Bluffgruff
Well-known member
People miss out on a lot of hunting pronghorn by getting itchy trigger fingers. Looks like a ton of fun, and I'm envious!
2024 - Season of Good Fortune and Financial Ruin
- Thread starter Clarq
- Start date
Dad and I made it out for one more quick antelope trip. Same story - a few decent bucks, one blown stalk, and another return home empty-handed. Lots of fun.
By the end of that trip, I had probably set my personal record for miles traveled while hunting in one season, and it wasn't over yet! Not even close...
My next trip took me to the Black Hills of South Dakota. This is the first time I've ever been here. Super neat country.
Mom and Dad joined me for the trip. We arrived at a a nice rental cabin and settled in for the night as I wondered what I was in for when morning arrived. I knew before applying that it was going to be a fairly easy hunt, but I was hoping it would feel like a sporting endeavor. I decided I would just take it for what it is and have a good time however it turned out.
We arose early and hit the road as the sun was coming up.
Our drive to the hunt area took us through Wind Cave National Park. We were excited to see a handful of bull bison off the side of the road along the way.
I arrived at the park and met my up with the guide for my non-trophy bison hunt. We hopped in his truck and got to it.
The hunt was fairly straightforward. We looked over some animals, I decided which bull I wanted to go after, and we made the approach. They weren't wily wilderness bison, but they didn't exactly want me getting too close either. They would typically turn tail and walk off as we approached. They also stubbornly stayed skylined for quite awhile.
After playing cat and mouse with the herd for some time, I got a clear shot at my target bull. The shot flew true and the bull went down quickly. His horns were quite a bit bigger than I expected I would find on a "non-trophy" bison. He looks like a trophy to me!
I was grateful to have the opportunity to see and handle one of these magnificent creatures up close. I also can't say enough good things about the park staff. I appreciated my guide's expertise, helpful attitude, and unhurried manner. It was a neat experience.
The rest of the day was spent taking care of business. By late afternoon, we had the animal dropped off at the butcher and the skull and hide delivered to the taxidermist.
Next on the agenda: enjoy the Black Hills for a few days.
By the end of that trip, I had probably set my personal record for miles traveled while hunting in one season, and it wasn't over yet! Not even close...
My next trip took me to the Black Hills of South Dakota. This is the first time I've ever been here. Super neat country.
Mom and Dad joined me for the trip. We arrived at a a nice rental cabin and settled in for the night as I wondered what I was in for when morning arrived. I knew before applying that it was going to be a fairly easy hunt, but I was hoping it would feel like a sporting endeavor. I decided I would just take it for what it is and have a good time however it turned out.
We arose early and hit the road as the sun was coming up.
Our drive to the hunt area took us through Wind Cave National Park. We were excited to see a handful of bull bison off the side of the road along the way.
I arrived at the park and met my up with the guide for my non-trophy bison hunt. We hopped in his truck and got to it.
The hunt was fairly straightforward. We looked over some animals, I decided which bull I wanted to go after, and we made the approach. They weren't wily wilderness bison, but they didn't exactly want me getting too close either. They would typically turn tail and walk off as we approached. They also stubbornly stayed skylined for quite awhile.
After playing cat and mouse with the herd for some time, I got a clear shot at my target bull. The shot flew true and the bull went down quickly. His horns were quite a bit bigger than I expected I would find on a "non-trophy" bison. He looks like a trophy to me!
I was grateful to have the opportunity to see and handle one of these magnificent creatures up close. I also can't say enough good things about the park staff. I appreciated my guide's expertise, helpful attitude, and unhurried manner. It was a neat experience.
The rest of the day was spent taking care of business. By late afternoon, we had the animal dropped off at the butcher and the skull and hide delivered to the taxidermist.
Next on the agenda: enjoy the Black Hills for a few days.
CPAjeff
Well-known member
Congrats!
Valley1320
Well-known member
That's cool!
Here are a few more photos from the trip.
Bison on the range:
Sizing them up:
A cool photo on the wall of the Mt. Rushmore visitor's center:
Saturday was a long day. I picked my meat up from the butcher and then drove home, taking a detour in Wyoming to check out a unit I've been wanting to learn more about. I had planned to grab a motel room when that was done, but ultimately decided I'd rather push through and sleep in my own bed.
I ended up with about 330 lbs of meat. Getting it out of the coolers and down to the basement was quite a chore by itself. It was about midnight when I finally finished that task.
The aftermath:
It's been an unforgettable fall, and I'm very grateful for everything I got to do and the meat that I'll be enjoying for the next year at least. That being said, I'm exhausted. It's been nonstop since mid-September. Every moment not spent hunting has been spent taking care of my obligations at work and at home so I can clear the schedule for the next trip. One puzzle I am still trying to figure out is what the optimal "hunt-life" balance looks like. If I overdo, it starts to feel more like work and less like fun. I am going to take it easier the next few weeks.
Next up: the Utah swan hunt. They should be here in good numbers soon. Wish me luck!
Bison on the range:
Sizing them up:
A cool photo on the wall of the Mt. Rushmore visitor's center:
Saturday was a long day. I picked my meat up from the butcher and then drove home, taking a detour in Wyoming to check out a unit I've been wanting to learn more about. I had planned to grab a motel room when that was done, but ultimately decided I'd rather push through and sleep in my own bed.
I ended up with about 330 lbs of meat. Getting it out of the coolers and down to the basement was quite a chore by itself. It was about midnight when I finally finished that task.
The aftermath:
It's been an unforgettable fall, and I'm very grateful for everything I got to do and the meat that I'll be enjoying for the next year at least. That being said, I'm exhausted. It's been nonstop since mid-September. Every moment not spent hunting has been spent taking care of my obligations at work and at home so I can clear the schedule for the next trip. One puzzle I am still trying to figure out is what the optimal "hunt-life" balance looks like. If I overdo, it starts to feel more like work and less like fun. I am going to take it easier the next few weeks.
Next up: the Utah swan hunt. They should be here in good numbers soon. Wish me luck!
