Tried an antelope hunt this year...

it was fun. The drive wasn't. Pulled an all-nighter (without booze), rolled into our unit around 8 am immediately into the biggest patch of accessible public... and saw zero antelope, didn't look like antelope country at all. Did see lots of other hunters. So we checked the boomsticks, adjusted as necessary, and continued east, one person driving, the other staring at OnX on our phone. In route to the 2nd largest patch of accessible public we rolled through a small 80 ac chuck of BLM, looked over and sure enough there were speed goats on it. Fumbled with orange and guns and ammo and my partner finally managed to get into position for a good clean miss. It was a dandy buck too. Oh well, back in the truck. 2nd largest patch of accessible public looked very similar to the first. It had hunters and no goats. My person fuel tank ran empty, we stopped, pitched the tent, and took naps. Woke just in time to drive back east to the nearest State land section, which had a couple groups. I came to bat, snuck down a little draw, stood up and punched my two doe tags at under 50 yds.


The next morning partner was up, we'd decided the eastern state land sections were where it's at. Cruised to a few, each had lopes, he caught a case of the yips and did some missing (consistently way left, but right on when practicing) but eventually filled a doe tag. That afternoon I was up again, spotted a buck that look nice from distance, got close and he had a deformed passenger side. I really like symmetry but I told my partner I'd let me trigger finger decide. We looped around and got closer, I laid down, and damn if that trigger finger didn't like that buck. So he came home with us.


Unfortunately the next morning my partner cured his yips on an exceptionally small buck (so small he thought it was a doe), then dropped made quick work of the doe next to the tiny buck. Put them on ice and dry ice and started back, pulled another all-nighter to get back. Total time in WY 58 hrs.

After several people straightening me out on my euro attempt it finally finished it the other night.



Concluding thoughts, I would have never thought about antelope or Wyoming had it not been for Bigfin and others on here, thank you all. I'll definitely go back next year but I may try and find a unit with a few less pump jacks. OnX was the only way to hunt that area, so little public land it's scary.

Congrats on first trip success.

Good story and nice job filling the freezer.

Great hunt

Way to get it done.

Way to go!

Nice hunt done in record time

That's a very nice buck and I think odd horns are worth enshrining in a good mount. Congratulations on a fine effort.

I like that buck. Did your buddy ever punch his buck tag?

edit: Never mind, figured out the answer after rereading.

More pics of that left horn would be nice. It looks pretty interesting. I'm becoming more interested in hunting for strange horns than big horns.

Great story, way to get it done!!

That is one of the coolest goats I’ve seen, and that euro turned out awesome. Congrats.

Congrats

Congrats on a good hunt! I like the funky looking bucks like that.

Congrats. I did my first one this year as well and now can say I officially share the western addiction and not the myth

Nice job! Get yourself some PP and avoid those areas.

That is a “freak” buck! I’d take that any day over big! Congrats on the quick trip!
Matt

Congrats. Lope hunting sure is fun, inst it!

Congrats. I think for my next pronghorn hunt I will spend a few extra days looking for a funky buck.

BrentD said:

More pics of that left horn would be nice. It looks pretty interesting. I'm becoming more interested in hunting for strange horns than big horns.

Click to expand...

I still much prefer symmetry, even over big, I was quite surprised my trigger finger doesn't share that opinion.

wytex said:

Nice job! Get yourself some PP and avoid those areas.

Click to expand...

Yeah I actually had a couple but the guy I was going with didn't and we wanted to make sure we got tags so they got burned. Oh well, I've talked a couple different hunting partners into buying points so I may ride their coattails next time.

Thanks for the pictures. That sure looks like an injury deformity to me. Did you have trouble getting the horn off the base when you cleaned it up?

Very nice trophy. I'd find my trigger finger twitching instantly if I was stalking it.