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Antelope...Lets See Them!!!

Drew MT rifle this year and had a big trip planned. Saw several decent bucks over the weekend that were in stalkable places- ended up only making a play on this guy late in the day yesterday. So much for the rifle hunt.

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Damn! Nice buck. Good work getting it done and down to the wire with the archery season. Is that a broken and healed over bump on the right side?
 
I think antelope hunting is pure fun. We have both killed B & C antelope years past and I just do not get too hung up on trophy quality when antelope hunting (apologize to you antelope nuts). Both of these antelope were in cool stalking positions where we ended up above them and at close range. I do not think I will ever use my rifle to hunt antelope again, muzzle loader from here on out. We hunted unit 67 a couple days after the opener and had a blast, did not see another hunter. Also spent some time in units around 67 that require much fewer points and would take a tag in those units any day too.
 

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Public land in Northwest Colorado where I've taken several pronghorn in the past. There's never been large herds, only small groups and individuals, and the success rate has fallen over the years. So, I went this year with guarded optimism.

On opening morning I was high in the field when hunter vehicles started pouring in on the access roads. Most hunters were staying on or close to the road but I hiked deep into the back 40 of the property. From a good vantage I glassed the area but didn't see a single pronghorn anywhere within five miles, not even on the private ranches that used to hold sizeable herds. By late morning I decided to head back to the truck and probably hang it up. I didn't walk a hundred yards when I looked to see the horns of a bedded buck about 75 yards below me. He was alone in a little swale looking away and over a big dry lake. l stalked closer for a broadside shot and took him resting in his bed.

One shot, 62 yards sitting, 7mm-08 with 120 gr. Barnes Vor-Tex (ttsx).

The area is walk-in only and my truck was 2.5 miles away. I hiked to the truck and moved it to a mile from the animal and hiked back in to drag the buck out on a sled.

I think I was incredibly lucky. I didn't see that any of 25-30 hunters in the area took an animal. Someone mentioned that there was a crash in area pronghorn numbers some years ago and I wonder if CPW should close the area to hunting for a few years to let the herd repopulate.


P.S.: Pronghorn steak is delicious!



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