Rackmastr
Well-known member
Figured this was worth sitting down and typing out a bit of a story to share the experience we had this past week with my wife and my Dad. We lived in Alberta for several years and recently in the past 5 years moved to BC to hunt some more mountain game. We continued to build priority points in Alberta after we moved. My wife has been hunting since we started to date and has been lucky to shoot a few deer, a nice bull elk, a black bear and a bighorn ram in a late season hunt. After 12 years of applying in Alberta, she had enough points to draw with my Dad (who could host her). Ironically, I drew with a buddy in a later season hunt this October so will be back to Alberta for that hunt in a couple weeks in a different zone down south.
Our expectations for this hunt was just to get out and get both of them a decent pronghorn since tags like this don't come along often in Alberta. Kim has 12 years of points in Wyoming and we are already planning our hunt down there in the next couple years but we wanted to try and make the most of this hunt. We packed our two girls and gave them a couple days off school. We met my Dad and Mom in Calgary and headed east. My mom was going to watch our girls while we went out and scouted.
The day before opener, we were lucky enough to locate a few bucks, including one that we had a good tip on. We found him mid afternoon and watched him at about 350 yards for about 20 minutes. Kim and I both decided this buck was well worth targeting the next morning. We had seen a handful of 70" bucks, but this guy stood out as being heavy and mature.
A few pics from scouting him. My dad and I headed out and put him to bed in the last hour of the day, with no one else to be seen in the area.
The following morning, we woke up early and headed out. We got to the road that we wanted to be at about 45 minutes before legal light, with no other trucks to be seen. The wind was decent and we parked in a spot that would allow us to sneak in about 300 yards to be in position. We waited until the pre-dawn light started to creep from the horizon and started hiking across the prairie. Half way there, a truck pulled down the same road we had parked on. This was one of my worst fears, as the added pressure of vehicles and competition never helps a hunt it seems. We continued on when I saw the 5 does he was with the night before off in the distance at about 400 yards.
At 300 yards, the does began to spook a bit, with no buck in sight. The truck continued on the road down to where he would likely spook anything, but we continued to hold tight.
I heard the distinct chuckle of a buck antelope and turned to see that we had walked in between him and his does. He was now trying to get back to his does and walking directly to us. Kim sat down and got into position. The buck worked towards us, stopping head-on a couple times, never presenting a 'good' shot other than a head on shot at about 160 yards. When he sensed the pressure, he trotted towards his does and never gave Kim a good opportunity. At 260 yards, he stopped and turned. Kim took a quick/rushed shot and missed. We were all pretty disheartened when the herd spooked and ran.
By now, there was 4-5 trucks in the area, all on the road and not really doing much other than maintaining positioning.
We saw another buck come into the field and the herd buck ran him off, slightly over the horizon. Both bucks were well over 350-400 yards away when they crested out of our view. I thought for sure that the report of a rifle would follow from one of the trucks on the perimeter.
We waited for about 20 minutes as does seemed to mill around at 350 yards. The bucks were nowhere to be seen, though I knew they'd be over the horizon somewhere, being watched by a few of the trucks. After 20 minutes passed, the lone buck crested the horizon, directly in line with the rising sun. It was blinding and no shot was present. Kim got ready as the buck trotted along the horizon towards the herd. As he tucked under the horizon he stopped at 270 yards. Kim took her time and made this shot count, as the buck sprinted down towards a low spot in the terrain, and the hit looked great.
The herd buck saw the buck sprint towards the herd and into a low spot and started to look for him aggressively. He was posturing and would charge towards where he last saw him and then stomp around looking for him. He was confused obviously. We made the decision that Kim should pass the rifle to Dad and see if we could get an opportunity. We crept a bit closer and when the buck circled back, he stopped at 280 yards and Dad hit him with a well placed shot in the shoulder. The buck sprinted and died not 80 yards apart from the other one. The buck Dad killed was the one that Kim had originally missed 25 minutes before. We had 2 bucks down in the first hour of the morning and sticking the plan worked! We were in the right spot in the field and even though other hunters were in the area, we stayed firm with our plan to stay in one spot and it worked out great! Two great bucks and both first bucks for my wife and Dad!
Couple pics of both the bucks....
Our expectations for this hunt was just to get out and get both of them a decent pronghorn since tags like this don't come along often in Alberta. Kim has 12 years of points in Wyoming and we are already planning our hunt down there in the next couple years but we wanted to try and make the most of this hunt. We packed our two girls and gave them a couple days off school. We met my Dad and Mom in Calgary and headed east. My mom was going to watch our girls while we went out and scouted.
The day before opener, we were lucky enough to locate a few bucks, including one that we had a good tip on. We found him mid afternoon and watched him at about 350 yards for about 20 minutes. Kim and I both decided this buck was well worth targeting the next morning. We had seen a handful of 70" bucks, but this guy stood out as being heavy and mature.
A few pics from scouting him. My dad and I headed out and put him to bed in the last hour of the day, with no one else to be seen in the area.
The following morning, we woke up early and headed out. We got to the road that we wanted to be at about 45 minutes before legal light, with no other trucks to be seen. The wind was decent and we parked in a spot that would allow us to sneak in about 300 yards to be in position. We waited until the pre-dawn light started to creep from the horizon and started hiking across the prairie. Half way there, a truck pulled down the same road we had parked on. This was one of my worst fears, as the added pressure of vehicles and competition never helps a hunt it seems. We continued on when I saw the 5 does he was with the night before off in the distance at about 400 yards.
At 300 yards, the does began to spook a bit, with no buck in sight. The truck continued on the road down to where he would likely spook anything, but we continued to hold tight.
I heard the distinct chuckle of a buck antelope and turned to see that we had walked in between him and his does. He was now trying to get back to his does and walking directly to us. Kim sat down and got into position. The buck worked towards us, stopping head-on a couple times, never presenting a 'good' shot other than a head on shot at about 160 yards. When he sensed the pressure, he trotted towards his does and never gave Kim a good opportunity. At 260 yards, he stopped and turned. Kim took a quick/rushed shot and missed. We were all pretty disheartened when the herd spooked and ran.
By now, there was 4-5 trucks in the area, all on the road and not really doing much other than maintaining positioning.
We saw another buck come into the field and the herd buck ran him off, slightly over the horizon. Both bucks were well over 350-400 yards away when they crested out of our view. I thought for sure that the report of a rifle would follow from one of the trucks on the perimeter.
We waited for about 20 minutes as does seemed to mill around at 350 yards. The bucks were nowhere to be seen, though I knew they'd be over the horizon somewhere, being watched by a few of the trucks. After 20 minutes passed, the lone buck crested the horizon, directly in line with the rising sun. It was blinding and no shot was present. Kim got ready as the buck trotted along the horizon towards the herd. As he tucked under the horizon he stopped at 270 yards. Kim took her time and made this shot count, as the buck sprinted down towards a low spot in the terrain, and the hit looked great.
The herd buck saw the buck sprint towards the herd and into a low spot and started to look for him aggressively. He was posturing and would charge towards where he last saw him and then stomp around looking for him. He was confused obviously. We made the decision that Kim should pass the rifle to Dad and see if we could get an opportunity. We crept a bit closer and when the buck circled back, he stopped at 280 yards and Dad hit him with a well placed shot in the shoulder. The buck sprinted and died not 80 yards apart from the other one. The buck Dad killed was the one that Kim had originally missed 25 minutes before. We had 2 bucks down in the first hour of the morning and sticking the plan worked! We were in the right spot in the field and even though other hunters were in the area, we stayed firm with our plan to stay in one spot and it worked out great! Two great bucks and both first bucks for my wife and Dad!
Couple pics of both the bucks....
