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Colorado Antelope (pics)

Oak

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Well, despite no help from my hunting rig, I managed to tag the elusive(
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) CO pronghorn this last weekend. I put about 8 miles on my boots Saturday morning, passing up five 12-14" bucks that were in range. One was a very symmetrical 14"er that walked past me at 80 yards. It took a lot of willpower to not drop the hammer on him.

Saturday afternoon I hit the road and glassed some other properties I had permission to hunt. After stopping to glass a buck that was laying in a planted winter wheat field, I went to leave and found my rig was dead. After a couple of miles walking to a phone, a tow to town, and borrowing a friend's truck, I got back out Saturday evening. I located a decent buck with a group of about 10 does in a low basin of a CRP field. I made a plan that seemed infallable, but the goats proved me wrong. The last rise I came over wasn't steep enough for me to see the goats below me through the grass, and I was way too close at only 60 yards. I could make them out, boring holes with their eyes through the grass where I was laying, but couldn't sit up high enough to see them through the scope. They finally had enough of my shenanigans and blew out of there for the property next door, which I didn't have permission to hunt.

The next morning I decided to head back out to the same spot. Amazingly, the same herd was back in exactly the same place I had stalked them the night before. I made a new plan, seeing that the old one hadn't worked. This time I came over the last rise about 200 yards out from the herd (shot was 217, ranged AFTER the fact
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). I didn't waste any time finding the buck and getting a 130gr. Sierra Gameking from my .270 on it's way.

Although it's not a really big one, it's my best to date, and pretty darn good for the unit I was hunting. He's 14 1/2" on the short side and 15 3/8" on the long side. Unfortunately, he had broken about one inch off his right cutter. Man, I LOVE hunting those speed goats!!
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Oak

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 09-30-2003 17:14: Message edited by: Colorado Oak ]</font>
 
Way to go Oak, that is a dandy buck. Our rifle season doesn't start for two weeks, so I was under the impression you were bow hunting. After I read the first line that you had passed up a few 14", I was thinking you were quite the trophy hunter.

It made more since to me when I realized you were throwing lead. Anyway, once again, dandy buck and good picks with the "Hunt Talk" cap.

I have still yet to ever shoot one, but I did pick up a doe tag this year. Guess I will have to wait and see how full the freezer is.
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Nice Buck Oak. He beats the ones I have ever shot, but every one of them I have ever shot has been a hoot.
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Next year I am thinkin' Party Application...
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Congrats again, and bummer on the rig...
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MT, even if you have a full freezer, you can still find room to put a complete antelope in the little bit of room on the door...
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Even a big one doesn't do much more than fill an Albertsons bag with meat. And it makes fine jerkey. Go ahead, and spend a day chasing them, and bring home a doe. It will be worth it...
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KC, I was hunting in a unit in beautiful northern Colorado.
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Nut, I fixed the rig Sunday afternoon, after killing my goat. I spent $65 on it Saturday night, and then $2.99 on Sunday to fix what was wrong.
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Mtmiller, nope not THAT much of a trophy hunter. My typical antelope hunts go something like this: "I'm gonna hold out for a big one this year. There's a buck!" Bang! This is the first year I made it to day two of the season.
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Elkgunner is right, you don't need much freezer room for an antelope. Mine's gonna all be jerky by Friday.

Elkgunner, size doesn't matter when it comes to 'lopes.
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I have a blast every time I hunt them. Just wish the tags arrived in my mailbox a little more often. I think I'll start applying for Wyoming too, since I'm only 30 miles away.

Oak
 
Way to Go! I don't know diddly when it comes to what a good goat is or is'nt. But I do know if your holding it by the horns it must be a trophy. Great Goat Colorado Oak!
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<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 10-01-2003 06:07: Message edited by: DRAFTSTUD ]</font>
 
First off congrats on a very nice looking speed goat. I enjoyed the story and I'm glad the stalk worked out the second time. You had him at 60 yards. Just curious why you didn't just stand up and whack his azz off hand. 60 yards that's bow range. Granted there may have been other factors, but from your description I'm just asking.
 
Good question, Big Sky. I wasn't sure where the goats were when I came over the hill on my belly. By the time I saw them, every one was looking right at me. I figured that by the time I got up to take an offhand shot, they would be going full speed. I probably wouldn't shoot at a goat running that fast, regardless of the distance. Guess that's just lack of confidence on my part. From the time I finally saw the goats to the time they ran was probably 15 seconds.

Oak
 
Great looking loper! Very good for that part of the state. I also hunted there last weekend and had some success.
 
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