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.