 65 year old knees will get to hunt pronghorn for the very first time. That will be fun.
Chilli Mac for dinner, while I listened to @Big Fin chat with an indigenous gal from Alaska. Phenomenal conversation, give it a listen if you haven’t already.
Full moon, elk bugling, wilderness. All alone. Nothing better. Felt amazing to drive past multiple people with campers set up, ATV trailers parked, and several people on their SxS doing the road hunting thing.
Nothing against it if that’s your thing, just not mine deal.
Besides, I’ll probably get my fill of that when my FIL comes down. I put him in with me on a group app (without him knowing) so Gordo and his 65 year old knees will get to hunt pronghorn for the very first time. That will be fun.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
Friday morning I wanted to get up there with plenty of time to get set up and start glassing before sunrise. I’m an early riser normally, so I didn’t even look at my watch, I just woke up, put in my boots and hit the trail. Must have been extra early because I got to Pride Rock at 5:00. Whoops.
Good news is with the full moon I wasn’t sitting in pitch dark, I had enough light to look through my binos and find ALL the bushes that looked like deer, elk, antelope.
Sun came up, and surprisingly the wind had switched 180 degrees and was blowing from the southwest. No sign of The Dink and his does where I had put them to bed last night, but around 8:30 I spotted a group of antelope far to the southwest, like 2 - 3 miles to the southwest. Wind was right for a stalk, so I planned a route, packed up, and headed out. I could stay in a pretty good line of junipers down to the edge of the large clearing they were in. Plan was to stop there, set up the glass again and find them again. Should be within 1/2 mile of them from there.
Here’s a picture of what the terrain looks like. Far from easy walking. It’s level, but a twisted ankle just waiting to happen.
Good news is with the full moon I wasn’t sitting in pitch dark, I had enough light to look through my binos and find ALL the bushes that looked like deer, elk, antelope.
Sun came up, and surprisingly the wind had switched 180 degrees and was blowing from the southwest. No sign of The Dink and his does where I had put them to bed last night, but around 8:30 I spotted a group of antelope far to the southwest, like 2 - 3 miles to the southwest. Wind was right for a stalk, so I planned a route, packed up, and headed out. I could stay in a pretty good line of junipers down to the edge of the large clearing they were in. Plan was to stop there, set up the glass again and find them again. Should be within 1/2 mile of them from there.
Here’s a picture of what the terrain looks like. Far from easy walking. It’s level, but a twisted ankle just waiting to happen.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
2 miles later I’m at my stopping waypoint, I bust out the tripod and binos and start picking apart the far edge looking for bedded antelope. No dice.
I’ve got a long history of getting too aggressive on stalks, and blowing stuff out. With that in the back of my mind I decided to slow things down again, I found a good shady spot, sat down and ate an early lunch and proceeded to doze off. Nothing better than a nap while hunting.
After waking up the thinker starts going. @TOGIE ’s thread was fresh in my mind and I started thinking about my boys, and missing them. The ought comes up that I still don’t know which buck this is - what if it’s The Dink? Does missing the boys move him into the shooter category, or do I keep with the plan of being in here until Sunday evening? Better to just be ready for the full hunt, there’s no way it’s going to all come together in the first stalk. That was an actual thought that went through the think-a-later.
I hit the glass again and no sign of them. I even sent a message to my wife that I was hunkered under a Juniper and prepared to sit the antelope out until evening.
I decided that I wasn’t getting a full picture of everything, and there’s a couple fingers off this flat that I wanted to go look into, so I loaded everything back up, but kept the binos in the tripod and decided to walk the edge and stop to glass every fifty yards or so.
I made it maybe 300 yards and low and behold there they were. They were actually at the dried up water hole and hadn’t been visible because of a weird line of rocks. The mirage was really kicking up so I still couldn’t tell if it was The Dink or not, but there was 14 does with him. So if herd dynamics stayed consistent from last night, it was likely was.
Logic hit, and if I couldn’t see them from my first spot because of the rocks, they couldn’t see me either. Back I went. I chugged down 1/2 a Nalgene, because god knows how long I could be without water, and dropped my pack there. They were a good 900 yards away, but J could cut that in half just staying behind those rocks.
Off I went. Not optimistic it would end well, but I had a great wind and some cover to get me close.
I’ve got a long history of getting too aggressive on stalks, and blowing stuff out. With that in the back of my mind I decided to slow things down again, I found a good shady spot, sat down and ate an early lunch and proceeded to doze off. Nothing better than a nap while hunting.
After waking up the thinker starts going. @TOGIE ’s thread was fresh in my mind and I started thinking about my boys, and missing them. The ought comes up that I still don’t know which buck this is - what if it’s The Dink? Does missing the boys move him into the shooter category, or do I keep with the plan of being in here until Sunday evening? Better to just be ready for the full hunt, there’s no way it’s going to all come together in the first stalk. That was an actual thought that went through the think-a-later.
I hit the glass again and no sign of them. I even sent a message to my wife that I was hunkered under a Juniper and prepared to sit the antelope out until evening.
I decided that I wasn’t getting a full picture of everything, and there’s a couple fingers off this flat that I wanted to go look into, so I loaded everything back up, but kept the binos in the tripod and decided to walk the edge and stop to glass every fifty yards or so.
I made it maybe 300 yards and low and behold there they were. They were actually at the dried up water hole and hadn’t been visible because of a weird line of rocks. The mirage was really kicking up so I still couldn’t tell if it was The Dink or not, but there was 14 does with him. So if herd dynamics stayed consistent from last night, it was likely was.
Logic hit, and if I couldn’t see them from my first spot because of the rocks, they couldn’t see me either. Back I went. I chugged down 1/2 a Nalgene, because god knows how long I could be without water, and dropped my pack there. They were a good 900 yards away, but J could cut that in half just staying behind those rocks.
Off I went. Not optimistic it would end well, but I had a great wind and some cover to get me close.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
I did the crouch walk thing from my pack, through a line of junipers, doing my best to stay tucked behind the rocks. I’d get to a tree, stop and glass, then go again. Once I got to the rocks I ranged them at 550, still to far, and the mirage was really kicking up. All I could tell was the buck had prongs above his ears, so definitely not The Dink, but was it Squiggles or had another buck decided to enter the scene?
From that little ridge there was another mound of rocks about 200 yards in front of me. I could swing to my right, and crawl to that and stay out of sight. So that’s what I did.
Still had a great wind, but was definitely picking up as it got hotter. Was probably in the 15 mph range by then.
After the first 10 yards I made a mental note that the next stalk I remember to bring gloves. My hands were getting tore up on the rocks.
190 yards of that and I was at the mound. There was enough vegetation there I could weasel up there and hopefully get a shot. 360 yards, check dope, dial the scope, and extend the bipod legs all the way out. That’s when it hit me, this stalk may just work out - holy sh!t!
Get set up, find the buck. Hold it, let that doe behind him clear, quartering away, hold a bit to the right for the wind, squeeeeeeeeeze.
Shot broke cleanly and he hit the dirt.
From that little ridge there was another mound of rocks about 200 yards in front of me. I could swing to my right, and crawl to that and stay out of sight. So that’s what I did.
Still had a great wind, but was definitely picking up as it got hotter. Was probably in the 15 mph range by then.
After the first 10 yards I made a mental note that the next stalk I remember to bring gloves. My hands were getting tore up on the rocks.
190 yards of that and I was at the mound. There was enough vegetation there I could weasel up there and hopefully get a shot. 360 yards, check dope, dial the scope, and extend the bipod legs all the way out. That’s when it hit me, this stalk may just work out - holy sh!t!
Get set up, find the buck. Hold it, let that doe behind him clear, quartering away, hold a bit to the right for the wind, squeeeeeeeeeze.
Shot broke cleanly and he hit the dirt.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
This was my first time hunting with a suppressor, so it felt a little weird not seeing 14 butts in full flight after the fact. They all looked up, looked at their boyfriend laying down and had heard a weird sound, but they had no idea what was going on. They didn’t spook until I stood up to walk back and get my pack.
And that’s when the adrenaline hit.
I’ve had bouts of buck fever before, but nothing like this AFTER the fact. I got the shakes and could hardly string a coherent thought together. All I could think was “get the meat out quick” and “holy $h!t I can’t believe that all came together!”
I sent a Garmin message to both my wife and my hunting partner “buck down”. It was 1:30.
Got over to him and it wasn’t the best shot I’ve ever made. I had hit high and didn’t get the wind drift I had thought I would. Punched him right through the top of the shoulder, but the 139 gr Scenars did their job.
Took some pictures and got to work getting the meat out.
Selfie game definitely not on point.
Oh well.
And that’s when the adrenaline hit.
I’ve had bouts of buck fever before, but nothing like this AFTER the fact. I got the shakes and could hardly string a coherent thought together. All I could think was “get the meat out quick” and “holy $h!t I can’t believe that all came together!”
I sent a Garmin message to both my wife and my hunting partner “buck down”. It was 1:30.
Got over to him and it wasn’t the best shot I’ve ever made. I had hit high and didn’t get the wind drift I had thought I would. Punched him right through the top of the shoulder, but the 139 gr Scenars did their job.
Took some pictures and got to work getting the meat out.
Selfie game definitely not on point.
Oh well.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
Also, didn’t figure out it was Squiggles until I got up to him. Forgot that part.
Quick work with the havelon and dropped all my gear in an extra game bag. All 4 quarters, tendies, backstraps, and heart into a game bag and strapped to my pack, head strapped on top, and 3 miles to the truck and cooler.
I looked at my watch after getting everything on ice, 4:30. 3 hours from shot to cooler. Not to shabby, but I still had to go back in, get my stuff, and then go back up the other direction and get camp out.
All told, between trip in, pack out, go get the gear, and then round trip to get camp out it was a 15 mile day. Back into cell service around 8:00, and pulled into my drive way at 11:00.
Big thanks to @Duck-Slayer and @Elkmagnet for the tips when I first drew the tag, and another to @rtraverdavis to push me in the direction of a wilderness backpack antelope hunt.
Now I’m tired, and sore, and need to get gear reorganized and cleaned for my FIL’s antelope hunt, and for elk season.
Quick work with the havelon and dropped all my gear in an extra game bag. All 4 quarters, tendies, backstraps, and heart into a game bag and strapped to my pack, head strapped on top, and 3 miles to the truck and cooler.
I looked at my watch after getting everything on ice, 4:30. 3 hours from shot to cooler. Not to shabby, but I still had to go back in, get my stuff, and then go back up the other direction and get camp out.
All told, between trip in, pack out, go get the gear, and then round trip to get camp out it was a 15 mile day. Back into cell service around 8:00, and pulled into my drive way at 11:00.
Big thanks to @Duck-Slayer and @Elkmagnet for the tips when I first drew the tag, and another to @rtraverdavis to push me in the direction of a wilderness backpack antelope hunt.
Now I’m tired, and sore, and need to get gear reorganized and cleaned for my FIL’s antelope hunt, and for elk season.
Congratulations on a meaningful successful adventure @BackofBeyond
And all this time, I thought your avatar photo was for reals!
And all this time, I thought your avatar photo was for reals!
perma
Well-known member
Damn good buck. Congrats!
2rocky
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2010
- Messages
- 4,975
Nicely done! I expected more Topography in your unit. There still looks like plenty of nooks and crannies to hide 'em though!
BAKPAKR
Well-known member
Congrats!!!
