Redemption, Sweet Stinky Redemption!

I don't think I have ever been so happy to have that "unique" antelope smell on my hands as I was this week. After what has been a disappointing fall for hunting, I finally had a little break in my crazy schedule and my bad luck. After striking out on my Idaho antelope hunt, my Utah deer and elk hunts (only hunted 1 day for each of these tags), and not even going on my sage grouse hunt, I had had my fill of tag soup for the year. I was starting to wonder if I had lost my killer instinct, if I still had what it took to put something down? Due to my work and house building schedule I had missed the opener of my WY antelope hunt and had pretty much written off taking a trip to hunt. However, this week we passed our 4-way inspection, and my Dad and I decided that we could steal a couple days and try our luck with our WY antelope tags.

The season had opened clear back on Sept. 10th, but it did run until the end of Oct. so it was still open. I talked with a friend of mine who is the BLM biologist in the area, and he said that due to the weather and time of year most of the antelope had migrated out of our hunting area, but that there might still be a few. He advised us not to be too picky if we saw a mature buck. Well that was all it took, and we loaded up my Mom and Dad's teepee trailer and headed out. After a short 5 hour drive, we set up camp in the dark, and tried to get some sleep waiting to see what the morning would bring.

First thing the next morning we spotted a group of antelope from a high ridge, they were over a mile away, but I could tell there were a couple bucks, and we made a plan to get closer. We closed the distance to about 1/3 of a mile in the truck and then started out on foot. I made my Dad belly crawl over the top of a ridge, and we made it to 204 yards undetected by the antelope. The best buck in the group was still lying down, and I think I surprised my Dad by shooting so quickly once we got into position. No more time for being picky, I was ready to have some success and I didn't mess around. I am really happy with my buck, he has great curl at the end of his horns and was a tough old bugger with some broken teeth, and a bunch of scrapes and scars on his hide.

That night we had some great foil dinners and made a plan for the next day. We had spotted another group of antelope in the afternoon after we brought my buck back to camp, but couldn't get into a good position to make a stalk and we didn't want to force it.

The next morning we saw the group again, but we couldn't get close to them from where we were. We had lunch, and regrouped, deciding to find a different access point to see if we could come in from a different direction and get close enough for a shot. Using landmarks we had committed to memory, we started into the area from the other side, and found the antelope right where we knew they would be. We did some serious belly crawling to get to about 400 yards. We were out of cover, and it was as close as we were going to get. For the second time this trip, we had pulled out a successful stalk, and my Dad was able to shoot his buck in his bed. It took a little convincing to get my Dad to shoot the right one... "Dad, you have got to trust me I have a spotting scope, and I can see that the one on the left is definitely bigger". Eventually he listened to reason and made a great shot at 400+ yards to anchor a speed goat slightly larger than mine.

This hunt was a perfect way to end my hunting for this fall. After some frustration earlier in the year, I was able to go on a hunt with my Dad, enjoy a beautiful area, and both of us notched our tags. I guess sometime you have to taste the bitter to really enjoy the sweet. I may put off washing my camo for a few more days, so I can enjoy the "unique" antelope smell of success just a little longer.

A Disappointing Great Time

If I said it wasn't a great time, I would be lying. If I said I wasn't disappointed, that would also be a lie.

It all started last May, when after finding out that I had not drawn a tag in Utah, Nevada or Colorado (all states where I thought I had a decent shot at drawing), I realized that there were just a few days left to get an application in to Idaho before the deadline. I talked to my friend Mike from Oregon who is crazier about hunting than I am, and he was game to apply. We put in for deer, elk, and on a whim, applied for antelope too. We chose an antelope unit neither of us knew much about, we had heard about the area, and Mike has a friend that lives close, but as far as antelope hunting goes, we would be starting from scratch. There were over 1,500 applicants for 150 tags, and only 5 non Idaho residents drew. Mike and I were 2 of the the 5. We had beaten some daunting draw odds and I assumed we had an awesome hunt in store.

I drove 7 hours from Roosevelt to Grand View, Idaho and after checking all my tires, including the spare, I started out on the 107 mile dirt road to our unit. When I passed the sign that read "You are responsible for search and rescue charges beyond this point, travel at your own risk." I knew that this area was indeed, very remote.

Opening morning found Mike and I starting out under a gorgeous sunrise on the appropriately named "Antelope Ridge". We spotted a nice buck about an hour into the opening morning, but he gave us the slip and disappeared into the endless grasslands. We did manage to find a few antelope later in the day. There were 2 average looking bucks in the group and Mike decided that if he could get to within 500 yards he would take the shot. He sent one warning shot over the top of the bucks back, and anchored him for good on the second shot. We had to quarter and pack the antelope over 1 mile up a hill to get back to the road.

The next two days were much slower than the opening day. Antelope were hard to find. Unlike the typical Wyoming antelope where you spend your time driving around judging animals trying to find one you want to go after, we spend 2 days just trying to find an antelope, any antelope. It was discouraging. One evening just when I was about to give up, we spotted a group of antelope across a large rocky ravine. It was getting dark and I didn't have time to try a stalk that evening, but I knew where I would be first thing the next day.

The next morning at first light I started towards where I had seen the antelope the day before. I found a group of over 20 animals gathered on a hillside above a pond. There were two bucks in the group and while neither of them were huge, they looked respectable.

To get into a good shooting position, I hiked over 3 miles and dropped down to the bottom and back to the top of the rocky ravine. Just as I sneaked over the top of the hill ready to shoot, I saw that the antelope had moved and were only about 20 yards away from me. They were off like a shot, and I never did get an opportunity at either of the bucks. I followed them all day long trying multiple stalks that all were foiled by one thing or another. In the end, they disappeared into a vast yellow sea of grass.

I was out of time, and it just wasn't meant to be. I enjoyed the scenery, the other wildlife, and the company, but I do wish I had seen a few more antelope. I don't know that I will ever apply for an antelope tag for that unit again... but if I ever get a chance to chase deer or elk in the Owyhee Mountains you can count on a return visit.