WY pronghorn leftovers
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
Wyatt G
Member
Congrats on a nice buck...i would take him any day
Once again, we headed across the BLM flat, covering the 400 yards that started the toe of the ridges where this buck liked to hide. This time, I would take a gamble. The wind was now chucking along at a good clip. I only wanted a straight upwind or downwind shot. The best cover and the route that would take me right above the marker of where he bedded would require an approach from upwind.
I don't like coming in from upwind on most species. Yet, absent a herd of does, you can often get by with it on a single antelope buck. And, if I blew it, he would again trot out into the more open country on the private where I could keep an eye on him. If I pushed him further into the BLM, he could easily get lost in those cuts and coulees and stay there for days on end. I suspect that is where he had hidden from Eli and Tony the two days they came looking for him.
It was a roll of the dice. I told Derek to be on the ready. This could happen fast. I was not allowing another chance to slip away. He nodded in complete confidence.
As a team, we slipped through the taller sage, parting them and looking ahead with each step. I pointed to a crown of the tallest greasewood on the ridge, indicating to Derek that is where we would set up. We were there in about two minutes.
I dropped my pack and peaked over. Nothing. I glassed left, in the event he pulled the same stunt as last time. Nope. I looked straight out. Above the sage tops on the next little burm, I caught black horn tips moving left to right. Then they disappeared. I reported to Derek he was moving about 200 yards out in front and if he continued in the same vector, he would pop out below us. We readied.
No sign of him. I strained to find a piece, a horn, a white patch. Zilch.
Then, through a little opening in the sage, I caught him crossing a really small gap in the sage. He had looped further away and was now at our 2 O'clock position, walking further into the BLM and into the next cut in the slope.
I gave Derek a hand signal to drop back and follow me further right to a sparsely covered rock pile. We dropped back down behind the ridge and covered another two hundred yards. I told Derek to get the tripod up high and make sure he could get the buck on camera. If the buck was where I thought he would be, I would sneak forward and shoot through a gap in the grass and sage. He nodded.
The last thirty yards of the ridge gave us the final five feet of elevation needed to peak over the rocks in front. I could see his horns through my binos. If I could see his horns, odds were he could see the top of my head. I ranged the tall sage to his left - 280 yards.
I gave Derek the "follow me and follow me fast" sign. We scooted forward. I motioned Derek to raise the tripod and get the buck on camera. As he did that, I stopped forward and dropped to my knees. I could see the horns again. The buck was now moving toward us as a curious rutting pronghorn will occasionally do.
I looked to Derek. He gave me a thumbs up. I sat down and put the rifle across the top of my Metcalf. The grass was a couple inches too high. I moved a little further upslope. As I did, the buck came closer, dropping slightly down and negating the elevation I just gained.
I scooched forward on my butt, pushing my pack in front of me. The buck now walked up toward a little open rise below. As he did, my shooting lane increased from just his throat and face to the upper part of his chest, though quartering hard toward me.
In my audio I told Derek I was going to shoot if he took another step. I settled and waited. He stepped forward and now I had the upper part of his chest big and wide in the scope. Without even thinking about it, the Howa cracked and dirt flew up behind the buck's position. WTH? Where did he go? How could I miss with such a dead rest.
I looked at Derek, hoping he saw where the buck went. He gave me two thumbs up. What? Hank dropped in his tracks and from my low position, was now out of sight. I rose another foot and saw the white chest laying on the grass, not even a wiggle coming from the buck.
Whew. For a second, I thought I had blown it. The dirt flying up was the result of a complete pass through and the bullet hitting the bank beyond him. Big Hank was now on the deck.
I took a minute to catch my breath. I gave a thanks to Mrs. Fin for insisting I come down and get this hunt on film. She knows my passion for pronghorn. She knows I come here heavily distracted, yet both of us committed to seeing the project succeed. Words aren't sufficient to describe the blessings of a life partner such as Mrs. Fin is for me.
As I walked up to the buck, it was that rare time hunters seldom experience when the animal grows, rather than shrinks. What a beautiful buck. A great chase. A game of cat and mouse filled with the ups and downs that only hunting can provide. A public land experience that we in America are blessed to have at our disposal.
Thanks to all who have followed along. Thanks to Derek for a great job on such short notice. Thanks to Tony and Eli for telling me that a good buck might be in that general area. And thanks to the guys in the truck who either didn't see this buck right out their window, or who maybe decided they wanted something bigger. I'll take their leftovers any day.
A few pics.
Left view
Right view
Front view
Rear view
I don't like coming in from upwind on most species. Yet, absent a herd of does, you can often get by with it on a single antelope buck. And, if I blew it, he would again trot out into the more open country on the private where I could keep an eye on him. If I pushed him further into the BLM, he could easily get lost in those cuts and coulees and stay there for days on end. I suspect that is where he had hidden from Eli and Tony the two days they came looking for him.
It was a roll of the dice. I told Derek to be on the ready. This could happen fast. I was not allowing another chance to slip away. He nodded in complete confidence.
As a team, we slipped through the taller sage, parting them and looking ahead with each step. I pointed to a crown of the tallest greasewood on the ridge, indicating to Derek that is where we would set up. We were there in about two minutes.
I dropped my pack and peaked over. Nothing. I glassed left, in the event he pulled the same stunt as last time. Nope. I looked straight out. Above the sage tops on the next little burm, I caught black horn tips moving left to right. Then they disappeared. I reported to Derek he was moving about 200 yards out in front and if he continued in the same vector, he would pop out below us. We readied.
No sign of him. I strained to find a piece, a horn, a white patch. Zilch.
Then, through a little opening in the sage, I caught him crossing a really small gap in the sage. He had looped further away and was now at our 2 O'clock position, walking further into the BLM and into the next cut in the slope.
I gave Derek a hand signal to drop back and follow me further right to a sparsely covered rock pile. We dropped back down behind the ridge and covered another two hundred yards. I told Derek to get the tripod up high and make sure he could get the buck on camera. If the buck was where I thought he would be, I would sneak forward and shoot through a gap in the grass and sage. He nodded.
The last thirty yards of the ridge gave us the final five feet of elevation needed to peak over the rocks in front. I could see his horns through my binos. If I could see his horns, odds were he could see the top of my head. I ranged the tall sage to his left - 280 yards.
I gave Derek the "follow me and follow me fast" sign. We scooted forward. I motioned Derek to raise the tripod and get the buck on camera. As he did that, I stopped forward and dropped to my knees. I could see the horns again. The buck was now moving toward us as a curious rutting pronghorn will occasionally do.
I looked to Derek. He gave me a thumbs up. I sat down and put the rifle across the top of my Metcalf. The grass was a couple inches too high. I moved a little further upslope. As I did, the buck came closer, dropping slightly down and negating the elevation I just gained.
I scooched forward on my butt, pushing my pack in front of me. The buck now walked up toward a little open rise below. As he did, my shooting lane increased from just his throat and face to the upper part of his chest, though quartering hard toward me.
In my audio I told Derek I was going to shoot if he took another step. I settled and waited. He stepped forward and now I had the upper part of his chest big and wide in the scope. Without even thinking about it, the Howa cracked and dirt flew up behind the buck's position. WTH? Where did he go? How could I miss with such a dead rest.
I looked at Derek, hoping he saw where the buck went. He gave me two thumbs up. What? Hank dropped in his tracks and from my low position, was now out of sight. I rose another foot and saw the white chest laying on the grass, not even a wiggle coming from the buck.
Whew. For a second, I thought I had blown it. The dirt flying up was the result of a complete pass through and the bullet hitting the bank beyond him. Big Hank was now on the deck.
I took a minute to catch my breath. I gave a thanks to Mrs. Fin for insisting I come down and get this hunt on film. She knows my passion for pronghorn. She knows I come here heavily distracted, yet both of us committed to seeing the project succeed. Words aren't sufficient to describe the blessings of a life partner such as Mrs. Fin is for me.
As I walked up to the buck, it was that rare time hunters seldom experience when the animal grows, rather than shrinks. What a beautiful buck. A great chase. A game of cat and mouse filled with the ups and downs that only hunting can provide. A public land experience that we in America are blessed to have at our disposal.
Thanks to all who have followed along. Thanks to Derek for a great job on such short notice. Thanks to Tony and Eli for telling me that a good buck might be in that general area. And thanks to the guys in the truck who either didn't see this buck right out their window, or who maybe decided they wanted something bigger. I'll take their leftovers any day.
A few pics.
Left view
Right view
Front view
Rear view
Speeddmn
Active member
awesome buck!! Great story and good thing those guys passed on a wonderful animal!
fishing4sanity
Well-known member
Very entertaining read as always and congrats on a great buck! Best of luck to you and Mrs. Fin.
elkantlers
Well-known member
Congratulations on a great buck.
Also, best of luck to Mrs. Fin on her upcoming surgery.
Also, best of luck to Mrs. Fin on her upcoming surgery.
recon6036
Well-known member
Super buck Big Fin....Congrats! Best wishes to you and Mrs. Fin. Keep us posted with how she is doing!
havgunwilltravel
Active member
Awesome buck and hunt report...glad something went right for you! Im hoping those other guys in the truck ahead flat out just didn't see him, because he sure looks very good in the pictures.
All the best for mrs fin and her surgery and recovery.
All the best for mrs fin and her surgery and recovery.
kenwparker
Member
Thanks Mrs Finn and have a speedy recovery.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
Awesome story, Randy. Nothing like getting it done ahead of schedule. I hope everything goes as smoothly the rest of the week. Prayers for a speedy recovery.
LuckyMike
Member
Fabulous Trophy! Great story. Thanks for taking the time to write it up so well under the circumstances. Hope everything works out well with your wife's surgery.
mdunc8
Well-known member
Awesome buck. Congrats.
skimerhorn
Member
Way to go. Look forward to seeing that hunt next season.
krshntr81
Member
Great Story, and good luck to Mrs. Fin!!!
MNHunter
Well-known member
Another nice one. Congrats Randy!
