NV 021/022

[birdman27]

Hello everyone. I managed, as a non-resident, to pull this tag this year! I grew up in Reno, so I have a general idea of the area, but haven't lived there for 15 years, so will be slightly blind. I have a family friend in the area who is going to do some research and I also plan to make a trip up there this summer to poke around, but with family and job obligations, scouting time will be limited. I also can't go opening weekend, so am hoping later in the season will be good as well. I was just wondering if anyone had any info they would be willing to share, even if it is relatively generic. I pulled the sheet from NDOW and have tried scouring the internet, but not much on there (I did find this thread from last year; unfortunately, not much info).

Anyways, regardless of what happens, I am happy I get to go putz around my old stomping grounds and look for an antelope with my dad and my best friend.

On another note, if anyone can suggest a taxidermist in Reno, that would be much appreciated. I dont want to count my chickens too early, but my wife requested a shoulder mount if I do get one .

Cheers and beers

 

[p_ham]

Wildlife Revolutions does great work.
Good luck on your tag!

 

[David Gough]

Wildlife Revolutions does great work.
Good luck on your tag!

Second for wildlife revolutions. Pronghorn will be on either side of Winnemucca Ranch Road and ENE of the shooting range.

 

[birdman27]

Second for wildlife revolutions. Pronghorn will be on either side of Winnemucca Ranch Road and ENE of the shooting range.

Wildlife Revolutions does great work.
Good luck on your tag!

Much appreciated!

 

[eshunt]

I pulled this tag as well. I'll be out scouting a bit since its so close to home for me. When are you looking at coming around to scout?

I've used Wildlife Revolutions in the past and had good experience with them. Lately I have been using Animal Artistry, my wife's antelope from 2021 was done there.

 

[birdman27]

I pulled this tag as well. I'll be out scouting a bit since its so close to home for me. When are you looking at coming around to scout?

I've used Wildlife Revolutions in the past and had good experience with them. Lately I have been using Animal Artistry, my wife's antelope from 2021 was done there.

Thanks for the info. Not sure when I will be able to come up and scout. Need to figure out work schedules. We have a bunch of people to come visit too. It will either be later this month, or sometime in July.

 

[David Gough]

Thanks for the info. Not sure when I will be able to come up and scout. Need to figure out work schedules. We have a bunch of people to come visit too. It will either be later this month, or sometime in July.

Any scouting pictures yet?

 

[bigjoe018]

There are usually a few herds behind the baseball fields on vista.

 

[birdman27]

Any scouting pictures yet?

No, haven't made it up yet. The plan is for the weekend of 7/8.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Greg Koehl did several mounts for me 30 some years ago. Very good work.

Koehl's Taxidermy Studio – Award Winning Taxidermist

 

[birdman27]

I was able to make it up this past weekend, though due to family obligations I was only able to get out for about 3 hours.

Pronghorn will be on either side of Winnemucca Ranch Road and ENE of the shooting range.

I took your advice and cruised up Winnemucca Ranch Road. Mostly looking for access and places I want to check out more. Everything was really green still. I saw a lot of nope-a-lopes, but no antelopes. I have a lot more country I want to focus on. Looks like I will make it up for the second week of the season and have 4.5 days to hunt. Hopefully I can find a representative animal and get it done. I really enjoy that country, so it will be a great time regardless.

 

[birdman27]

Well a reply for you all, since I did ask for help (and received it!). I made a bit of a journal as I went along and figured I would share it.

The hunt didn't start out great. I got sick before I headed to Reno and would continue to have a wicked sinus infection through the duration of the trip. Lots of meds and trying to take it as easy as possible while still getting after it. I missed the start of the season due to personal reasons, and in fact didn't get out there until 9 days into the season. I am not sure if this was an issue or not, but it is what happened.

I got to Reno late on the night of August 30 with plans to go out in the morning. Met up with my dad at 6:30AM and headed out to a track sent by an acquaintance. It was a little rougher than expected, but we made good progress glassing and moving. On a whim I decided to glass over to a tank right by a main road, and wouldn't ya know it, a herd of antelope were there with some wild horses. We couldn't tell the group composition, but we figured animals are a good sign and once we think we know where they are headed we dropped off and went after them. As many of you might guess, we never saw them again. But it put us on track to see a lot more lopes that day, maybe 35-40. Only problem was only one maybe barely legal buck amongst them. I did use one herd to practice my stalking and felt pretty good moving forward. We saw a lot of good country and had an idea for where to start the next day.

Day 2 started same time. We went and I walked above the tank while my dad went to glass on another knob. No animals were spotted, but I had a nice (slow, with labored breathing) hike. We continued on to some of the places we had seen animals the day before and saw more, but again no legal bucks. I was having fun watching them though and saw some really cool sights, including the rock below. Such neat animals. That afternoon, we decided to drive some new roads and check out new country. The weather turned cold and rainy, and I was under prepared, so we ended the day kind of early. To be honest, I felt like shit and wasn't sure if the next hunting day, already decided to be my last, would happen. However, I made it back to Reno, got clean and warm, ate a good meal made by my best friend and decided I could do it again.

Saturday (day 3), my dad drove to where I was staying with my friend and we loaded up. It was the two of us, plus my friend (a complete non-hunter) decided to join us at the last minute. The weather was still cool and drizzly, but I was prepared now. I decided to check out a new area suggested by another tagholder (eshunt) farther north. We got up there and stopped to glass and get ready. We spotted antelope immediately and determined there were horns. Then my friend found another group with an even bigger buck in the same area. Game on. He stayed to spot, while my dad drove me farther up until I found a wash in the bottom to follow in a ways. The general area was a large bottom maybe 3-400 yards wide, ending in a series of steps maybe 100 yards wide and 10 or so tall. I worked in until the wash ended, then tried to decide what to do. I had lost the bigger buck, but was still seeing the first group. It looked like if I could hustle across some open ground I could use the step as cover to get closer. So I went for it. Of course, half way across I look back toward the truck and the other herd is 300 yards out and moving away. I keep that in the back of my mind as the next play if my current stalk fails. I get up to the first step and see the lopes moving away onto the second one. I take a bearing and head after them. Again, they are moving onto the next step as I get in position. I follow one more time, since they aren't spooked, just moving, and get set up. I glass to make sure I have a legal buck, then get into position. After a number of calming breaths, I take my shot. I immediately see 2 animals take off. I stand up and see my buck on the ground, dropped in the spot. He isn't huge, but it couldn't have worked out any better (and saved me on a taxidermy bill right now). Made a good stalk and I got to have my dad and best friend watch it all. We were able to get the truck in to 200 yards away, so easy pack out too.



A few things I learned on this trip:
Spotting scopes are a huge help. Didn't have one the first day and couldn't always tell what we had.
Hunting sick sucks. So much harder to do the things you want to do.
I don't think I am a very good hunter. I am fine at killing things, given the opportunity. I enjoy the planning and the idea. But, I get far too easily discouraged and I have trouble doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. I lack patience. This is the longest it has taken me to get an animal on a hunt, and at 3 days I was almost over it already.
This community, and the wider hunting community, is really awesome. People really helped me out with scouting and intel when I couldn't put in the time myself, especially @eshunt (who got his own beautiful buck).
Antelope might be my favorite animals to watch. They are gorgeous and really interesting in their group dynamics.

Anyways, thanks for reading my wall of text. Can't wait to do it all over again sometime.

 

[Scott85]

Congrats!!

 

[BradA]

Congratulations

 

[kansasdad]

Nice adventure @birdman27

I used to think that sinus infections were about equal to your everyday standard cold. They can really kick your butt.

 

[birdman27]

Nice adventure @birdman27

I used to think that sinus infections were about equal to your everyday standard cold. They can really kick your butt.

Kicked my ass and I am still feeling the lingering effects.