Tips for a Disabled Hunter in WY

[oilcan]

I just hope when I’m older and can’t get around there’s someone as caring as you who takes the time to tag along.

 

[Kevin W]

Thanks for taking us along NEWHunter!!! What you experienced was a true trophy hunt!!!!

 

[cahunter805]

Awesome! Congrats to your dad and you for another great hunt and adventure.
Now it’s your turn to fill some tags!

 

[Muskeez]

Great persistence! Proud of both of you, very cool story with a cool looking buck, looks like good curls!

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

Great read. Congrats to your dad!

 

[kansasdad]

Time for some KC and the Sunshine Band.........ooooo, that's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it, uh huh, uh huh, that's the way uh huh ah huh, I like it.

Congratulations to you and dad.

 

[oleefish2]

Way to go and I hope it makes your dad say lets go again.

 

[wytex]

Well that brought a tear to my eye. Congrats on helping him and getting it done. Hope you have safe travels home .

 

[Pucky Freak]

Way to stick with it. That's a great ending to your story so far. Congrats !

 

[LCH]

The best ones don't come easy! Congrats to you guys.

 

[tteel]

Congrats to you guys!

 

[Jape]

Congrats!

 

[Gut Shot]

Glad it worked out.

 

[JonathonJEB]

Congrats.

 

[NEWHunter]

Gonna be a day or two before I get to the write up. Back straps are going to taste great with a side of doe tag soup.

 

[Addicting]

Congrats!

 

[NDMuley]

Congratulations way to stick with it. I very much enjoyed reading your post.

 

[Focus]

Hot damn!! Nice job @NEWHunter !!! Way to stay with it and have a hell of a hunt!!

 

[NEWHunter]

Well, after my Dad got his antelope late on Day 3 we went back to the hotel just after dark and celebrated the occasion with Jimmy John’s. We then turned off the phone alarms and called it a day.

We got up late on Day 4 and drove the unit and decided that I’d give it heck on Day 5 and 6 and then call it a trip. At that point I wasn’t really too eager to get after it as the hunt kind of seemed made after Day 3. We left the unit in time to make it back for MNF kickoff back in the room.

The plan for Day 5 was to get up early and set up in a several hundred acre pasture that’s roughly 50/50 public/private. This was the only spot where we had seen antelope every single day. We had been seeing two bucks in there and about 20 does. I think most folks had overlooked it as the antelope seemed to be visible for a bit in the morning and would then spend the rest of the day on the backside of the ridge.

I left the truck at 6 am and was set up 15 minutes later. I started to get worried that the antelope had left the pasture overnight about 15 minutes later. There was enough light to see, but they weren’t below me as I was expecting/hoping.


The nice thing about this spot was that I could see my Dad in the truck about 2/3 of a mile away. I checked in his direction and he was indicating he could see antelope. So I waited and I waited. But if he could see the antelope from the road, so could others. I was concerned somebody might come along and goof up the set up, so I decided to make a move about 300 yards up around the side of the ridge which would allow me to potentially see the lopes. Well, I made it 100 yards before the lead doe showed up. I’m in the open with zero cover. So I set up for a 250 yard shot off my bipod. Wait and hope.

The herd kept coming and the bigger of the two bucks was at the back. He was quartering to me moving right to left. I took the shot and heard the impact. They took off.

I ran up the couple hundred yards and peeked around the ridge. I couldn’t see an antelope. My dad was signaling he could see him. More looking. I spotted him 350 yards away, alone, with his head down. Unfortunately he was 100 yards on the wrong side of the line. I was sick.

So we waited and waited. 2 hours later he hadn’t moved. Then he turned and I could see that I missed my point of aim and hit him through the brisket and took out his right front leg. Not immediately fatal. When I met the warden a couple days earlier I had asked him about this same situation.

I made the call and explained the situation. He said he’d head in my direction, make a call, and get back to me. Ten minutes later he called back and said “you’ve got the go ahead to do what you need to do.” Relieved doesn’t describe my feeling at that point. He arrived and confirmed the antelope was not well and could clearly see me sitting square on the public land. The only problem was that the buck had now wandered out to 500 yards and there was nothing between me and him but an open hillside.

I started to slowly scoot down the hill but the buck didn’t like that. He started moving off, quartering in my direction. As soon as he disappeared behind the ridge I took off. 300 yards later I peeked over the ridge - no antelope. He should have been there right below me. I start looking frantically for him. Nothing. Then I saw the tips of his horns moving north. I took off running again - paralleling him north. He moved through the next bowl by the time I crested the ridge. I kept running the 400 yards to the next ridge crest and peeked over.

I could see a does’ head. I scanned right and I saw him. I took a step back, set the sticks, and then eased up. He was still looking at me and I kew he was inside 200 yds. I squeezed. He dropped. The herd ran by at 30 yards.


We were done. I was relieved. I wish I had done better. Everything worked out, but as always, not in the way we had hoped or planned. My Dad was able to see most of this play out from the truck and even participate a bit which was nice and an unexpected bonus.

The warden and the landowner will be getting some thank yous here shortly.

 

[Cheese Curd]

That's a nice one. Congrats!