2013 Antelope Hunt Day 6

What can I say about the final few hundred miles home on what was actually a pretty short trip.  I've spent more time driving than hunting.  I guess I could say I've driven 2700 miles to fire one shot.

Woke up early and hit the road.  It was still very dark so it was only me and the night truck drivers again.  The lack of traffic through most of the day was pretty nice.

The good thing about the drive, especially the last day, is a chance to contemplate the events.  On the excitement level, I think this hunt is a close second to my first turkey hunt.  Watching the not-my-antelope run away after the shot is a mental image I'll not soon forget.  In retrospect, I am kind of curious what was going through Quinn's mind at the time.  In the end, it all worked as well as it could.
It is interesting that before leaving I  was having a hard time getting really excited about the hunt due to many extenuating circumstances, but ended up thoroughly enjoying the whole trip and was able to put almost all of the normal day-to-day issues out of mind.

I'll definitely be going on another antelope hunt in the future.  Being able to look over so many animals and then having the stalk and shot be a challenge was a different kind of experience - and very fun.  Since pronghorn antelope only reside natively in North America it is a particularly American experience, and even more specifically particularly Western.  It is also unique as the only member of its animal kingdom family.

Back at home, I had plenty of dry ice remaining in the cooler and all the meat remained solidly frozen for the 36 hour trip.  Soon, I'll be able to try my antelope meat for the first time.
For now, I'll probably have to scurry to unpack and get ready for work, both mentally and physically.

And, look forward to the next adventure.

2013 Antelope Hunt Days 4 & 5

Woke up to a frosty Wyoming morning.  The first hard freeze of the year in the area.  As with the day before, the bow hunters were headed out early for their last day of hunting.  Since Art had gotten his antelope, and was donating the meat he was headed home.

After breakfast, Quinn and I headed into Saratoga for a one-day fishing license and some worms.  Then we headed back to the ranch and down to the creek to fish.
The creek itself was very small, width ranged from 5 feet to around 20 feet.  Many areas were very shallow but there were some deeper pools as well.  It was a bit hard to believe that such a shallow creek can hold reasonable fish, but it can.  We fished along the bank for quite some time and saw many fish, and even got a few hits on the lures but were not able to close the deal.  Several times as we walked up to deeper pools we could see trout take off, obviously wary of us.

After fishing for several hours, it was getting hot and there was not very much of the typical Wyoming wind so we headed back to the lodge.  We ate lunch and generally relaxed as the bow elk hunters began to filter back in.  There were several more close encounters with elk, but no more were taken.  Their licenses were also good for the gun season so some of them were planning on coming back.

Later in the afternoon, Quinn and I went out to fish for a few more hours and were able to do a little better.  I'm sure on the right day, the fishing is pretty good.  Brook Trout sure are pretty fish.

When we got back to the lodge, everyone else had left leaving a very quiet evening before turning in for the night.  I was headed back in the morning while everyone else will be getting ready for the next group of hunters.
We had a relaxing dinner before calling it a day.

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I woke up the next morning and organized stuff to pack up and leave.  It was obviously a quieter morning than is typical in hunting camp with myself being the only guest (or is it client) there.
We chatted about the last few days and what was coming up on the ranch before a final excellent breakfast.  I was out the door at about 8:00 and followed my GPS trail back through the dirt roads and into Saratoga.  I headed south and by the time I got to Encampment, they were open.  A couple trucks were dropping off a whole slew of mule deer does.  It seemed like a lot of does to be shooting in an area hit hard by deer drop-off, but to be fair, I don't know very much about the situation.
I was able to get my processed antelope meat and was surprised at the amount of meat they were able to extract off of the animal.  One of the reasons I butcher my own is because I have seen unbelievably skimpy amounts come off of good sized deer but this place obviously does a great job.  The low shot which did not affect any major muscles also helped.
Once packed in my cooler with 15 pounds of dry ice, I headed north, then east toward home.
I once again crested the scenic route of Wyoming 130 before descending to the interstate where I remained for the rest of the day.

About the only thing of note during the drive was the very high water on one of the Platte rivers;  the floods in Colorado continue to march towards the Mississippi, but the destruction appeared to be limited to some agricultural fields.

Besides some heavy traffic between Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, the drive was easy.  Based on the flags displayed I guess there must have been some Nebraska sporting event and perhaps there was some pregame libations based on the asinine driving displayed in the area.

The combination of dark and tiredness prompted me to stop about an hour outside of Des Moines.  Once stopped, I thought I could have gone further, but it is definitely safer to call it a day.
Since Subway smelled so good at a previous gas stop, it also served as dinner.  I'm not sure if the smell is actually from the bread baking or if it is something they manufacture and spray, but it worked.

There was still a good chunk of dry ice so hopefully the meat stays frozen overnight.  If needed, I can always get ice for the remainder of the trip.

2013 Antelope Hunt Day 3

Woke up at my normal time which was very early by Wyoming time.  After trying to get back to sleep for a little while, I got up and was able to get a good enough hotspot internet connection to do a few things on-line.

The elk hunters in camp were leaving much earlier than Art and I, so I stayed out of the way until they were nearly gone.  We talked a bit about the guiding business and had a great breakfast before heading out.

Quin and I had a little over a half hour drive to Area 50.  Once on the ranch property, almost immediately a decent pronghorn was in front of us and paying very little attention to us.  Quin said he was, "about average" and I didn't want to shoot the first animal I saw, despite the nearly perfect conditions and close range.

We drove around for a few hours and saw many, many, many antelope.  I'm sure the number was in the hundreds and there were several decent bucks.  I was ready to go after some, but Quin wanted to look over a good number first (and he was right).

While most of the antelope were skittish and we saw a fair number hauling out of the area, a few were very content to have the truck nearby.

As the weather heated, the wind picked up a little, but still a very tolerable level by Wyoming standards.  We saw three bucks that were really decent compared to the lot we saw through the day.  We talked going back to the first really good one which had decent mass and a lot of curl, but a similar sized animal was seen on the hill not too far away.  We decided to try a stalk.  I was glad to get out of the truck, and predicted getting busted quickly but I wanted to see what we were in for in trying to get close to the speed goats.

As we stood by the back of the truck, the buck crested the hill again walked toward us a little; he appeared curious and wary of us, before he headed back over a second hill behind the hill where we first saw him.  Quin decided to drive up a little closer and we headed quietly out of the truck and up the hill.

Once near the top of the hill, we could clearly see the buck.  He was still wary, but curious enough that he walked toward us and then back again a few times.  The range was right at 160 yards which was well within my comfort zone, but he spent most of the time staring straight at us.  There was also a sagebrush that was high enough in the way to be concerned about at the crest of the hill.
After a few minutes which seemed like about an hour he ran back a few more yards which allowed us to go slightly higher on the hill to get above the brush.  Range was now right at 200 yards and I had a clear sight of him in the scope.  After quite a bit more time, he turned broadside and Quin asked me how I like the sight.
I took a few deep breaths and contemplated the shot.
Boom.  Rifle shots in the Wyoming wide open sound a lot different than in the close in deer woods.

At the shot, the antelope turned and sort of ran away.  I had seen a big puff of dust in front of the animal and was worried about a miss, but Quin said he looked hit, although possibly low.  We waited a few minutes before walking to where he was standing at the shot.  As we walked up, we saw an antelope near the far side of the bottom of the hill.  The animal kept running, stopping and looking over at us over and running.
The antelope kept going farther and farther away.
My heart sank as I was seeing an afternoon chasing a possibly very poorly hit animal, if he was hit at all but it was the right thing to do.  The shot had felt right, but the puff of dirt was worrisome.
After talking about it for a bit we started down, but I took a short walk to the left, closer to a small draw on the hill.  Quin looked down the draw and handed his binoculars to me, "What do you think of that."
Less than 100 yards down the hill lay my antelope on a big sagebrush.  The other antelope we had seen was just another antelope; Quin had thought it looked smaller than the one I shot.

We walked down to the animal and I was thrilled, even more than thrilled.  The shot had been low, but took out the bottom of the lungs, broke several ribs which caused a lot of damage and shredded the liver.  Chaulk one for Nosler Ballistic Tips.
Quin brought the truck around and we took some pictures before gutting it and caping it for a mount.  After the work was over, we headed to drop it off to be processed.  Normally I do my own butchering, but with the warm temperatures and long drive home this just made more sense.  I also left the cape, and would need to coordinate that with a local taxidermist used frequently by the lodge.

Back in camp we hung out at the lodge for a while and then went out to tour the area they hunt in Area 52.  As with Area 50, antelope were numerous and again there were some decent ones.  This allowed me to get a few more pictures of unpressured antelope.  Had I known there were this many opportunities for pictures, I probably would have taken the better camera.

Country ribs for dinner that night was excellent again as we shared a few stories.  The elk hunters in camp had one more day and they were itching to put more animals on the ground.

After further reflection while trying going to sleep, I was ecstatic about my first antelope hunt.  Even the short-lived low of seeing the second speed goat run away added something and is a spectacle I won't soon forget.

2013 Antelope Hunt Day 2

I woke up early, which was even earlier in the central time zone - and even earlier in the very nearby mountain time zone.  Luckily, the hotel had in-room coffee so that kept me going until the free hotel breakfast was ready.
The breakfast area was surprisingly busy.  There were several workers getting ready for construction-type jobs and a few travelers obviously ready to hit the road early.  I ate two excellent Golden Malted waffles saturated with syrup.  I really didn't need the second, but the first was very good.

I very slowly got ready since I wasn't in a hurry.  It is only about six hours to Wyoming Area 50 and the rendezvous time isn't until 4:00.  I don't do sitting around very well, so I waited as long as I could and headed west around sunrise.
Traffic was nearly non-existent and since I wasn't in a hurry, I slowed down a bit.  My mileage from the day before was noticeably lower due to the much higher speeds.  As I left, there was some light fog in the valleys, and a beautiful orange sunrise pushed me down the road.  The few places I could see the Platte River, I could already tell it was beginning to rise due to the downstream effect of the torrential rain in Colorado.

I crossed into Wyoming, ready to see Antelope.  Through eastern Nebraska, the elevation started to rise.  My Toyota Tacoma, already an anemic vehicle, had noticeably poorer performance at the higher elevation.
I got off the interstate near Laramie and continued west through the Medicine Bow National Forest.  There were very few other vehicles on the road and the scenery was Wyoming pretty.
I saw a heard of pronghorn's about 20 miles outside of Laramie.  Hopefully I'll see many more in the next few days.
I was glad there were no other vehicles because as the elevation continued to rise, the truck had trouble even keeping going in fourth gear.  I was that guy that I hate when traveling through mountains by motorcycle - except I pulled over for the only car that came up behind me.

I rarely stop for scenic overlooks, but with time to kill I stopped near the top.  It was pretty, if windy and quite cold.

Descending down the mountain, I was now in or near the area that my tag was good for.  And, once out of the tree-covered area, I did see a couple groups of antelope.

I got into Saratoga at about noon, local time.  Unsure I what to do, I drove around and saw a sign for a library.  While looking for it, I saw a community center and stopped in.  They had free wifi which I could take advantage of for a few hours.  As mentioned earlier, I don't do sitting around well, but I at times can be forced into it.  The community center had a large lobby area with many animal mounts.  I found it a bit odd that most were African, and there was only one pronghorn in the bunch.  I guess since the people here see them everyday, they don't hold the same interest.

After stealing the community center wifi for a while and reading some brochures about the area, I got moving again.  One of the brochures mentioned a Victorian era prison available for tours in Rawlins.  Hopefully I can make a mental note on that for some future road trip through Wyoming.

I parked down by the renezvous point and walked around most of Saratoga.  It appears a pretty nice town, largely catering to tourism of the rugged area.  The town was small enough that I was able to walk most of it in a short amount of time.  Around 3:00 I headed to the Hotel Wolf to meet with the outfitter.  Deb and Quin (not sure if that is spelled right) showed up and we talked a bit.  I had to explain the lack of a cohunter, but that didn't seem to be an overt issue.
There was only one other antelope hunter in camp, Art from Illinois.  He has hunted extensively and was after a better animal than he had taken previously.  Since he was hunting a different area from me, we would be guided one on one.

We caravanned to the lodge for the evening.  The drive was relatively short down mostly dirt roads.  The lodge itself was a very nice log house, outfitted with comfortable eating and sleeping areas.  Pretty nice digs for the next few days.

The rest of the evening was spent talking and eating a great chicken dinner.  Many pronghorn could be seen from the porch of the lodge including one nice buck.  Later in the evening a mule deer doe was meandering down by a creek below the lodge.

There was another group of six bowhunters in camp for elk.  One of them had tagged an elk earlier in the day and recovered it after most of the day - it was a very nice 6x6.

It was a late night by Eastern time zone standards and I was ready to begin going after Antelope.

2013 Antelope Hunt Day 1 (Drive Day)

This adventure actually starts years ago.  I have wanted to hunt out west and wanted to hunt Antelope for a long time.  About a year and a half ago, I decided to make it a reality and started investigating areas, outfitters, etc.  I had also convinced someone else to go with me.  We planned and based on some personal recommendations, I chose an outfitter in South Central Wyoming.  Jim is on the expensive side, but personal recommendations go a long way in a business with many charlatans.
We paid deposits, bought preference points and eventually drew tags for Wyoming Antelope Area 50.  On the day I found out we drew tags, my cohunter "likely" dropped out.  This was confirmed a few weeks ago; one tag donation to Wyoming.
I was in regardless, although this situation has made me resolve to plan these hunting trips on my own and not try to corral others into these things.  I'm a little embarrassed for how this turned out.

Only a couple weeks ago I was on a motorcycle vacation so I probably wasn't as anxious about the hunt as I would have been otherwise.  After getting back from the motorcycle trip, I went to the range one last time to ensure I was ready.  I've shot more at 200-300 yards in the last few months than I've done in the rest of my life combined.

Work buttoned up Monday, I went home and packed up.  My SO was visiting family, so we were to miss each other back at home by a few hours.  Luckily, the dogs would have someone home so no beagle jail was needed.

Anxious to start the trip, I was up early.  While letting the dogs out, I heard a large pack of coyotes to the east of the house howling and yipping.  It was magical and I'll take it as a good sign.  I was on the road before 4:00.  I took a new way to the interstate on some small roads and was headed west at speed in no time.  At this early hour, it was mostly myself and the tractor-trailers.

I hunt wild boar in South Carolina for several days each winter and on those trips, I've had countless gorgeous mornings near the Tennessee/Kentucky border.  This trip, the sun rose in the rear-view mirror in Illinois.  No contest, Tennessee/Kentucky is far superior.  I was happy to be making good enough time to see the sun rise well into Illinois.

Traffic on I-74 was very light, but as usual it got much heavier on I-80.  I was into Iowa by 10:00.  Traffic on I-80 was pretty hairy, especially around Iowa City.  Des Moines wasn't too bad given it was the capital, and then traffic thinned considerably for the remainder of Iowa and Nebraska.  Rain was pretty intense near Des Moines, but mostly sunny other than that.
Given that most of my long distance travel, spring through fall, is by motorcycle, it was hard not to feel a little envious of the people on touring bikes.  I was even jealous watching people in full rain gear through the inclimate weather.  If I could find a way to combine motorcycles and hunting, I'd probably never go back home.

I listened to two books on CD during the day.  The first was The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard.  It was about a TV personality going with his aging parents on a motorhome road trip.  Some of the dialogue was centered around the personal family stories that are only amusing to the family, aside from that it was a good book to read.  Even touching at times.
I didn't mean to listen to the entire second book on day 1, but The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie just kept getting better and better.  It is a very honest (at times too honest) narrative by a young person growing up on an Reservation.
Both of these books have at their heart, taking risks and associated life pay-outs.  There is a lesson there, maybe I should listen.

I stopped in North Platte after about 14 hours on the road, this puts Area 50 in Wyoming well within reach.  I made reservations earlier at a gas stop in Nebraska by cell phone.  I've never used this tactic, but it saved me a few dollars at the Super 8.
One significant oddity was that gas at the station I get fuel from in North Platte was $3.50 for the combustible with 10% ethanol, and a whopping $4.23 without.  Like many people, I'm not sold on the benefits of ethanol in gasoline, but on a trip when it will all be burned shortly, this is a no brainer.  There must be Nebraskan political motivation behind this.
Dinner that night was Peking Duck at Hunan's which was very good.  I had been craving Chinese food for some time.  My fortune cookie fortune was truth and hopefully prophetic.