Returned from my Wyoming antelope hunt last week and we had a great but short trip. We arrived in Newcastle on Monday after the big storm
it was sad as we drove closer to Rapid City with all of the dead cattle and calves along the fence behind the billboards and even in the median of the interstate. It was fun to get back out in that country as the last time I hunted out there was when I was in high school by Sundance.
We got all of our stuff unloaded at the motel and were out scouting by 1300, the folks at the motel and some of the locals said that the
antelope population is down in unit 7 as they have had EHD, hoof disease and a couple of bad winters. The people at the motel were very helpful and told us if we didn't see anything on the public land that they could help us get on some ranchers land in the area which gave us a second option.
So off we went, they had about 8 inches of snow there so the roads on the BLM were in bad shape so we knew we were going to have to
do some walking.
We drove around a bunch of BLM and State ground and didn't see much which was disappointing. We decided to drive the outside of unit 7 on
a highway and thats when it started! We were looking to our right on some private land when we spotted a heard of about 100 coming across
the highway, it was funny as they had a hell of a time finding a place to go under the fence. I guess the antelope just haven't figured out
how to jump over. I had my GPS on with the Wyoming Hunt chip in it and it showed the land they were crossing onto was BLM so we drove
back to the nearest driveway, parked and grabbed our stuff. By this time all of the antelope had went over the hill on the BLM so we started
out after them. We are now at 4500 foot altitude and I was huffing and puffing pretty good by the time we got to the top of the hill.
We couldn't see them anywhere so we figured they took off after going over the hill so again disappointment.
Time to regroup, we decided to walk over to about the area we figured they had went and decided to rest there, perhaps if there were
more they would follow the same route. After about 15 minutes I see a buck standing on the hill he looked around for a couple of
minutes and a doe and buck came over the hill by him. These three had crossed further down and were at about 500 yards, they weren't in a hurry
and slowly moved through the sage working their way a little closer to us at a angle. When they stopped at about 400 yards I told my buddy
I was going to try for a shot, my first shot went over his back as I held over to much I then adjusted and shot a second time and again over the
back. Now I am trying remember the ballastics on my 25/06 (should have taped a cheat sheet to by stock). The antelope are starting to get
nervous now but can't figure out where the shot is coming from so now I have a good rest on my backpack, watch my breathing and push
the trigger. I could hear the bullet hit him and he dropped like a sack of rocks. My buddy pulls up on the second buck and drops him with
his 243. The high fives and hooping and hollering start, we have been hunting for three hours and we are done. We walk to the antelope
and I range back to the knob we were on, mine was 415 yards and my buddies 385.
I accomplished two things, one was to shoot a antelope and the second was from a distance. Now we cant drag them to a BLM road
because they are to muddy so after a hour and half drag we got them back to the truck, were beat! We took them to the Pizza Barn that also
has a processing locker, for $100 they have them processed, wrapped and ready to go in a day. On Tuesday we went to Deadwood and did alittle gambling, more snow there, like 40 inches worth. Probably one of my best trips yet with everything that transpired, just being in that country
is worth it. Things I learned, the hunting map gps chip, I wouldn't go out there without one as the public ground is not well marked and prevents
any problems with a angry rancher ( the game wardens use the same chip to settle trespassing disagreements with hunters and ranchers). I had knee pads, you will need them as anything it seemed would stick you, if the BLM roads get wet they turn to gumbo. Eat at the pizza barn they have awesome prime rib and pizza. Talk to people, they are very friendly and will help you out. I included a couple pictures of my antelope mine was 13 inches and my buddies was 12, not big but good enough for me for my first antelope, the others guys at the motel were having a tough go at it when we left on Wednesday. I see another antelope trip to Wyoming in my future, well worth the money!
it was sad as we drove closer to Rapid City with all of the dead cattle and calves along the fence behind the billboards and even in the median of the interstate. It was fun to get back out in that country as the last time I hunted out there was when I was in high school by Sundance.
We got all of our stuff unloaded at the motel and were out scouting by 1300, the folks at the motel and some of the locals said that the
antelope population is down in unit 7 as they have had EHD, hoof disease and a couple of bad winters. The people at the motel were very helpful and told us if we didn't see anything on the public land that they could help us get on some ranchers land in the area which gave us a second option.
So off we went, they had about 8 inches of snow there so the roads on the BLM were in bad shape so we knew we were going to have to
do some walking.
We drove around a bunch of BLM and State ground and didn't see much which was disappointing. We decided to drive the outside of unit 7 on
a highway and thats when it started! We were looking to our right on some private land when we spotted a heard of about 100 coming across
the highway, it was funny as they had a hell of a time finding a place to go under the fence. I guess the antelope just haven't figured out
how to jump over. I had my GPS on with the Wyoming Hunt chip in it and it showed the land they were crossing onto was BLM so we drove
back to the nearest driveway, parked and grabbed our stuff. By this time all of the antelope had went over the hill on the BLM so we started
out after them. We are now at 4500 foot altitude and I was huffing and puffing pretty good by the time we got to the top of the hill.
We couldn't see them anywhere so we figured they took off after going over the hill so again disappointment.
Time to regroup, we decided to walk over to about the area we figured they had went and decided to rest there, perhaps if there were
more they would follow the same route. After about 15 minutes I see a buck standing on the hill he looked around for a couple of
minutes and a doe and buck came over the hill by him. These three had crossed further down and were at about 500 yards, they weren't in a hurry
and slowly moved through the sage working their way a little closer to us at a angle. When they stopped at about 400 yards I told my buddy
I was going to try for a shot, my first shot went over his back as I held over to much I then adjusted and shot a second time and again over the
back. Now I am trying remember the ballastics on my 25/06 (should have taped a cheat sheet to by stock). The antelope are starting to get
nervous now but can't figure out where the shot is coming from so now I have a good rest on my backpack, watch my breathing and push
the trigger. I could hear the bullet hit him and he dropped like a sack of rocks. My buddy pulls up on the second buck and drops him with
his 243. The high fives and hooping and hollering start, we have been hunting for three hours and we are done. We walk to the antelope
and I range back to the knob we were on, mine was 415 yards and my buddies 385.
I accomplished two things, one was to shoot a antelope and the second was from a distance. Now we cant drag them to a BLM road
because they are to muddy so after a hour and half drag we got them back to the truck, were beat! We took them to the Pizza Barn that also
has a processing locker, for $100 they have them processed, wrapped and ready to go in a day. On Tuesday we went to Deadwood and did alittle gambling, more snow there, like 40 inches worth. Probably one of my best trips yet with everything that transpired, just being in that country
is worth it. Things I learned, the hunting map gps chip, I wouldn't go out there without one as the public ground is not well marked and prevents
any problems with a angry rancher ( the game wardens use the same chip to settle trespassing disagreements with hunters and ranchers). I had knee pads, you will need them as anything it seemed would stick you, if the BLM roads get wet they turn to gumbo. Eat at the pizza barn they have awesome prime rib and pizza. Talk to people, they are very friendly and will help you out. I included a couple pictures of my antelope mine was 13 inches and my buddies was 12, not big but good enough for me for my first antelope, the others guys at the motel were having a tough go at it when we left on Wednesday. I see another antelope trip to Wyoming in my future, well worth the money!
