Bagel_7
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2017
- Messages
- 72
My story starts unconventionally with an entry into a raffle. Fast forward 30 days and I had completely forgotten I entered said raffle; until I receive an email from Havalon knives stating I was a finalist for their grand prize an all-expenses paid antelope hunt at Table Mountain Outfitters in Wyoming and a chance to appear on The Life on the Sportsman Channel. Initially I didn’t trust the email, after speaking to my wife I decided to Google the number to Havalon and ask a few questions. After my questions had been answered I concluded the email was legit and responded. After a bit of back and forth I found out the following day I had won the grand prize and they just needed to ensure I could commit 100% to the dates provided, Oct. 3rd through the 7th.
Fast forward to Oct. 3rd, I arrive at the airport in Burbank, CA check my baggage and ready myself for the flight. Once the representative from Havalon and I arrive in Casper, WY we arrange for our rental car and when we walk outside immediately we see our first group of antelope before we even make it to the rental car. This was an experience I was hoping for because many of the stories I had read on the subject said it was a common occurrence.
After a short ride we arrived in hunting camp at Table Mountain Outfitters. After meeting everyone we unpacked and other hunters began to file in; meeting the other hunters in camp was a great part of the experience and I enjoyed hearing their stories and learning about their past hunting experiences in other states. Eventually we got out to their range and I wanted to check my rifle before getting out to hunt the next morning. First thing I noticed was someone had messed with the eye relief on my rifle and I couldn’t see anything through the scope. This is when I recall TSA asking for my gun case key and now my mind is racing with images of them messing with my rifle. I slowly move the zero back to the center and the cameraman for the outfitter tells me to fire a few rounds at the 300 yard gong. I assume partly to check my abilities before the hunt and partly to see if we have corrected the zero. I proceed to fire 5 rounds at the gong with 0 hits. I’m embarrassed and slightly discouraged. The cameraman then fires off a few rounds with my rifle without success, so maybe it wasn’t me normally I’m a good shot. He then goes and gets his Legendary Arms rifle that he says is on and I put 3 in a row into the gong at 300 yards. After we talk a bit I decide I will shoot his rifle in the morning and I will sort my rifle out when I get home.
The following morning we leave with an entourage of people for my hunt, a very different experience for me. I have a limited hunting experience having started hunting only 4 years ago, and I’ve never hunted with more than 1 other person. There are 2 guides, 2 cameramen, the Havalon rep, and myself. We get to the ranch where the outfitter has a lease and immediately see a good buck in a group with some does. We pass as I do not want the hunt to be over this soon. After this we spend 3 hours glassing different groups until we see the buck my guides assure me is a quality buck for the ranch, and is on his own making him an easier stalk. We drive out of the buck’s line of sight and get into a favorable wind and make a plan. The buck is situated in the perfect location for a stalk, we were able to walk a drainage cutting through the ranch and stay out of sight the majority of the stalk in. We parked approximately 700 yards from the buck and stalk into a little over 200 yards. I get down on the guns bipod and rest my right arm on my knee. I sat there with my cross hairs on the antelope for 3 or 4 minutes as it was feeding away from us and he never presented me with a shot. As it moved out of eye sight, we got back into the drainage and closed the distance to 160 yards. But once again it was feeding away from us and I was not presented with a shot, we waited him out and after sitting with the cross hairs on the buck for minutes again he turned and gave me a quartering away shot. I slowly squeezed the trigger but with the recoil I cannot tell if I hit the antelope. Immediately the guide says great shot you hit him, and I quickly load another round out of habit. While my cross hairs have settled back on the buck he I notice he is not acting as if I hit him. He is standing still but again without presenting a good follow up shot. Eventually he begins to walk forward and stagger and after a few steps he falls. Succes, my first antelope!
As I closed the distance to examine my first antelope I tell one of the guides he looks bigger the closer we get to him. It was a great experience, but the hunt was only part of a trip I will remember forever. The people I met and the time spent not hunting really made the trip for me. This was my first time in a hunting camp, my first time in Wyoming, and my first time hunting antelope. Overall it was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. I’ve only hunted with an outfitter once before but I would recommend people consider Table Mountain Outfitters if the need ever arises. Here are a few of the pictures I’ve received so far from our very talented photographer.
Fast forward to Oct. 3rd, I arrive at the airport in Burbank, CA check my baggage and ready myself for the flight. Once the representative from Havalon and I arrive in Casper, WY we arrange for our rental car and when we walk outside immediately we see our first group of antelope before we even make it to the rental car. This was an experience I was hoping for because many of the stories I had read on the subject said it was a common occurrence.
After a short ride we arrived in hunting camp at Table Mountain Outfitters. After meeting everyone we unpacked and other hunters began to file in; meeting the other hunters in camp was a great part of the experience and I enjoyed hearing their stories and learning about their past hunting experiences in other states. Eventually we got out to their range and I wanted to check my rifle before getting out to hunt the next morning. First thing I noticed was someone had messed with the eye relief on my rifle and I couldn’t see anything through the scope. This is when I recall TSA asking for my gun case key and now my mind is racing with images of them messing with my rifle. I slowly move the zero back to the center and the cameraman for the outfitter tells me to fire a few rounds at the 300 yard gong. I assume partly to check my abilities before the hunt and partly to see if we have corrected the zero. I proceed to fire 5 rounds at the gong with 0 hits. I’m embarrassed and slightly discouraged. The cameraman then fires off a few rounds with my rifle without success, so maybe it wasn’t me normally I’m a good shot. He then goes and gets his Legendary Arms rifle that he says is on and I put 3 in a row into the gong at 300 yards. After we talk a bit I decide I will shoot his rifle in the morning and I will sort my rifle out when I get home.
The following morning we leave with an entourage of people for my hunt, a very different experience for me. I have a limited hunting experience having started hunting only 4 years ago, and I’ve never hunted with more than 1 other person. There are 2 guides, 2 cameramen, the Havalon rep, and myself. We get to the ranch where the outfitter has a lease and immediately see a good buck in a group with some does. We pass as I do not want the hunt to be over this soon. After this we spend 3 hours glassing different groups until we see the buck my guides assure me is a quality buck for the ranch, and is on his own making him an easier stalk. We drive out of the buck’s line of sight and get into a favorable wind and make a plan. The buck is situated in the perfect location for a stalk, we were able to walk a drainage cutting through the ranch and stay out of sight the majority of the stalk in. We parked approximately 700 yards from the buck and stalk into a little over 200 yards. I get down on the guns bipod and rest my right arm on my knee. I sat there with my cross hairs on the antelope for 3 or 4 minutes as it was feeding away from us and he never presented me with a shot. As it moved out of eye sight, we got back into the drainage and closed the distance to 160 yards. But once again it was feeding away from us and I was not presented with a shot, we waited him out and after sitting with the cross hairs on the buck for minutes again he turned and gave me a quartering away shot. I slowly squeezed the trigger but with the recoil I cannot tell if I hit the antelope. Immediately the guide says great shot you hit him, and I quickly load another round out of habit. While my cross hairs have settled back on the buck he I notice he is not acting as if I hit him. He is standing still but again without presenting a good follow up shot. Eventually he begins to walk forward and stagger and after a few steps he falls. Succes, my first antelope!
As I closed the distance to examine my first antelope I tell one of the guides he looks bigger the closer we get to him. It was a great experience, but the hunt was only part of a trip I will remember forever. The people I met and the time spent not hunting really made the trip for me. This was my first time in a hunting camp, my first time in Wyoming, and my first time hunting antelope. Overall it was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. I’ve only hunted with an outfitter once before but I would recommend people consider Table Mountain Outfitters if the need ever arises. Here are a few of the pictures I’ve received so far from our very talented photographer.
