After a buddy backed out on our planned OTC Colorado elk hunt I quickly put in for the Wyoming antelope draw. I was successful drawing my 2nd choice tag and quickly reached out to a bunch of ranches in the unit. I heard back from 6 of them and settled on 3. Ranch 1 had the most land at roughly 30,000 acres and they were letting me camp on the ranch. Cost $100. Ranch 2 bordered ranch 1 and the cost was a roll of barb wire. Ranch 3 was on other side of the unit and they didn’t charge anything.
I planned to arrive Saturday but a coworker offered to switch days with me so at 2am Friday morning I headed west. Unfortunately I only made it 20 miles before I had to turn around and head back home. I forgot my license. Oops!
I arrived in my unit and decided to set up on some blm for the night since i was a day early. Found a spot up high (big mistake)so I had cell signal and had camp all set by 3:30 local time.
Well Friday night came with off and on pouring rain and 40+ mph wind gusts. Lightning crashing all around. Real hard to even think about sleep when lightning is striking and your aluminum tent pole is the highest thing in the area. Add the tent sounding like it is about to rip apart and it makes for a long night. *side note* that Cabelas Lodge tent held up to the abuse.
Next morning I called ranch 2 and left a message and then called ranch 1. After speaking to the rancher I headed down to the ranch. Rancher told me to go break down camp and find him when I get back. So with that I went and broke down my Camp and moved it to the ranch. Ranch isnran by two brothers and the other brother told me get set up and we’d go find some antelope. I was not expecting to be guided. But after i was set up I jumped in the ranch truck and off we went. We found a small herd of antelope pretty quickly and i put two stalks on them but they wanted no part in that. So around 11:30 we headed back to the ranch with the plan that after lunch we would go find some different antelope to chase. After lunch we headed to a different pasture and driving in saw a solo buck standing there watching us. 119 yards and he fell dead where he stood. 1:33pm and I was done hunting. Kinda upset my hunt ended so quick but also relieved because snow is in the forecast I quickly run him up to the processor. Told Tuesday morning it would be ready. Great, snow comes Wednesday. I head back to the ranch and tell the rancher that my meat won’t be ready til Tuesday so he offers to let me stay until then. Other option was pack up and move to blm somewhere and find something to do.
Sunday morning the ranch was vaccinating calves and then moving the heard to another pasture. So I got to see how they separate the calves from their mothers, vaccinate, and then load them up and move them. I tried to help where I could but I know I was probably more in the way than anything. After cattle was done I was invited in for lasagna for lunch. Then after lunch rancher sent me out to shoot prairie dogs.
Now today I am headed up to Rapid City with the rancher to get a load of irrigation pipe. Tomorrow I’ll head for home.
This has been such a fun trip. I am looking forward to coming back next year. Already told the rancher next year we are gonna inventory all the goats before I shoot one.
I know guys say all the time they’d never pay for access but for $100 I got a lifetime of memories and a awesome story to tell.
I planned to arrive Saturday but a coworker offered to switch days with me so at 2am Friday morning I headed west. Unfortunately I only made it 20 miles before I had to turn around and head back home. I forgot my license. Oops!
I arrived in my unit and decided to set up on some blm for the night since i was a day early. Found a spot up high (big mistake)so I had cell signal and had camp all set by 3:30 local time.
Well Friday night came with off and on pouring rain and 40+ mph wind gusts. Lightning crashing all around. Real hard to even think about sleep when lightning is striking and your aluminum tent pole is the highest thing in the area. Add the tent sounding like it is about to rip apart and it makes for a long night. *side note* that Cabelas Lodge tent held up to the abuse.
Next morning I called ranch 2 and left a message and then called ranch 1. After speaking to the rancher I headed down to the ranch. Rancher told me to go break down camp and find him when I get back. So with that I went and broke down my Camp and moved it to the ranch. Ranch isnran by two brothers and the other brother told me get set up and we’d go find some antelope. I was not expecting to be guided. But after i was set up I jumped in the ranch truck and off we went. We found a small herd of antelope pretty quickly and i put two stalks on them but they wanted no part in that. So around 11:30 we headed back to the ranch with the plan that after lunch we would go find some different antelope to chase. After lunch we headed to a different pasture and driving in saw a solo buck standing there watching us. 119 yards and he fell dead where he stood. 1:33pm and I was done hunting. Kinda upset my hunt ended so quick but also relieved because snow is in the forecast I quickly run him up to the processor. Told Tuesday morning it would be ready. Great, snow comes Wednesday. I head back to the ranch and tell the rancher that my meat won’t be ready til Tuesday so he offers to let me stay until then. Other option was pack up and move to blm somewhere and find something to do.
Sunday morning the ranch was vaccinating calves and then moving the heard to another pasture. So I got to see how they separate the calves from their mothers, vaccinate, and then load them up and move them. I tried to help where I could but I know I was probably more in the way than anything. After cattle was done I was invited in for lasagna for lunch. Then after lunch rancher sent me out to shoot prairie dogs.
Now today I am headed up to Rapid City with the rancher to get a load of irrigation pipe. Tomorrow I’ll head for home.
This has been such a fun trip. I am looking forward to coming back next year. Already told the rancher next year we are gonna inventory all the goats before I shoot one.
I know guys say all the time they’d never pay for access but for $100 I got a lifetime of memories and a awesome story to tell.
