Colorado Pronghorn 2018 - Hunting and Fishing Road trip with the (non-hunting) wife

[appmtnhntr]

Obviously I've got lots and lots and lots more pics, but these mostly tell the story.

We had a great time. Wish I was on my way back for 1st rifle!

 

[JohnCushman]

Sounds like you had fun!

 

[vanish]

Good story.

 

[elkrchr]

Great story. Sounds like you and your wife had a blast in CO. CO doe antelope beware in 2019!

 

[FLMIKE]

Great story. Thanks for sharing

 

[fallfreak]

Great story. Thanks for sharing. Now that you have the pronghorn bug you might want to by a point in WY. I think you have till the end of Oct. to do so.

 

[spinal tap]

Great story! I applaud your determination with the muzzleloader. Hope you punch a tag with it next year.

 

[Whiptail]

Looks like fun.

Subaru needs to put their drivetrain into a small truck, like a 1980's Toyota.

 

[appmtnhntr]

UPDATE... the Musket does actually kill stuff!!!!!

So, after all the trials and tribulations I had with that smokepole on CO, I told the wife I was gonna hunt with it here until I killed something with those open sights.

Well I didn't have to wait long...

Left home at 3:45 Saturday pointed toward a trailhead in the mountains about 105 miles away. Pisgah National Forest early blackpowder on the Appalachian trail...
The last 10 miles are single lane and dirt roads, so I finally got packed and headed in at 7.

Trailhead is at 3,800', and decent hunting starts on the natural balds that start around 5,000', which is a 1.6-mile slog up an old wagon trail.

Made it to my starting point at 8:06 and snapped a pic. Always pretty when the fog looks like lakes in the valley.

I was soaked. Only running a base t-shirt, but it was 59* and 100% humidity for that pissy climb.
Ditched the boots at the car and wore my Chacos all day.

Hunting all around, and finally started getting on a little feed around 4,900'. I was right at 4 miles per onX when I bumped 4 does. All stood still at 175, but I didn't want to take a poke with the irons...
Pretty country.

Slipped around the knob and hit the Appalachian trail for a little snack and some water and a little convo with some thru-hikers from Miss.

Made it about another half mile and sat down on the side of the mountain in a nasty little holler with a craggy boulder field.
Heard some racket, looked down the hill, and here comes a big solo doe up the mountain feeding at 80 yards.
She kept on coming, and I put her DRT with the musket at 35 yards. Yessssss.... Now I can put the scope back on that rifle!!!!


Shoo'd away the flies long enough to whack/hang up the quarters and get the goodies. She was even big enough to get a boneless neck roast off of, and the heart was in perfect shape. Fresh heart tacos tonight... Lost the liver to pressure damage on the high shot. Was so steep I was sitting on my rump and using my foot as the bipod...weird entry angle. Lost about 4" of backstrap on both sides.

Brush on the bald was too tough to climb over under the load, so I had to backtrack 200' in elevation to get back on the AT and headed to the car, which was 1.45 miles as the crow flies, but right at 3miles following the ridges and trails back down the drainage to my car...
But, what a gorgeous spot to take a load off...


Rain started about halfway back to the car and followed me to the gate before stopping.
Got loaded up and left trailhead at 430. Went over the mountain and down the valley to see my parents for a few minutes and load up on ice.
Finally made it back home at 9.

Total round trip to go up and get her was 7.82 miles and 2,200' total elevation gain for the day.

She was a heifer... this is a S&W M&P40c on her ham...

Meat box

Balds

Chaco Doe

Linville Gorge Wilderness Area
So even though I didn't get a goat, at least now I got plenty of fresh meat between the hog from Wednesday and this doe...

 

[appmtnhntr]

Great story. Thanks for sharing. Now that you have the pronghorn bug you might want to by a point in WY. I think you have till the end of Oct. to do so.

Oh yeah. Our new "plan" is to always have points in Colorado and WY. If we start going every 3 years or so. I'll have 5-6 points in either state when we want to go hunting. We'll just flip flop where we go.

 

[spinal tap]

Well done - congrats!