Shirley Basin

We actually drove through , or along , about 4 different areas so I should clarify that buck may not be in area 47.
I did, however, see more of 47 than the other areas.

Anyone out here in the area, The Central Wyoming Machinegun and Cannon Shoot is going on this weekend. Some interesting rifles and pistols to shoot.
Full auto, baby !
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Didn't see these in action though. Two , 12 pounders showed up as we left. Those brass beauties would be awesome to see fire.
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One of my favorite spots to fish took me out through the Shirley Basin. Love that place.
 
I'd love to get that tag again. Wish we could have really hunted the unit when we had the tag back in 2017 but weather and a problem at home I had to return for made us change from being picky to filling our tags.
 
I use to work and live in area 47 and it is a great trophy area. I never got a book buck but missed it 2 times by less than 1/2 a point.
 
I just spent a couple of weeks documenting and trapping golden eagles there. I was amazed at the number and quality of animals there. The landowner told me I was welcome anytime I wanted to come back. I was excited until gohunt told me I would need 6 points (3 special) to draw the tag...If I were waiting that long, it would be worth it. There is some crazy history in that area as well.
 
@406LIFE a good friend of mine was antelope hunting the basin and watched a golden eagle run an antelope doe for miles (he was glassing) before she tipped over and became dinner.
I believe it. I have not see a GE take down an antelope, but I 've seen them feed on recent kills that were likely killed by the eagle. They are simply incredible predators. Highly intelligent and extremely capable, like wolves with wings.

Some day, if FWS deems me eligible, and if I have a sponsor, and if I am one of the 20 of 400 applicants that get drawn, and if we can document a kill, and if I am high enough on the list, and if I we trap a bird, and if it is a passage eagle...I will fly one.
 
I believe it. I have not see a GE take down an antelope, but I 've seen them feed on recent kills that were likely killed by the eagle. They are simply incredible predators. Highly intelligent and extremely capable, like wolves with wings.

Some day, if FWS deems me eligible, and if I have a sponsor, and if I am one of the 20 of 400 applicants that get drawn, and if we can document a kill, and if I am high enough on the list, and if I we trap a bird, and if it is a passage eagle...I will fly one.
They are an amazing bird. I watched one try to smoke a mule deer fawn on the lower Imnaha River once. Never seen a fawn run that fast.....
 
I just spent a couple of weeks documenting and trapping golden eagles there. I was amazed at the number and quality of animals there. The landowner told me I was welcome anytime I wanted to come back. I was excited until gohunt told me I would need 6 points (3 special) to draw the tag...If I were waiting that long, it would be worth it. There is some crazy history in that area as well.
How long ago ? Spouse did a lot of black footed ferret work in the Basin many years ago.
We have a BIG piece of black jade form the Basin , look down every once in a while when you're out hunting there.
 
Great pics wytex, can't wait to head west this fall as I need to get the heck away for a while. What do you guys think this
buck will score ? I am working on my scoring skills for this falls hunt. I would guess lower to mid 70's, am I close. Pat
 
I have consistently proven I am terrible at judging score on the hoof. He looks like he needs more length under the prongs and mass is ok. Prongs look great but not huge.
Your estimate looks about right to me.
Best we saw that day by far though.
 
I saw a golden eagle kill a pronghorn in Shirley basin, only time I've seen that happen.

Was in late December, December 22nd specifically.

I saw a pronghorn sort of walking funny and something flapping around "behind" it that looked odd. It was a golden eagle trying to maintain its balance on the back/side of the pronghorn and it was ripping a hole in the back of it. I mean that bird was getting with the program and the pronghorn was trying to throw the bird off its back with no success. When I pulled closer the eagle flew off a short ways and the pronghorn started to walk slowly away...took this picture:

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You can see the blood running down the side if you look closely and the hole in the pronghorns back about mid-ship. I drove up the road to look at some other country and came back about 20 minutes later and about 30 yards from where the picture was taken was the golden eagle feeding on that now very dead pronghorn. I have to say, it was pretty brutal for that pronghorn, but also fascinating to see a bird kill a larger animal like that. I suspect the eagle ripped through the back and eventually caught an artery or enough of the lungs to kill it.

I don't know, but I would have to think that golden eagles kill small fawns about this time of year pretty regularly.
 
I’ve never actually watched it happen but I’ve found a golden eagle feeding on a freshly killed antelope with wounds up and down the spine like Buzz described. I did watch an eagle dive bombing mountain goat kids once but he never connected on them.
 
How long ago ? Spouse did a lot of black footed ferret work in the Basin many years ago.
We have a BIG piece of black jade form the Basin , look down every once in a while when you're out hunting there.
Last month.
 
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