THWAK1
New member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2011
- Messages
- 787
My girlfriend drew her first antelope tag this year...a year when numbers are way down where I usually hunt. And, did I mention she broke her ankle in two spots this summer and needed foot surgery? After they removed the cast, they had her in a walking boot and she was released from that two weeks ago. So...she still can't get around at 100%, but she was willing to try a hunt. Everything considered, I was a little concerned.
We were not able to hunt opening weekend, so I took her out to our friends ranch on Saturday. It rained all morning so we stayed in the house and visited and finally headed out after lunch. We drove around on what ranch roads we could, due to the rain/mud, looking for antelope, trying to find a nice buck that was in an easy location for her to get to. I spotted a small herd headed up a ravine and drove to where I knew they were going and we got out and walked to a rocky ridge and set up. Five minutes later, they walked by at less than 200 yards, 13 does and one small buck. She decided to pass on him. As we were walking back to the truck, I spotted a bigger buck in the distance, but he was almost 400 yards away, and in the wind, I told her not to shoot...we'd have more opportunities. We drove around the rest of the evening, glassing for antelope, and about an hour before sunset, spotted a group of over 40 antelope with five bucks in the group. We watched them throught the spotting scope until dark and then headed home.
Sunday morning we arrived again at the ranch and ate breakfast with everyone. Afterwards, we headed out to find the big group we had put to bed the night before. We found them close to where they had been, up and feeding in the alfalfa. We glassed them until they bedded in the alfalfa and in the tall grass on the edge of the field, next to the uprising ridges. I drove the ranch road around and to the south of their location and parked at the base of a ridge. I grabbed my backpack and she grabbed my daughters .270 Tikka (with 140gr AccuBonds) and off we went.
We walked up a coulee and over a couple of low saddles and finally popped up over a ridge within 250 yards of the antelope. We crawled the last 50 yards or so to the peak of the ridge, next to a small bush, and set-up with a slight breeze in our face. All the antelope were below us, 200-250 yards and spread out. We glassed them all and she decided she wanted to shoot one of the two bucks bedded on the edge of the alfalfa, next to about 8 does. Unfortunately, he was bedded facing directly away from us, so the waiting game was on. I ranged him at 206 yards. As we waited, I had her practice getting on target, adjusting the scope, and finding the safety and trigger without looking while I took video of the antelope and her.
After about an hour and a half, a doe stood up and headed toward the alfalfa and the two bedded bucks. The target buck had just finished napping and picked up his head and spotted the young doe grazing toward him. He stood up and started eating also. My girlfriend was getting nervous again, so I told her to relax and control her breathing and that we had all afternoon. Finally, the buck turned broadside and I told her to take the shot whenever she was ready. As I was watching the buck in my bino's, I heard the safety click and heard her take a few deep breaths. At the crack of the rifle, the buck lunged forward and stood still with a broken left upper leg and blood draining out of him. I told her to shoot him again and to aim where she had the first time. After a few seconds of calming down and getting the buck back in her scope, she shot again and the buck dropped in his tracks.
She was so excited she could hardly talk or breath. I started taking video again as she pointed out that none of the antelope had run off and that some were feeding again. As we gathered up our gear and started down the small ridge, the antelope finally took off. After reaching her buck, we took pictures, she notched her tag and attached it, and then she helped me field dress it. We then walked the edge of the alfalfa field back to the truck, drove up to him and loaded him in the back. It was just past lunch, so we headed back to the ranch to show our friends. After a recap of the hunt, we spent the rest of the day helping them sort cows and moving them from one pasture to another, followed by beers and good stories.
It was my girlfriends first ever antelope tag, only her second time ever hunting big game (both with me, she shot a whitetail buck two years ago on the first morning of her hunt), and she shot a beautiful 13 1/2" buck with great ivory tips! She is two for two and is looking forward to deer season which starts next weekend.
What a great day!
We were not able to hunt opening weekend, so I took her out to our friends ranch on Saturday. It rained all morning so we stayed in the house and visited and finally headed out after lunch. We drove around on what ranch roads we could, due to the rain/mud, looking for antelope, trying to find a nice buck that was in an easy location for her to get to. I spotted a small herd headed up a ravine and drove to where I knew they were going and we got out and walked to a rocky ridge and set up. Five minutes later, they walked by at less than 200 yards, 13 does and one small buck. She decided to pass on him. As we were walking back to the truck, I spotted a bigger buck in the distance, but he was almost 400 yards away, and in the wind, I told her not to shoot...we'd have more opportunities. We drove around the rest of the evening, glassing for antelope, and about an hour before sunset, spotted a group of over 40 antelope with five bucks in the group. We watched them throught the spotting scope until dark and then headed home.
Sunday morning we arrived again at the ranch and ate breakfast with everyone. Afterwards, we headed out to find the big group we had put to bed the night before. We found them close to where they had been, up and feeding in the alfalfa. We glassed them until they bedded in the alfalfa and in the tall grass on the edge of the field, next to the uprising ridges. I drove the ranch road around and to the south of their location and parked at the base of a ridge. I grabbed my backpack and she grabbed my daughters .270 Tikka (with 140gr AccuBonds) and off we went.
We walked up a coulee and over a couple of low saddles and finally popped up over a ridge within 250 yards of the antelope. We crawled the last 50 yards or so to the peak of the ridge, next to a small bush, and set-up with a slight breeze in our face. All the antelope were below us, 200-250 yards and spread out. We glassed them all and she decided she wanted to shoot one of the two bucks bedded on the edge of the alfalfa, next to about 8 does. Unfortunately, he was bedded facing directly away from us, so the waiting game was on. I ranged him at 206 yards. As we waited, I had her practice getting on target, adjusting the scope, and finding the safety and trigger without looking while I took video of the antelope and her.
After about an hour and a half, a doe stood up and headed toward the alfalfa and the two bedded bucks. The target buck had just finished napping and picked up his head and spotted the young doe grazing toward him. He stood up and started eating also. My girlfriend was getting nervous again, so I told her to relax and control her breathing and that we had all afternoon. Finally, the buck turned broadside and I told her to take the shot whenever she was ready. As I was watching the buck in my bino's, I heard the safety click and heard her take a few deep breaths. At the crack of the rifle, the buck lunged forward and stood still with a broken left upper leg and blood draining out of him. I told her to shoot him again and to aim where she had the first time. After a few seconds of calming down and getting the buck back in her scope, she shot again and the buck dropped in his tracks.
She was so excited she could hardly talk or breath. I started taking video again as she pointed out that none of the antelope had run off and that some were feeding again. As we gathered up our gear and started down the small ridge, the antelope finally took off. After reaching her buck, we took pictures, she notched her tag and attached it, and then she helped me field dress it. We then walked the edge of the alfalfa field back to the truck, drove up to him and loaded him in the back. It was just past lunch, so we headed back to the ranch to show our friends. After a recap of the hunt, we spent the rest of the day helping them sort cows and moving them from one pasture to another, followed by beers and good stories.
It was my girlfriends first ever antelope tag, only her second time ever hunting big game (both with me, she shot a whitetail buck two years ago on the first morning of her hunt), and she shot a beautiful 13 1/2" buck with great ivory tips! She is two for two and is looking forward to deer season which starts next weekend.
What a great day!
