Last Antelope on the Mountain

We just might have shot the last antelope left on the mountain… Just over a week ago a huge snow storm hit the area and dumped over 2 feet of snow. Then came the howling Wyoming winds that blew the snow into huge drifts. After that came the 60 degree bluebird days which melted most of the snow within the week, but not before the antelope had moved off the mountain to lower ground.

antelope hunt in Wyoming
                                            Hanging out at camp

 

When we arrived on Friday afternoon the roads were still extremely sloppy and 4-wheel drive was a must. The sparse rolling hills were now clear of snow and looked to be clear of wildlife as well. Usually this particular area had plenty of antelope sprinkled across the various parcels of private property, with the trick being lucky enough to find pronghorn on public land. However, on this day we weren’t seeing anything at all so we drove the muddy roads until dark hoping to spot a speed goat.

 

wyoming antelope hunt, some duck hunting  Wyoming antelope hunt, limit of ducks

                     A few ducks along the way                                                       A few more ducks...

Evening came quickly and needless to say we were pretty discouraged as we turned in for the night. Lying there in our sleeping bags we discussed our rather limited options, but agreed to face the subfreezing dark of the morning and head out hunting early.

 

antelope hunting, duck hunting jump shooting the river
                                          And even more ducks...

 

It was just after 9:00 AM when we spotted an antelope about a mile away across a gentle shallow valley. Through our binoculars we couldn’t tell if we were looking at a buck or a doe, but at this point it didn’t matter because we had already decided to shoot the first pronghorn that presented a shot. However, this antelope was on the move and covering a lot of ground quickly so attempting a stalk was not an option. For several minutes we watched as the antelope moved steadily across the hillside to the north. We joked that this must be the last antelope on the mountain and that it was obviously beelining off the mountain to join its buddies.

Wyoming antelope hunt, sunrise
            Early morning sunrise across antelope country

 

Since the road we were on paralleled the path of the antelope we kept an eye on it as we headed north.  After travelling a mile or so, we again joked that given the current course of the goat it just might intersect a perpendicular road up ahead a couple of miles…maybe more like wishful thinking.

 

At the 3 ½ mile mark we realized the joke had become reality. We raced ahead, jumped out of the truck and waited. As we sat looking back toward the south, we stared at the top of the one knoll that separated us from the valley below. If we had calculated correctly the antelope should pop up 150 yards ahead. A couple of minutes later the buck appeared like clockwork, but he was on the move and wasn’t going to provide an easy shot. Luckily for us the curious buck slowed a bit trying to identify us instead of bolting. Colton took the shot…a clean miss. Now the buck kicked into high gear heading north across the road. We quickly jumped in the truck and headed back to the road that continued north. Within 500 yards we caught up to the buck, he was walking slowly across the rolling terrain. Colton again got shots but missed. Back into the truck we climbed and off we raced for another mile.

 

i went hunting antelope, Wyoming antelope hunt with a buck
                             The boys with Colton's buck

 

i went hunting antelope, Wyoming antelope hunt, antelope buck
                     Last antelope on the mountain? I think it was...

 

This time the buck had to cross a fence but we got there first. Doors flung open as bodies piled out of the truck…Dallas quickly helped Colton get set up for a final shot. Moments later the buck arrived and quickly crawled beneath the fence and onto other side, pausing for a split second. At that moment the blast from the .243 rang out across the mountainside as we watched Colton’s buck drop in his tracks!