sneakem
Well-known member
Nikon D3200 and a bag full of lenses.... nikon 50mm 1.8, nikon 55-200, sigma 10-20 nikon, nikon 18-55, sigma 150-500, there are more too just some of my favorites. I use a D3 body too....
Wyoming Pronghorn adventures
- Thread starter sneakem
- Start date
Nikon D3200 and a bag full of lenses.... nikon 50mm 1.8, nikon 55-200, sigma 10-20 nikon, nikon 18-55, sigma 150-500, there are more too just some of my favorites. I use a D3 body too....
sneakem
Well-known member
A little fella on the way back to the high country camp...
Relaxing around the campfire looking at the stars...
The road leading back to the desert...
Relaxing around the campfire looking at the stars...
The road leading back to the desert...
noharleyyet
Well-known member
Sweet pics sneaks....
noharleyyet
Well-known member
Mr. Weatherby's favorite cartridge beckons.....
Backcountryhunter
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2009
- Messages
- 84
great pics.
sneakem
Well-known member
11 days from now....
I have been surprised at how the bucks out here have really stuck to the own little areas. It seems as though I turn a corner and the same buck would be there day after day... and its been that way through out the unit.
For instance every day I would turn the corner past the 3rd oil well and there is the "Funkalope" with his harem. ( I name all those that are unique or of interest)
Or just past the pond.. there was "Big Easy"... who was so used to oil field traffic you could walk within 20 yards and he would stand around his bush and pose...begging for an arrow...lol
This guy had my interest... "Heavy D".... Short but incredibly heavy... terrible picture but he was incredibly spooky...
And "Ric Flair".... 6" prongs that turned outward....big curl, thin tops...again terrible picture but a very spooky antelope...
and just another nameless pronghorn for good measure...
Dinkshooter
Well-known member
Don't shoot yet you're having too much fun
7mm08mo
Well-known member
Hope I see some like that in October in unit 20. I don't want to see the snakes although one of the guys going with me wants to eat one if we see some he says they are delicious. Hope to get good pictures to post of camp life and hopefully our antelope. Nice pics.
treedagain
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2011
- Messages
- 514
looks like you have a bunch to pick from. good luck
treedagain
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2011
- Messages
- 514
oh ya I can do without the snakes.
Muley Crazy
Member
Great thread and pics please post a pic of the the one buck that get your stamp of approval. Learning alot from what you have posted. Good luck
sbhooper
Well-known member
Great pics. I should have had a snake pic and did not think about it until I got back to the truck.
huntergirl_19
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2013
- Messages
- 131
Those are awesome pics!
sneakem
Well-known member
The final chapter...
Well sadly this is the final chapter of my Wyoming antelope hunt. All in all it was a great experience, one that I invested tons of time scouting, scouring every ounce of public land that I could. Taking pictures of each of the bucks I encountered and tediously comparing each and estimating scores. I had been chasing this unit for years (even prior to preference points), not because it was published in a magazine or touted as the premier unit. It was a unit I have spent a lot of time in. The county in which it resides historically has produced numerous B&C caliber bucks, so the genetics are present. It has also experienced significant die offs from winterkill, survived some years of extreme drought, strains from excessive drilling.... and I waited patiently for my chance.
Fortunately this year the WY G&F moved the draw back until May, which allowed me to monitor the conditions of the herd before applying. Numbers had rebound fairly well from past die offs. Last fall was an incredible year of moisture, and the range was in the best condition it had been in years. That was followed by an extremely mild winter, and a very wet spring and early summer. The condtions were ideal for horn growth in my opinion. So I applied, barring any massive influx of max point holders I was assured to draw. And I did...
During my weeks of scouting and archery hunting I had pretty much narrowed the chase down to two bucks, both of which were in the same walk in area. I am assured that they were there because of the fact that no vehicles are allowed ( with the exception of Oil field traffic). I find that most people wont put in the effort to put on a couple of miles of boot leather when they can drive around in there atv and get one off the road... Over all I was fairly disappointed with the caliber of bucks I had been seeing, it was obvious that years of bad winters, bad droughts had taken there toll on the age classes and overall horn development of the pronghorn that had been in the unit.
So the archery hunt passed with some close encounters with the two bucks I had decided upon. I drew my bow a number of times on both bucks and never fired an arrow, either the shot was not good or the wind was blowing too hard or they busted me drawing the bow. I had countless blown stalks on both, consuming entire days, stalking them over and over in some incredibly tough and hot open country. And so came the rifle opener....
Well sadly this is the final chapter of my Wyoming antelope hunt. All in all it was a great experience, one that I invested tons of time scouting, scouring every ounce of public land that I could. Taking pictures of each of the bucks I encountered and tediously comparing each and estimating scores. I had been chasing this unit for years (even prior to preference points), not because it was published in a magazine or touted as the premier unit. It was a unit I have spent a lot of time in. The county in which it resides historically has produced numerous B&C caliber bucks, so the genetics are present. It has also experienced significant die offs from winterkill, survived some years of extreme drought, strains from excessive drilling.... and I waited patiently for my chance.
Fortunately this year the WY G&F moved the draw back until May, which allowed me to monitor the conditions of the herd before applying. Numbers had rebound fairly well from past die offs. Last fall was an incredible year of moisture, and the range was in the best condition it had been in years. That was followed by an extremely mild winter, and a very wet spring and early summer. The condtions were ideal for horn growth in my opinion. So I applied, barring any massive influx of max point holders I was assured to draw. And I did...
During my weeks of scouting and archery hunting I had pretty much narrowed the chase down to two bucks, both of which were in the same walk in area. I am assured that they were there because of the fact that no vehicles are allowed ( with the exception of Oil field traffic). I find that most people wont put in the effort to put on a couple of miles of boot leather when they can drive around in there atv and get one off the road... Over all I was fairly disappointed with the caliber of bucks I had been seeing, it was obvious that years of bad winters, bad droughts had taken there toll on the age classes and overall horn development of the pronghorn that had been in the unit.
So the archery hunt passed with some close encounters with the two bucks I had decided upon. I drew my bow a number of times on both bucks and never fired an arrow, either the shot was not good or the wind was blowing too hard or they busted me drawing the bow. I had countless blown stalks on both, consuming entire days, stalking them over and over in some incredibly tough and hot open country. And so came the rifle opener....
Last edited:
Backcountryhunter
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2009
- Messages
- 84
This is getting good!
sneakem
Well-known member
The rifle opener happened to fall on a Sunday this year, not the most convenient, but hey at least its on the weekend. My mind was racing, thinking about the bucks that I had found, thinking about the 99 other tags that would be running around, all the competition for the few larger antelope that I had found. I knew that surely there were other people that were seriously scouting the unit and new that several of the larger bucks were in the walk in area. All I could think about was the race to the bucks at first light of the opener.
So I had planned to be there before light on the opening weekend. I decided to take a day and a half before to hunt elk here in CO with the bow, putting on rough 24 miles and a few thousand vertical feet along the way. I was pretty worn out when I returned home on Saturday, only to have to immediately load the camper, the kids, the dog and drive straight to Wyoming. I knew that it should only take a few hours to get it done with the rifle, so the packing was minimal. We basically needed water, a light breakfast and sandwiches for a lunch. I had spoken with a friend about coming and filming the hunt as he had recently just filled an elk tag with son and wanted to come out and get some good footage to use as we both are into photography and media type stuff...
Matt was worried that if he tagged along we may have too many people to be successful or that it may interfere with my success on such a long awaited tag. I told him it was no concern to me as we had my girlfriend, her 3 boys, the dog... all going out...LOL:W: They had recently completed the hunters safety course and I wanted them to see what it was all about. Plus they had watched me on a few hundred of my failed stalk attempts and failures, so it was as much their hunt as mine as they have been there for much of it. It was a good opportunity for them to learn to field dress and cape and quarter an animal, as they've only got to see on film.
So we set up camp after dark on Saturday, quickly got everyone to bed to be well rested for the early morning. We would have a 3 mile hike from the nearest access to where I anticipated the antelope to be. I could not sleep.... I kept thinking about the hunt... were the antelope going to be in their usual spot?? How many people will be chasing them?? Will someone spook them before I get a chance?? Will someone ignore the no vehicle posting and just drive out thee anyways, as often happens...
So I had planned to be there before light on the opening weekend. I decided to take a day and a half before to hunt elk here in CO with the bow, putting on rough 24 miles and a few thousand vertical feet along the way. I was pretty worn out when I returned home on Saturday, only to have to immediately load the camper, the kids, the dog and drive straight to Wyoming. I knew that it should only take a few hours to get it done with the rifle, so the packing was minimal. We basically needed water, a light breakfast and sandwiches for a lunch. I had spoken with a friend about coming and filming the hunt as he had recently just filled an elk tag with son and wanted to come out and get some good footage to use as we both are into photography and media type stuff...
Matt was worried that if he tagged along we may have too many people to be successful or that it may interfere with my success on such a long awaited tag. I told him it was no concern to me as we had my girlfriend, her 3 boys, the dog... all going out...LOL:W: They had recently completed the hunters safety course and I wanted them to see what it was all about. Plus they had watched me on a few hundred of my failed stalk attempts and failures, so it was as much their hunt as mine as they have been there for much of it. It was a good opportunity for them to learn to field dress and cape and quarter an animal, as they've only got to see on film.
So we set up camp after dark on Saturday, quickly got everyone to bed to be well rested for the early morning. We would have a 3 mile hike from the nearest access to where I anticipated the antelope to be. I could not sleep.... I kept thinking about the hunt... were the antelope going to be in their usual spot?? How many people will be chasing them?? Will someone spook them before I get a chance?? Will someone ignore the no vehicle posting and just drive out thee anyways, as often happens...
npaden
Well-known member
Looking forward to the conclusion and pictures of one on the ground!
