Checked off another unit on my quest to hunt a different antelope unit annually. This year brought a stroke of luck and drew a tag in central WY. Scouted a few times in August and early September, found a few slices of public that held numbers and a lot that seemed like a bust. Made a plan and waited for season to open.
Season opened and found my self starting a new job the same week, so vacation would have to wait a few weeks. Still federal, just had to wait until after in processing to burn credit time. Few weeks after the opener I had camp set up and off I went to the places I previously scouted.
I never expected to see so many side by sides and pick ups cruising BLM and State ground. All the places I had hiked into were over ran with deer and antelope hunters that never left their trucks, just a continuous cycle of pushing game around.
Plan B kicked in and focused souly on walk-in areas for the rest of the first day. Found a ton of antelope hidden a few miles into walk in only and marked them for the next day.
The second day I made my way into the walk in early and wouldn't you know it, a truck driving through the walk in. A little discouraged but decided to stop and watch the knucklehead, either they got nervous someone was watching them or their conscious got the best of them because they turned and went back to the road. So I moved on deeper in the walk in. The antelope hadn't moved from the previous day.
Dropped my pack and made my way around 1/4 mile down a little cut out and crawled to the peak of the hill. Busted. They were a lot closer than anticipated. I sat down and just watched,ost moved off the walk in and into the BLM where a truck was already moving towards the heard.
I watched as the truck pushed the heard right back on the walk in and very close to where I was. I moved slightly down the cut out and set up. Had my pick of several dozen bucks anywhere from 250 to 150 yards. None were big but picked out a decent one that was close and clear. One shot from the ol 7mm-HT and it was over, didn't go 20.
Quartered him up and packed him out a little over 2 miles as the crow fly. Backstrap and an ice cold Bush Latte for dinner. Still had a few days off so I took the pup out to look for grouse and drove over to fish the mile. No grouse were hurt but did get in some good training for the pup, caught a few fish too. Was hopeful the big browns moved in but too early. Still a lot of fun.
Made it back to Cheyenne before the weather turned. Got the buck processed and packaged, cut steaks and made the rest into sweet Italian sausage as usual with my antelope. The stuff is flat out delicious.
Overall it was a wonderful few days, short stay but much needed. Saw a ton of different game including an absolute jaw dropper of a bull. This was a unit with a lot of public, but not one I'll mark down as a must return too. Onto late season elk and chasing whitetails in the rut.
Season opened and found my self starting a new job the same week, so vacation would have to wait a few weeks. Still federal, just had to wait until after in processing to burn credit time. Few weeks after the opener I had camp set up and off I went to the places I previously scouted.
I never expected to see so many side by sides and pick ups cruising BLM and State ground. All the places I had hiked into were over ran with deer and antelope hunters that never left their trucks, just a continuous cycle of pushing game around.
Plan B kicked in and focused souly on walk-in areas for the rest of the first day. Found a ton of antelope hidden a few miles into walk in only and marked them for the next day.
The second day I made my way into the walk in early and wouldn't you know it, a truck driving through the walk in. A little discouraged but decided to stop and watch the knucklehead, either they got nervous someone was watching them or their conscious got the best of them because they turned and went back to the road. So I moved on deeper in the walk in. The antelope hadn't moved from the previous day.
Dropped my pack and made my way around 1/4 mile down a little cut out and crawled to the peak of the hill. Busted. They were a lot closer than anticipated. I sat down and just watched,ost moved off the walk in and into the BLM where a truck was already moving towards the heard.
I watched as the truck pushed the heard right back on the walk in and very close to where I was. I moved slightly down the cut out and set up. Had my pick of several dozen bucks anywhere from 250 to 150 yards. None were big but picked out a decent one that was close and clear. One shot from the ol 7mm-HT and it was over, didn't go 20.
Quartered him up and packed him out a little over 2 miles as the crow fly. Backstrap and an ice cold Bush Latte for dinner. Still had a few days off so I took the pup out to look for grouse and drove over to fish the mile. No grouse were hurt but did get in some good training for the pup, caught a few fish too. Was hopeful the big browns moved in but too early. Still a lot of fun.
Made it back to Cheyenne before the weather turned. Got the buck processed and packaged, cut steaks and made the rest into sweet Italian sausage as usual with my antelope. The stuff is flat out delicious.
Overall it was a wonderful few days, short stay but much needed. Saw a ton of different game including an absolute jaw dropper of a bull. This was a unit with a lot of public, but not one I'll mark down as a must return too. Onto late season elk and chasing whitetails in the rut.
