thusby
Well-known member
Alright, here goes another story time attempt. I spent this year applying and failing to draw for just about every species I could think of in 5 different states. With everything else a bust, I threw down on the Montana antelope draw. I drew the buck and doe tag in the initial draw. I wasn't expecting it with only one point but it felt like lightning hit me when I drew and it felt great. Then Montana let me purchase an additional doe/fawn tag and I felt like a hero max tag holder.
Prior to season I found a landowner with a BMA type 2 and got the permissions to get on for opening day. I encountered another permission holder at the gate when I arrived at 6 a.m. (he slept there over night). He was a real nice guy and we formulated a plan to go. I told him to go ahead of me and get the first shot since he committed so hard. Well, he walks through the gate and by 6:45 I hear a shot and his hunt is over.
My father-in-law and I head in. The old man was nice enough to tag along to help out, even though he didn't have a tag. We get about 2 miles in and get on the first group of does and little bucks. I managed to belly crawl over a small rise, while getting full of cactus quills, and get the first shot of the trip at a doe about 400 yards away. I'm not proud of the clean miss on the first shot but the wind is blowing. I anchor her on the second shot.
While waiting for my FIL to get up there, I watch a group of 3 bucks head to the back of the property about 1.5 miles away and start peacefully feeding. We get the doe all quartered up and bagged. My 67 year old FIL then proceeds to go full beast mode and carry out the whole antelope so I can start a stalk on the bucks. Before he can get back to the truck he hears me shoot and then it is a mad dash to cut up my antelope and get him back to the truck as well. The temps were peaking at about 85 degrees and I didn't bring nearly enough water with me for how far back we are.
Day 2 we got into a good old fashioned Montana land conflict while hunting rabbits of all things. Rancher pulls up on a wheeler and first thing out of his mouth, "I was having a good day until I seen you on my land." My response, "we are standing firmly on blm that is accessible from a county road and I also own this land." Rancher says, "how would you like it if I showed up on your lawn?". My response, "I don't understand that euphemism but I own my lawn and I don't see any green grass here." Rancher response, "well you should at least let the lessee know that you are going to be out among his cattle." My response, "I don't have that burden but if you tell me your name, I will come have coffee with you before heading out into this chunk." Rancher says, "my name is hardly important at this point." At which point we part ways.
Day 3 with that fun over its back to the hunt and I fill my last tag on another nice antelope that happened to be with a herd in a beautiful spot for a stalk. We spotted them from the road and after a 1 mile walk on nice terrain, I was up over another small hill on my elbows and it was all over.
We finished up the trip with enough time to hit up Devil's Tower and see some big boy bison in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Gratitude to the Montana BMA program is due. C&A meats in Sundance did a bang-up job of processing all the meat and getting a euro turned around in 4 days. The city of Hulett, WY deserves a shout out for tolerating a trio from Wisconsin in just about every establishment over the course of the week.
My buddy was more than happy to model the skull for everyone. He is no Vanna White but hey, he was who I had.
Prior to season I found a landowner with a BMA type 2 and got the permissions to get on for opening day. I encountered another permission holder at the gate when I arrived at 6 a.m. (he slept there over night). He was a real nice guy and we formulated a plan to go. I told him to go ahead of me and get the first shot since he committed so hard. Well, he walks through the gate and by 6:45 I hear a shot and his hunt is over.
My father-in-law and I head in. The old man was nice enough to tag along to help out, even though he didn't have a tag. We get about 2 miles in and get on the first group of does and little bucks. I managed to belly crawl over a small rise, while getting full of cactus quills, and get the first shot of the trip at a doe about 400 yards away. I'm not proud of the clean miss on the first shot but the wind is blowing. I anchor her on the second shot.
While waiting for my FIL to get up there, I watch a group of 3 bucks head to the back of the property about 1.5 miles away and start peacefully feeding. We get the doe all quartered up and bagged. My 67 year old FIL then proceeds to go full beast mode and carry out the whole antelope so I can start a stalk on the bucks. Before he can get back to the truck he hears me shoot and then it is a mad dash to cut up my antelope and get him back to the truck as well. The temps were peaking at about 85 degrees and I didn't bring nearly enough water with me for how far back we are.
Day 2 we got into a good old fashioned Montana land conflict while hunting rabbits of all things. Rancher pulls up on a wheeler and first thing out of his mouth, "I was having a good day until I seen you on my land." My response, "we are standing firmly on blm that is accessible from a county road and I also own this land." Rancher says, "how would you like it if I showed up on your lawn?". My response, "I don't understand that euphemism but I own my lawn and I don't see any green grass here." Rancher response, "well you should at least let the lessee know that you are going to be out among his cattle." My response, "I don't have that burden but if you tell me your name, I will come have coffee with you before heading out into this chunk." Rancher says, "my name is hardly important at this point." At which point we part ways.
Day 3 with that fun over its back to the hunt and I fill my last tag on another nice antelope that happened to be with a herd in a beautiful spot for a stalk. We spotted them from the road and after a 1 mile walk on nice terrain, I was up over another small hill on my elbows and it was all over.
We finished up the trip with enough time to hit up Devil's Tower and see some big boy bison in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Gratitude to the Montana BMA program is due. C&A meats in Sundance did a bang-up job of processing all the meat and getting a euro turned around in 4 days. The city of Hulett, WY deserves a shout out for tolerating a trio from Wisconsin in just about every establishment over the course of the week.
My buddy was more than happy to model the skull for everyone. He is no Vanna White but hey, he was who I had.
