BuzzH
Well-known member
I once again proved that I cant judge antelope that well.
I first saw the particular buck I was after in early September. I only saw him one time, but did get some video footage. I told a friend from Casper about the buck and that I thought it would "maybe go 80". I looked at the video a few times and each time I did, I just liked the buck more and more.
So, with my moose hunt conflicting with the pronghorn tag, there was very little I could do but hope that someone else was equally as poor at judging pronghorns and that I would find him.
My first available time to hunt was yesterday on my way home from an 8 day hitch at work. I knew I would only have a couple hours, but figured I would gamble and see if that buck I saw earlier was still around. On my way to the area, I saw a couple hunters from Nebraska leaving the area. It wasn't looking good.
I went to the spot where I had seen the buck over 20 days ago and started glassing. Within about 20 minutes I spotted him running around chasing other bucks and trying to keep 4 does rounded up. When he wasn't doing that, he was just constantly on the move.
I needed to get a better look, so gathered up my rifle and spotting scope and walked out to a higher ridge that he disappeared behind. I found him again, but he was moving away from me and was over a half mile away. Pretty soon, he starts moving back toward the ridge I was on. I got to watch him for a long time and the more I looked the more I liked what I was seeing.
He eventually sort of calmed down with only about 30 minutes of shooting light left. He started to feed a bit, and then bedded down! Facing away!
I really contemplated just leaving him as he was 703 yards away. But, I remembered many past experiences with pronghorn in lower light conditions toward evening. I don't know what it is, if their eyes deceive them at dusk or what, but I've essentially walked up pretty close to them in similar conditions.
I was torn, should I try and chance it or wait until the next morning? I figured with the amount of running around he did the hour before, I would take a chance and if the stalk went south, I'd just relocate him in the morning.
He was bedded facing away, so I just essentially walked right at him, in the wide open. At about 400 yards I finally dropped enough to get out of his sight. I covered the next section pretty fast and when I crawled up out of the draw I was in, he was still bedded and 259 yards away.
I looked a bit longer through the spotting scope and he still looked good. For some reason, he stood and then bedded again broadside to me. I looked again through the spotter at the mass of his horns as he was facing me.
Enough looking, time to get this antelope shot. I chambered a round in my 7-08 and used some tall sagebrush for a rest. I was shooting prone and again, for some unknown reason, he stood back up and started walking. I just placed the leupold dot behind his shoulder and pressed the trigger. I heard the bullet smack him and he went about 10 steps and fell behind some sagebrush.
I quickly went over and was a bit shocked by his size...for once shocked that I had almost for sure under-estimated the score.
Had to wait until this morning to take decent pictures:
Another look:
Frontal look:
Different look:
Water bottle for scale:
I first saw the particular buck I was after in early September. I only saw him one time, but did get some video footage. I told a friend from Casper about the buck and that I thought it would "maybe go 80". I looked at the video a few times and each time I did, I just liked the buck more and more.
So, with my moose hunt conflicting with the pronghorn tag, there was very little I could do but hope that someone else was equally as poor at judging pronghorns and that I would find him.
My first available time to hunt was yesterday on my way home from an 8 day hitch at work. I knew I would only have a couple hours, but figured I would gamble and see if that buck I saw earlier was still around. On my way to the area, I saw a couple hunters from Nebraska leaving the area. It wasn't looking good.
I went to the spot where I had seen the buck over 20 days ago and started glassing. Within about 20 minutes I spotted him running around chasing other bucks and trying to keep 4 does rounded up. When he wasn't doing that, he was just constantly on the move.
I needed to get a better look, so gathered up my rifle and spotting scope and walked out to a higher ridge that he disappeared behind. I found him again, but he was moving away from me and was over a half mile away. Pretty soon, he starts moving back toward the ridge I was on. I got to watch him for a long time and the more I looked the more I liked what I was seeing.
He eventually sort of calmed down with only about 30 minutes of shooting light left. He started to feed a bit, and then bedded down! Facing away!
I really contemplated just leaving him as he was 703 yards away. But, I remembered many past experiences with pronghorn in lower light conditions toward evening. I don't know what it is, if their eyes deceive them at dusk or what, but I've essentially walked up pretty close to them in similar conditions.
I was torn, should I try and chance it or wait until the next morning? I figured with the amount of running around he did the hour before, I would take a chance and if the stalk went south, I'd just relocate him in the morning.
He was bedded facing away, so I just essentially walked right at him, in the wide open. At about 400 yards I finally dropped enough to get out of his sight. I covered the next section pretty fast and when I crawled up out of the draw I was in, he was still bedded and 259 yards away.
I looked a bit longer through the spotting scope and he still looked good. For some reason, he stood and then bedded again broadside to me. I looked again through the spotter at the mass of his horns as he was facing me.
Enough looking, time to get this antelope shot. I chambered a round in my 7-08 and used some tall sagebrush for a rest. I was shooting prone and again, for some unknown reason, he stood back up and started walking. I just placed the leupold dot behind his shoulder and pressed the trigger. I heard the bullet smack him and he went about 10 steps and fell behind some sagebrush.
I quickly went over and was a bit shocked by his size...for once shocked that I had almost for sure under-estimated the score.
Had to wait until this morning to take decent pictures:
Another look:
Frontal look:
Different look:
Water bottle for scale:
Last edited:
Sooo, the 7-08 DOES work on big antelope. Great buck. What was the final tape on him?
