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Wow, what a haul!!!Six of us went antelope hunting in Wyoming last fall. Filled all 18 tags in three days. Great hunt.
Wasted my time talking about politics on political sites! Funny, all that talking didn't change any politician's minds and only further frustrated me. Imagine that? Hopefully talking here about guns and hunting will motivate me to get outdoors and have my own stories. I realize now, I missed out on an incredible experience of connecting with my uncle on hunting invitations as well as firearms maturation when I was teenager. Consequently, I know precious little about this great sport, but I am learning from you guys! BTW, shot 200 rounds with my 22 at a quarry site, and I used some paper targets someone on here shared with me! Excuse my current enthusiasm, I'm just stoked for now!!!What the heck did you do to occupy tour time before joining NWF ?
No need to replicate that experience again, although I'm sure hunting must be similar to the fish that got away!One of my elk hunts I sat on the side of a hill. It was cold. I got bored and read a book for awhile. Then the sun came up and I fell asleep. I woke up to a hunter that had come up behind me. Left for the trunk, went back to camp, and had a hot lunch.
Mother of all hunts? I got a mutha @#&$*% of all hunts. Well mine at least.
My dad, my buddy, and his dad have been hunting together for a long time. We always talk about killing a bull at first light opening morning, getting it back to camp by noon, and then relaxing the rest of the week. Most of the time it's just talk, but the 3 any bull tags in our pockets gave us a real positive outlook.
Opening morning we are walking in at dark, single file, in a dusting of fresh snow. My buddy and I with very specific areas we want to be, and the old guys following along at various paces.
My buddy and I stop to wait for our dads, talking about how one of us is going to kill a huge bull at 7:30 and once hanging at camp, vacation starts.
Dads catch up, we make it about 50 yards and Mac gets a bloody nose. We stop again but are losing the cloak of darkness, so he tells me to go ahead since I still have about 2 miles till I'm at my spot. My dad and his dad tell me the same so I beat feet and get there just at shooting light.
As I start sneaking into my stand, an elk breaks loose and starts heading my way. First I see antler tips above a little knob, then he follows the exact trail I'm on heading towards me. I get down on a knee, and fully prepare to shoot, but he keeps coming, closing the distance fairly quickly. Not wanting to take a frontal I let him. 75 yards, 50 yards, 25 yards, all the while I'm thinking to myself, it's gonna happen. 7:45 and I'm going to put my tag on this big bull opening morning.
He finally startles and stops at about 10 yards, and turns broadside, trying to make sense of the bright orange rock with a gun 30 feet from him. In my scope all I see is hair, and for about 20 seconds I stare at hair. I finally snap out of my trance and glance up from the scope to see what the hell Im aiming at. Then the next trance sets in. Antlers. Damn those big antlers. Biggest bull I have had in my scope with a tag for that bull in my pocket. 10 yards away, broadside, and I'm staring at antlers. 10 more long seconds of antler admiring, and it's 7:45-ish and this bull is gonna die and once back in camp... and then it happens.
That bull swings his head to his right, that big rack almost moving in slow motion, packs up shop, and bolts. Never to be seen again.
I sat there for another couple minutes, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Why didn't my rifle go off. How did I let that bull run away and blow an opening day gimme? I followed his tracks in the snow until his tracks mingled in with other tracks that crossed other sets of tracks. Still feeling disgusted, I finally gave up the chase and headed back to the spot where it all started. Replaying the whole thing over and over, cussing myself all the way.
That was the only bull I saw that season. And the only time I have ever went just completely stupid while staring at a legal bull.
Still makes me sick to my stomach. I've never had buck fever before that day, and haven't had it since. But the prior conversation of killing a bull at first light, and the bloody nose and those big antlers, not to mention my scope being set at 6 instead of 3 all contributed to the mutha @#$&@ of all hunts.
Holy crap ton of nasty meat.Six of us went antelope hunting in Wyoming last fall. Filled all 18 tags in three days. Great hunt.
not to mention my scope being set at 6 instead of 3
Mother of all hunts? Well mine at least.