A WY Pronghorn Tale

[CouesKelly]

Here is the story of my Wyoming pronghorn hunt. I regret not taking more photos along the way.

I only had 1 point, so I put in for what I thought would be a gamble. I put in for a mid-tier unit that had crept up to a 10pt regular and 6pt special last year. With the price increase this year I thought there might be some hope that the random odds in the special would improve enough to give me a chance at a tag. Results came out and my bet paid off. Now I had a very expensive tag that I was hoping would be worth it!

 

[CouesKelly]

I have previously experienced rifle season on public land in Wyoming and felt that I would like to try archery season for the reduced pressure and hopefully less skiddish goats. I made a plan to hunt the archery opener and escouted some spots I could set a blind on water and some spots I could do some spot and stalk.

 

[CouesKelly]

With my plan in place, I packed up my truck and headed out on my 17 hr drive the day before opener. I set up "camp" at my hotel. It was about a 40 min drive to the unit from the hotel but it sure was nice to have a shower and a nice comfy bed!

 

[CouesKelly]

Opening morning I headed out with the plan to spot and stalk in one of the walk in areas first. About 20 min in I spotted my first group. 5 does and one buck. Wow that sure was fast! I spent a little time sizing up the buck and since he was the first I spotted, I tried not to let myself make him bigger in my mind than he actually was. He was a small buck and I was really hoping for something a little bigger. I made myself move on and keep looking for a bigger buck.

I drove down the road a little more and found a solo buck. This buck was larger and one I would have been happy with. He was feeding down a small depression and had a small hill to his left side. I hurried to skirt around the hill unseen hoping to pop over where I thought he would be. Once I got to a spot I felt would be close, I slowly creeped up the hill and once I got toward the top started crawling to stay out of sight. I snuck a peak to see if I could see him and he instantly busted me at 100 yards! He just watched me for a bit and then must have decided I was a stinky human and then trotted off.

 

[CouesKelly]

I didn't really expect the last stalk to work out so I just kind of laughed and moved on happy to just be out chasing critters. On to the next one!
I moved on out of the walk in area and down the road to some BLM. After glassing around a bit I turned up a decent buck with 3 does. The last stalk felt pretty rushed so I told my self to slow it down. There was no good direct stalk so I took the long way around. I went up the road a bit and out of sight. Walked all the way around and behind where they were last. I peaked down to where I last saw them and they were gone! There was another hill nearby so I creeped over there to glass over it to see if I could see where they went. I peaked over and they were about 200 yards away with no real approach without getting busted.... I waited a while to see if they would feed back my way but no luck. They kept feeding in the other direction. I was out of luck again but my spirits were high. I was getting into a ton of action in just the first few hours of the day!

 

[WNC2500]

Good luck @CouesKelly! Following this one.

 

[jvanhoy]

Following! Good luck!

 

[duckhunt]

Awsome stuff

 

[CouesKelly]

Back in the truck and driving down the road..... and there is a buck standing in the road starting at the truck about 200 yards away. He kinda caught me off guard... what do I do? I stop for a minute to get the binos on him and he is huge! Super tall with good prongs. I don't really know what to do in this situation since heis staring right at the truck so I just drive forward slowly to see what he does. Dude let me get to 20 yards just starting down the truck. Well shit... should I just get out and shoot him? He had moved to just off the side of the road so I grabbed my bow and got out. As I walked around the truck he trotted off a little bit and stopped just out of range. I just had to laugh... not a situation I expected. I finally got my brain in gear and decided to drive down the road a bit and then double back on him. I had a small rise that gave me some cover. He let me crawl into about 80 yards before taking off for good. Getting closer in range! On to the next.

 

[CouesKelly]

A little further down the road there is a nice pull off for the oil equipment out there. I pull in to there and set up my tripod and 18x binos to glass for a bit. As I am glassing one of the oil workers pulls up to check on the equipment and we have a nice chat. He says that this is a great spot and kind of like a corridor that the deer and antelope come through to access the water on the other side of the road. He says I'm crazy for chasing after them spot and stalk and need to be on water. I let him know that is my plan for the next day, but I wanted to see the unit and have some fun chasing before sitting in a blind all day. Nice guy and was thankful for the info and chat. I spot a group of does and decent buck a little ways out and pack up my glass before attempting another stalk.

 

[CouesKelly]

This was a longer stalk with quite a bit of topography so I dropped out of sight and was able to get to a spot where thought I would be able to send them when I peaked over but where they were last they may still be a little further out. I just wanted to peak over to verify location and plan my next move. I peak over and I see the top of a doe's ears... really close! I had to peak up a little higher to get a range, but she was at 40 yards! I slowly lower back down just barely out of sight. I wait. I only saw a doe and I know there are a few more plus the buck that are not visible. After a few minutes they feed further up towards me. I can see the top of the buck's horns a little further out. There are at least 2 does in between me and him. Next I get made by a doe. She spooks a little snorts and runs a few yards away. I pop up ready to shoot since I have been made but the but is behind the does with no clear shot. They stay for a moment but then take off. 40 yards! That's the closest I have been yet.

 

[Pucky Freak]

You’re having too much fun to stop and take pictures

 

[CouesKelly]

It's getting hotter out and I am starting to see less activity. I go for a drive and head for my scouted water hole on blm across the unit. I saw lots of does and fawns and a few bucks on my drive but no good stalk opportunities. Plus I needed a little break after the action packed morning. I get to the water hole and it looks good. A lot of cattle in the area. I don't see any antelope while I am in there but there are tacks on the water. I range it out and find a flat spot to set up my blind where the longest shot if they are drinking would be 55 yards. I staked the blind down really well incase any of those famous wyoming wind gusts wanted to come through. The plan was set for the next day to sit.

 

[CouesKelly]

You’re having too much fun to stop and take pictures

It really was like that!

 

[CouesKelly]

The rest of the afternoon was pretty slow so I cruised the county roads around the unit and got to know my way around. As soon as I thought about making my way back to town for the day I spot a big buck bedded in the wide open. With some steeper hills behind him I stopped the truck a little fast I'd admit to get the binos on him for a good look. I definitely surprised him too because he got up and ran up the hill behind him rather quickly. I think oh well and keep driving down the road but the road curves around to the backside of the hills he just went up so I though what the heck I'll see if I can intercept him. I grab the bow and run up the hill. He is definitely not there. I look around and figure he must have left the vicinity. When I get back to the truck I drive back to where I spotted him the first time to see if I can see him from that perspective. I don't see him so I drive down a little further to where I can turn around and head out. As I am about to take a u turn I spothim at the top of the tallest peak staring down at me. Smart goat he wins this one.

 

[Wallydeuce]

The rest of the afternoon was pretty slow so I cruised the county roads around the unit and got to know my way around. As soon as I thought about making my way back to town for the day I spot a big buck bedded in the wide open. With some steeper hills behind him I stopped the truck a little fast I'd admit to get the binos on him for a good look. I definitely surprised him too because he got up and ran up the hill behind him rather quickly. I think oh well and keep driving down the road but the road curves around to the backside of the hills he just went up so I though what the heck I'll see if I can intercept him. I grab the bow and run up the hill. He is definitely not there. I look around and figure he must have left the vicinity. When I get back to the truck I drive back to where I spotted him the first time to see if I can see him from that perspective. I don't see him so I drive down a little further to where I can turn around and head out. As I am about to take a u turn I spothim at the top of the tallest peak staring down at me. Smart goat he wins this one.

Heh heh...anybody who knows Kelly has no doubt what's about to happen!

Loving the story pal!

 

[Valley1320]

Following! Loving it so far!

 

[Bowmannate2000]

Impatiently following

 

[RunNGunSC]

Following, heck of a fun hunt already

 

[CouesKelly]

Morning of day 2 it took a little longer to get out to the blind than I thought it would. The sun was starting to rise and antelope were already out feeding as I drove to my little water hole. I parked the truck out of sight and took the short walk to the blind. Now to sit and wait. Lots of doubts in my mind on whether or not there was even a buck in this area. I didn't see any antelope in the time I was there the day before. What if I was wasting my time here? What if all the antelope get spooked by the new appearance of the blind? Only one way to find out. Sit and wait and see what comes in.

The first group came in around 8am. A doe and two fawns. They drank for a bit and the two young ones were awfully cute!

Next a group of two does with a fawn each.

A little while later a single fawn.- mom must have waited out of sight from my view In the blind.

Next more does.

Again more does.

What is this place the nursery?