I'd like to start this post off with the one quote that was repeated multiple times throughout this weekend, "thank god for Onx!" This was a new unit we hunted and prior to the draw results, never stepped foot in the unit. Well my non-res brother (Maine) drew all three of his antelope tags (1 buck, 2 doe) and I and a few others drew a buck tag as a second choice. This was a hard access, second choice unit in NE/Central Wyo. Soon after the draw results I scouted and took a lot of pictures and figured out real quick that if anyone was given an opportunity for a shot, they'd better take it. I brief the fellas that were going to come as no one could make it to scout but me and my son. Fast forward to this weekend; crappy weather was inbound and deer season was in full swing just to add more competition on what public land was available.
Friday:
Picked my brother up from Denver and hit the road, set up camp on Guernsey State Park, electrical hookups year round and water unit the 15th of Oct, with camp set up we late we just went to bed and prepped for the next day via a few ice cold Busch Lights!
Saturday Morning:
Got up and got out at day break and got to one of the walk-in areas that I had scouted. Lots of people driving the roads and exactly zero people getting out the truck. This being a giant walk-in area that connected to state ground that was only accessible via the walk-in, I was smiling from ear to ear. After a little over a mile and a half hike, we sat to glass. Yep. Down in a grassy valley were the antelope, virtually invisible from all roads. Put the stalk on them and got into position, brother and friend were up as i watched. Six shots later yielded no antelope, me laughing uncontrollably as one buck proceeded to stop and take a poo while the shots rang out. Now, my brother was a Marine and I was Air Force, so I took the opportunity to lay the trash down. You'd think I'd have learned by now to not talk trash until I have shot. Moving on. A few hours later and a new area and a few miles back in had me in front of a beautful buck at 330 yards, I was settled and sent the round, clean miss. So i shot again, clean miss. I smiled as I turned around to see my brother all smiles. He was in my ear all the way back to the truck.
Saturday Evening:
Well after a quick bite we headed back out to another giant walk-in area. Same as the last one; people driving around and the antelope hidden from view. We found a few and decided to make a stalk, we got within range and I had the buck on my side with nothing but doe/fawns on my brothers side. Feeling a little guilty about my brother traveling all those miles, I went and grabbed him and put him in the shooting lane for the buck. One shot at a little over 150 yards and he was done, his first ever antelope.
We quickly broke him down and got him packed back to the truck and in coolers. Onto the next spot, again it was a chunk of state ground only accessible via a walk-in. We found them and the mile long hike was on. We get into my comfort zone and get settled, shot sent and he was down. The herd didn't know where the shot came from so my brother stepped up to try to fill one of his doe tags, he sent it and buckled one. Then they ran towards us, when they were within 75 yards they saw us and stopped, another round sent and another doe down. He was done on day one with all tags filled. My buck with his two doe:
No sooner than we get done taking pictures a friend of mine showed up, saw our truck and knew where we'd be. He helped pack out the three antelope and it was his turn tomorrow. He helped me pack out so I told him I'd take him to another spot I had previously scouted tomorrow.
Sunday:
This was the tough day, weather had come in and the rain would last all day. My friend and I put miles and miles on the ground and truck just to be skunked. Couldn't turn up a buck to save our lives, that was until we went back to the giant walk-in where my brother and other friend, who left after that, had single handedly kept Nosler in business for another year. We hiked through the rain and started to glass. I found one, bedded about half mile from where we were with no routes of stalking. So marked him on Onx and headed back to the truck, drove around the mile section to come in over the top of him. It doubled our hike but gave us a chance. We arrived at where we though we find and there he was, still bedded in the rain. We closed the distance to about 100 yards before he finally stood. Buddy sent it and buckled him. Took all day to find one buck, but it was worth it.
All in all it was a great weekend. Glad to help my brother on his first antelope hunt as well as get a good friend his biggest buck to date. OnX has been one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. Amazing tool which made this second choice unit possible. Good luck to everyone and now I'm onto elk and deer with the pheasant season incoming!
Friday:
Picked my brother up from Denver and hit the road, set up camp on Guernsey State Park, electrical hookups year round and water unit the 15th of Oct, with camp set up we late we just went to bed and prepped for the next day via a few ice cold Busch Lights!
Saturday Morning:
Got up and got out at day break and got to one of the walk-in areas that I had scouted. Lots of people driving the roads and exactly zero people getting out the truck. This being a giant walk-in area that connected to state ground that was only accessible via the walk-in, I was smiling from ear to ear. After a little over a mile and a half hike, we sat to glass. Yep. Down in a grassy valley were the antelope, virtually invisible from all roads. Put the stalk on them and got into position, brother and friend were up as i watched. Six shots later yielded no antelope, me laughing uncontrollably as one buck proceeded to stop and take a poo while the shots rang out. Now, my brother was a Marine and I was Air Force, so I took the opportunity to lay the trash down. You'd think I'd have learned by now to not talk trash until I have shot. Moving on. A few hours later and a new area and a few miles back in had me in front of a beautful buck at 330 yards, I was settled and sent the round, clean miss. So i shot again, clean miss. I smiled as I turned around to see my brother all smiles. He was in my ear all the way back to the truck.
Saturday Evening:
Well after a quick bite we headed back out to another giant walk-in area. Same as the last one; people driving around and the antelope hidden from view. We found a few and decided to make a stalk, we got within range and I had the buck on my side with nothing but doe/fawns on my brothers side. Feeling a little guilty about my brother traveling all those miles, I went and grabbed him and put him in the shooting lane for the buck. One shot at a little over 150 yards and he was done, his first ever antelope.
We quickly broke him down and got him packed back to the truck and in coolers. Onto the next spot, again it was a chunk of state ground only accessible via a walk-in. We found them and the mile long hike was on. We get into my comfort zone and get settled, shot sent and he was down. The herd didn't know where the shot came from so my brother stepped up to try to fill one of his doe tags, he sent it and buckled one. Then they ran towards us, when they were within 75 yards they saw us and stopped, another round sent and another doe down. He was done on day one with all tags filled. My buck with his two doe:
No sooner than we get done taking pictures a friend of mine showed up, saw our truck and knew where we'd be. He helped pack out the three antelope and it was his turn tomorrow. He helped me pack out so I told him I'd take him to another spot I had previously scouted tomorrow.
Sunday:
This was the tough day, weather had come in and the rain would last all day. My friend and I put miles and miles on the ground and truck just to be skunked. Couldn't turn up a buck to save our lives, that was until we went back to the giant walk-in where my brother and other friend, who left after that, had single handedly kept Nosler in business for another year. We hiked through the rain and started to glass. I found one, bedded about half mile from where we were with no routes of stalking. So marked him on Onx and headed back to the truck, drove around the mile section to come in over the top of him. It doubled our hike but gave us a chance. We arrived at where we though we find and there he was, still bedded in the rain. We closed the distance to about 100 yards before he finally stood. Buddy sent it and buckled him. Took all day to find one buck, but it was worth it.
All in all it was a great weekend. Glad to help my brother on his first antelope hunt as well as get a good friend his biggest buck to date. OnX has been one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. Amazing tool which made this second choice unit possible. Good luck to everyone and now I'm onto elk and deer with the pheasant season incoming!
Last edited:
