Hunt Report: 2012 Colorado Mule Deer w/ Rifle #9

My 2012 Colorado Mule Deer hunt started out as many do, making that decision on which unit to put in for.  Do you use your points and hunt, or do you add another point to build for that trophy hunt?  I like to hunt instead of count points, so I opted to try to get a license this year.  I consulted with a local friend who turned me onto the unit he and his family primarily hunt.  He had killed a great buck there last year and was back in point building mode but I had a feeling I could talk him into telling me where to go (and it wouldn't be H-E-double hockey sticks).
So with that plan, I was happy to get notice that I did draw the license but then it got pushed to the back burner with a trip to Africa, Wyoming Pronghorn, and Colorado Archery Elk hunts to plan first along with some rifles to build and a few responsibilities with the family.

With a couple weeks to go, we did what we always do and wonder why later: decided to build a new rifle.  We had build #8 in the works which reaffirmed our appreciation for concept of a light, mild kicking, backpacking rifle.  The #9 rifle, a 7x57 Mauser built on a Remington 700 action, came together quickly and proved to be worthy of the hunt after a second trip to the range.  It shot the 140 gr Nosler Accubonds into groups just over 1/2 MOA with very little load development.  Not so worried about squeezing more out of it, I proceeded to smack the steel targets at our range using the holdovers on the Vortex BDC reticle and felt confident in a 350 to 400 yd shot with the little rifle.  That was good, as I was out of time to do any more practice or make any changes to the load.

So the little rifle and I were off for our hunt down near Salida, CO.  We took along #7 as well, since we didn't really know what we were getting into.  We had planned to take #4, but it got a last minute chance to go hunting with Sam from Gannett Ridge in another unit.  We didn't have much of a plan, but we were on our way.

I arrived at the trailhead just a little past midnight - just enough time to catch some Z's before opening morning.  The Lost Creek Inn (the camper on the back of the old Dodge) makes for a pretty expedient and fairly well equipped hunting camp, and I should have been asleep in no time.  It turns out I was a little excited and couldn't sleep, or maybe it was the cold that I somehow didn't notice I had caught until I was on my way south.  Either way, there was lots of tossing and turning and then a lack of desire to get on the move when the 5am alarm went off.

Dragging @$$ in a major way, I was on the trail and didn't make it far when the hint of the rising sun started making the surroundings apparent.  I was actually right where my friend had told me to be on opening morning though, but I had company in the area and the other hunter's headlamp was way up the hill.  I took a seat anyway and started glassing.  It wasn't long before I had enough light to find a couple does out feeding on a hillside, then some more way up the hill.  I didn't see that monster buck 60 yards away like my friend promised me though.  After a few hours, I decided to move on up the hill and have a look around.  Trying to gain elevation made me realize how sick I was, as I had little energy.  An hour or two further up, I found myself in a nice glassing spot and spent some time looking through the binoculars.  And then some time trying to look through my eyelids...  At about 4 PM I had woken up from my second nap (yeah, lunch induced another one) and I decided to sneak over to the other side of the hill I was on.  As soon as I crested the hill, I noticed deer.  Deer being plural.  All the sudden I was watching 10-15 deer coming out of the shadows on the hillside.  After looking around more, I saw a couple still hiding pretty well and one had antlers.  Respectable antlers that is, as many of the others were small bucks.  At about the same time I spotted him, I realized how bad my optics must be reflecting from the low sun, as that buck got up and disappeared before I could really size him up.  Some of the other ones decided to do the same but some of them stayed.  Another buck kind of came out of nowhere and stood on the skyline looking at me, testing me more like it.  He was testing to see if I could stick to my plan of not just shooting the first decent buck I got a chance at.

Opening day buck, testing me.

Non magnified view of the above buck.  See him on the ridge between the two branches on the right of the tree?

I maintained my will power, holding out for a big boy since I had waited three years for this hunt.  The following morning I found myself way up the hill at first light. There were deer out feeding, several does, a few small bucks and one sizable buck.  I got a good look at him through the spotting scope and decided he wasn't the one either.  He was a 3x4 with pretty nice dimensions but not much mass. ( I actually got a real close look at this deer the following day as that other hunter that kept beating me up the mountain was packing him out, he was a nice buck and made a sweet double for this guy that also killed a bull elk on the opening day)

3x4.

Day two finished out fairly uneventful, with passing up a couple more smaller four points and seeing a bunch of does as the sun was setting.

I always like the Eastern view during the sunset.

On the third day, I decided to look at some other areas in the morning, while nursing a blister too.  I didn't venture so far from the truck but did see a few deer.  The only buck I had to decide on was a forked horn, which made the decision pretty quick.  By mid-day, I had had enough of the road hunters in the same area and went back to the big hill.  So much for nursing that blister as now I had half a day to cover the same ground.  I made it up to the area where I had seen the most activity during the evening of the opening day and was dissapointed to only see a couple does.  I did catch a bull elk doing a cross-country run though which is still exciting even when you don't have a elk license in your pocket.  This bull was spooked and on the move.  The only thing on his mind was a new zip code.  The poor boy's tongue was hanging out so far I could see it through the binoculars.

Big bull, in the center of the picture.

A little better look at him through the spotting scope.

That mid afternoon lull in the action is always a good time for a photo shoot.

Right before seeing that bull, I had crossed paths with the other hunter who was packing that 3x4 Buck down the hill.  Knowing that he had been in the area I was headed, I considered making the big hike to the other side of the draw but couldn't find the energy.  I stayed on my course and wanted to be in what was my favorite area for the evening.  As I was hiking around I saw a few of those airborne scavengers circling and figured it must be the kill site from that 3x4.  I went to check it out, with the thought that there might be a chance of seeing a bear, or some other furry monster I don't even know about.  I was surprised to see a coyote trying to get in on the action but being attacked by the crows.  I was also surprised I was 60 yards from a coyote that didn't have a clue I was there.  That is a rare opportunity that I couldn't pass up...

First kill for #9

The evening was uneventful and it left me thinking I had seen every buck this draw had to offer and I had planned to do some more hiking around in that other area the following morning.

The next morning, I made it to the end of a road in some foothills and setup to watch a hillside as the sun was rising.

I don't usually see the sunrise, but when I do I'm packing a rifle (or just finishing up building one...)

As the hillside started becoming visible, I started seeing herds of deer feeding up it.  Doe, doe, fawn, fawn, doe, doe, fawn, doe, fawn, doe, coyote?  Then more does.  The coyote seemed to be trailing the deer and he had their attention.  They pretty much walked right past me and I was surprised they didn't spook from the reflection that must have been coming off my optics.  The coyote went out of sight and never re-appeared which was good thinking on his part...

After the does and fawns all made it up the hill into the brush and cedars, I decided to walk around the base of the hill further.  It wasn't too long before I was staring at a little 4pt buck that didn't know I was there either.  It was still a couple days too early to shoot a little buck so I just let him do his thing and soon enough he was gone.  I took a couple steps and then notice deer legs coming up a dry creek bed to the same place the previous buck was.  A smaller buck appeared and did the same thing.  I then noticed two more coming and got excited thinking the big boy would be trailing behind but they just kept getting smaller.  The last two seemed to want to hang out there and I wanted to get a move on so I decided to use them to test my stalking skills.  I had the wind in my favor and will admit they weren't very alert, but I got to 15-20 yards of them before they noticed me.  That would have been fun with a bow.

After they spooked off, I spent a couple more hours heading up and around the hill, but only crossed paths with a single doe.  I was amazed at how many deer and elk tracks I saw on this little hillside though.

Around noon, it was time to move on.  I didn't have a plan but when I drove up on the trailhead of the main draw where I had been the previous three days, and saw no other hunters parked there I decided to give it another go.  I wasn't 100 yards up the trail before I ran into a half dozen does, which just let me walk right by at 50 yards.  Another couple hundred yards up the trail I saw a few more deer which included a little buck.   I had a feeling that this was going to be a good trip up the mountain as I hadn't seen deer this low before.  An hour or so later I jumped a couple more does but then found nothing on the hillside where I was hoping to see that buck from the opening day sleeping.  I set up and glassed everything I could see but did not see any deer.  Dissapointed, I started crossing to the other side of the draw to hike back to the truck though some areas I hadn't been through.

I was working my way down a fairly rocky slope looking at a thick timbered area at the bottom of a draw and thought this would be the perfect place for a big buck to hang out and just let me walk all over his mountain for three days thinking he didn't exist.  Then I saw him.  At about 150 yards, there he was...browsing and facing me head on.  One quick glance through the binoculars had me switching to the rifle.  I was in the wide open and I knew as soon as he saw me he would be gone and I would never find him in that timber again.  I had the rifle up free-hand and he had just started to turn and walk, exposing his shoulder to me and I squeezed the trigger.  Then I squeezed it harder.  Then I tried to break it off and wondered to myself what happened to that crisp 2.5 lb trigger I had worked so hard tuning and he was gone.  I have been packing rifles uncocked lately, by closing the bolt on a pulled trigger as a safe way of carrying one with a full capacity but not relying entirely on the safety.  I think this is a better way to carry one strapped to a pack and it just takes a quick up and down of the bolt handle to have it ready to fire.  In this case, I had done that up and down so quietly that I failed to get the sear to engage, so it was still uncocked.  Thinking I had just missed my one and only chance at him, I started looking for him through the binoculars again,  he wasn't spooked and couldn't have went far but I couldn't see any part of him.  I decided to move laterally a little bit to get a different angle on where he must have been browsing.  As I made this move, rocks slid down the hill and sticks broke.  Thankfully I had enough wind to cover that noise and I made it to a little rocky point.  My timing was perfect because he had just came into another opening and still didn't have a clue I was there.  I knelt down and was able to rest the forend on a rock and found him in the scope.  He was leisurely walking along and I reminded myself that I can shoot one on the walk which is a concept that haunts me often from letting a bull elk walk right away the previous year thinking he would stop when he didn't.  I also got some practice with this in Africa and had the confidence.  Somewhere during all this thought, I must have put the crosshairs on him and squeezed the trigger, because I herd the rifle go off and saw him rolling down the hill.  The little rifle and the 140gr Accubond had performed very well and the buck was done for.

To quote my dad, I found the buck "ass over tea kettle" after he rolled down the hill a ways.

I had just killed a really cool buck, out by myself, with very little daylight left, about a mile and a half from the truck, and I had just done the math on that...  I set up the camera for some pictures, then I tried to position the buck and I almost got to watch the buck roll right over my camera.  After fighting him rolling a couple more times, I decided to drag him down to some flatter ground where it would be easier to work with him.

From the top, you can start to see how unique this guy is.  He apparently suffered some damage to the base of his right antler some time in his life and it was growing out of his head abnormally.

I shot him around 5:45 and had finally started processing him around 6:30 with the official sun set at 6:20.  Working under the headlamp, I finally had the meat all boned out and in meat baggies about an hour later.  My plan was to take half the meat and my gear down and come back for the other half of the meat and the head the next morning.  Somehow I convinced myself that taking it all in one trip would be easier than climbing back up there in the morning, and proceeded to load it all up in my pack.  It was a slow walk down the hill, but down the hill we went.  Luckily it was down.  I was carrying the head in one hand and using the tripod as a walking stick in the other hand.  The weight of the head had me switching back and forth even more often than my knees and ankles had me stopping.  In about an hour, we had made it down to the truck where gravity took over and things just started dropping to the ground.  I loaded it all up and drove to where I was sharing camp with my friend's family, ready to show him off but they had given up on me and wet to sleep already.

As I went to transfer the meat into the coolers I had in the truck, I weighed everything with the fish scale I keep in the camper.  I was very surprised at what I had just accomplished, as somehow I had just packed 120 lbs down the hill.

120 lbs of deer and gear.

After getting the meat on ice, it was time to celebrate.  Jack Daniels was the next thing to come to mind and then I started cooking up some antelope fajitas for my feast.

Speaking of Antelope, I spotted this guy on the drive home.  He was on private land in one of those units that typically takes a decade's worth of points to draw, but he caught my attention.

Back home and rested a bit, I decided it was time to do some taxidermy work, since this boy wasn't going to fit in the freezer.  With some advice and the trusty stock pot from the guys at Gannett Ridge,  the process began.  After getting the skull fleshed out, it was really interesting to see that right antler base and how deformed the skull was.

The coyote, my forked horn from last year, and the big boy.

Keywords:  SR#9

Hunt Report: 2012 Colorado Mule Deer w/ Rifle #4

We talked Sam Soholt from the Gannett Ridge crew into taking Rifle #4 on his Colorado Mule Deer hunt.  Sam wanted to try out one of the Minox scopes from their store so we got it mounted up and spent a morning at the range.  The Minox glass was impressive.  We were using the ZA5 2-10x40 model with the BDC reticle.  I had matched up the reticle with the .300 Win Mag and 180 Accubond's ballistics the previous night, and had found that if we set it to impact 1" high at 100 yards, the reticle could be used effectively at 300 and 400 yards.  In no time, Sam was smacking a steel plate that is set at 350 yards at our range and was confident in the setup for his hunt.

#4 and #9 at the range

We didn't get much of the story on his hunt, so I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.   Sam's photography skills would be a great asset on any hunt.  This buck is the 12th kill for this rifle since it's rebuild - after 8 in Africa, 3 Antelope in Wyoming.

#4 and Sam's nice 4pt Mulie.

Happy man, awesome buck, and a sweet rifle.

Keywords:  SR#4

Hunt Report: 2012 Wyoming Antelope Hunt- w/ Rifles #4 and #7

Our 2012 Wyoming Antelope hunt was concluded in 3 separate trips.  For the opening weekend, a good friend and a new friend representing the Army came with a pair of doe tags as an appetizer before our Colorado archery elk hunt.  We will call them Sierra and India to protect the innocent. After the archery hunt, my USMC/Navy team showed up.  We will call them Bravo and Lima.  After the smoke cleared on these sessions, I still had a buck tag remaining and was able to sneak back across the border for a day trip.

Round 1:  Team Army.

I had been telling Sierra and India that it was pretty much a sure thing and we might need to find something else to do for the afternoon.  I think they doubted my guiding abilities but were catching on as we got into the area well after sun up and they could see Antelope in about every direction we looked.  The unit we hunt is one of those with limited access to public grounds, so we had to drive past a lot of animals getting to the public sections I wanted to try.  On our first stop, we did just what I said we shouldn't do which is stop the truck when we see some and get out and expect to successfully stalk them.  The problem with Antelope hunting is when you spot one, it has been watching you since you left your home town.  Their eyes cant be fooled.  After the excitement of our unsuccessful first attempt, we went to a section that we had success at the previous year, one with a little terrain that can be used to your benefit.  On our walk in to the section, we spotted a herd of antelope on the top of a bluff.  They were far enough away that they were not alarmed even though they could easily see us.  As we progress, that terrain allowed us to sneak closer to the bluff out of their sight.  Sierra, being the self designated hard charger of the bunch declared he was taking the nearly 12lb #7 to the top of the bluff while India and I would stay out of sight and progress down a draw to see what was in the lower lands.  We saw a second small herd for a moment but they soon disappeared into a second draw.  Meanwhile Sierra was nearly to the top of the bluff.  I watch as he crested the bluff and instantly got back down and extended the bipod legs on #7.  It wasn't very long until we herd the shot and that distinct sound that a lead core bullet makes when hitting something at 3000 ft/sec.  Sierra soon reported in on the radios that he got his doe.  India and I herd the challenge and went after the second herd.  We gained some elevation and could see much of the area but couldn't find them.  I new the area well enough to know there were some draws coming off the bluff where they could easily be out of our sight.  It was about this time that Sierra peeked of the other edge of the bluff and reported that he could see the herd we were looking for.  Knowing where they were, India took off on a solo stalk while I waited in the middle.  I gained enough elevation on the slope up to the bluff that I could just see the antelope and India sneaking up on them.  I was at the perfect elevation to be in the line of sight of when the antelope would first see him as well and when he broke into that line of sight, the antelope took off.  India, being schooled in the ways of a Southern deer hunter simply pulls #4 up to his shoulder and swings, taking a shot at a doe running in the back of the herd.  She was hit and peeled off of the group and soon collapsed.  There may have been some luck involved, but it was a shot no seasoned antelope hunter would probably attempt let alone succeed at.  I noted a pretty nice buck remaining with the herd, but I was mid way between my two rifles and couldn't do much about it.  Lets just call him Mr. Lucky...

It was just before noon at this point.  Other than getting them in the cooler back in the truck we would need something to do for the rest of the day...  grabbing our last non dehydrated meal for a week, in Laramie seemed like a great idea.  We phoned my amazing wife from the bluff and convinced her to meet us in Laramie and take the rifles and meat back to base camp prior to our archery hunt.

First antelope for Sierra and #7, on top of the bluff.

India's first antelope, as well as the first of the North American variety for #4.

Team Army.  Two down before noon.

Round 2:  Team USMC/Navy

Bravo and Lima showed up on a Thursday night in Laramie for the second round of Antelope.  After discussing the plan over some drinks at the raging Holiday Inn bar we retired for some shuteye before an early start Friday.  That early start involved grabbing McDonald's.  Bravo was worried about not getting to eat the rest of the day apparently and ordered 3 breakfast sandwiches…  he hadn't been told about climbing the bluff yet.

First, lets back up a few hours to my first solo attempt at filling one of my buck tags.  I had climbed to the top of the above mentioned bluff with my spotting scope the previous afternoon to see if I could find the buck that I had eyed while team Army were getting their does.  After a few scans with the binoculars, I found him bedded down.  I was near the skyline and he had probably been watching me all along but he didn't seem too worried about me being there.  I was able to snap a couple pictures of him through the spotting scope and get a better look at his hardware.  I had decided that he was a better than average buck for the unit I was hunting and I would take him given the opportunity.  At about the same time, he stood up, looked around, and then leisurely started walking off.  I started packing and did a quick crawl off the crest of the bluff to where I could stand up out of his sight and make my move.  My plan was to cross the top of the bluff and go down the side out of his sight and then use one of the draws to get close enough for an interception on the direction he was headed.  It all worked beautifully and I was soon set up on the bipod waiting for him to come into view.  When he did, he was right at 350 yard.  I used my hold over point on the reticle and squeezed touched the trigger.  The shot broke clean, yet he stood there looking at dust.  He didn't stand for long and took off obviously untouched, right in my direction.  He stopped again at about 300 yards and I sent another one.  Dust again.  He had had enough at this point and bolted, almost right for me.  As I watched him running for me with 16x magnification, I was impressed with his headgear but ashamed of my shooting.  He gave me another chance, broadside, at about 200 yards after he passed me but I hit dirt for the third time.  After he went out of sight I started to check myself and the rifle assuming there was more of a problem than just horrible shooting.  I soon found my windage knob off 7 MOA and knew exactly what happened.  I missed him by 2 feet on the first shots.  I had the rifle up on my shoulder while coming down off the bluff and the turret had been turned by my backpack. I was glad it wasn't just my shooting ability but more so that I hit dirt each time rather than wounding him and having to go through that.  When I got back to the truck I set up a target and made sure that I was back on the right revolution of the windage knob's zero position. 

Lets just call him Mr. Lucky.

Our first spot the following morning with team USMC/Navy was back to my favorite spot.  When we were standing at the bottom of the bluff, Lima pointed out a couple does that had ran off the top and stopped at 100 yds to check us out.  I took a minute to explain to shoot first and point later…   Soon after the does ran off, three dogs came barreling down the hill.  These dogs along with my shootout with a buck the previous night in the same location must have been too much for the section, as there wasn’t another antelope on it.  We checked every corner.  We could count dozens just off the BLM section in each direction. 

We proceeded to check out some of the other isolated BLM sections.  The mileage added up in a hurry as some of them take a mile of walking to get to where you want to see.  Then a mile back.  On one occasion, I went back to get the truck for a pickup on the other side and sent my rookies over the hill with $8k worth of rifles and optics and the trusty GPS.  They actually pulled off a stalk and got a shot at a doe.  The shot wasn’t successful and they learned how small a does head is even at close range.  They got too close and couldn’t get enough elevation on the gun for clearance over the crest of the hill for a body shot, and the doe had them pegged.  I came around on the highway to witness the herd taking off at Mach2 and knew they must have got a shot.

Team USMC/Navy going over the hill.

After that, we took a look at some other sections and ended up on an HMA property.  HMA's in Wyoming are hunter management areas where you can get access to hunt private lands through the game and fish dept. We parked in the designated parking spot, with several antelope in sight every direction we could look.  We selected a herd and decided to try them.  Bravo was the designated shooter here since he was the only one granted permission for the HMA.  The HMA is flat as a pancake and I couldn’t figure out how we were going to pull it off, so we just started walking right toward them.  We were over a thousand yards starting off.  At about mid way, one doe peeled away from the herd and walked toward a water trough that happened to have a Mack truck parked next to it.  As she went behind the truck we closed some distance.  Then she popped out and ran like she saw us, and then turned and sneaked back up on the water trough.  This reminded me of the Impala in Africa and our host telling a story on how they think there is a crocodile in every water hole.  I knew there was something there she was afraid of, but was also thirsty.  She had no clue we were in the area.  Eventually she went behind the truck again and we closed from 500 to about 350.  We could then see her legs coming out so we got down.  She came walking out and was coming closer.  She stopped at around 315.  I had my range chart and told Bravo where to hold and he sent one.  The first shot wasn’t good and kicked up dust.  She ran in a circle and stopped in about the same spot.  Bravo sent another one, which landed perfectly on her shoulder.  Bravo had killed his first big animal, and the second antelope for my build #7 .264 Win Mag.  The 140 SST from the .264 did a superb job and we found very little damaged meat when we were skinning her despite going through the larger bone in the exit side leg.

Bravo, getting his first big game animal and antelope #2 for rifle #7

After getting her back to the truck, we decided to send Bravo and Lima in the other direction to see if it could be done twice with Bravo’s second tag.  We hadn’t noticed some cowboys driving cattle right through the middle of the next section.  The antelope were acting like bombs were going off, sprinting across the mile section in what seemed like seconds.  The stalk was a total failure.

Back to the truck, and to the section by the reservoir we went.  This resulted in about the 6^th mile hiked for the day with not much but a glimpse of antelope leaving the section for private land, and a rush back to the truck in hopes of catching them crossing the next square.  No luck there either.  We were pretty much done for the day but had to do another couple miles of hiking to my favorite spot again to convince ourselves.  That was a big day that wore us out.  Thai food time!  Our choice of staying in town as opposed to eating Mt House was starting to look like a grand plan.

The next morning we decided to let my favorite spot rest and hit some of the other ones before the weekend hunters trample them over.  Our first stop was the reservoir.  Pulling up to the reservoir, we saw some down drinking on what looked to be the edge of the public land.  It was hard to tell and there was a road that would take us much closer so we decided to drive it.  About half way down the road, Lima spots a single one well on public land out the left window from the back seat.   With all my antelope hunting wisdom, I smoothly just drive right by to the end of the levee where we could pull off and get out of sight.  With a quick walk back to the levee and a crawl up to the crest, we were in sight with a perfect prone rest.  The problem was the antelope looked 500 yards away.  I lasered her and was surprised to see a 325 pop up in the range finder.  Knowing that can’t be right I took an average of about a dozen more readings.  It was right.  There wasn’t much chance of getting closer without being seen so I coached Lima through a shot.  Then a second shot which connected with that distinct sound report.  Watching through the binoculars I could tell there was a lot of damage as she ran off.  I sent the guys in the direction she was running as she went out of sight under the eroded high water line of the reservoir.  She was never seen by any of us again, and we searched and searched.  While they were searching I had driven the truck over the levee and down the path all the fisherman had made.  We decided to send them back to the spot we shot from and I would go down to the water where they could hopefully put me in the spot she was shot at to start tracking.  As I walked back by the truck to grab the rangefinder to help get me in the right spot, I see her laying dead right next to where I parked.  At this point I realized why she was so hard to find and why she looked so far away.  She was on the little side, and that’s why the tags say doe/fawn on them.  Being by herself, we had no sense of scale on her and being rookies (me included) couldn’t put all the signs together.  I don’t really feel bad though because the day prior we had seen a couple fresh kill sites nearby which I am guessing included her mother.   Inspecting her, Lima had actually hit her both times.  There was what looked like a knife wound on the bottom of her neck where the bullet just barely broke the skin.  Lima’s second shot was right where it needed to be and exited mid body on the other side since she was slightly quartering.  The 180 Accubond from build #4 .300 WM was under matched in this case…

Lima's first antelope, #2 for rifle #4.

After filling Lima's one and only tag, we decided to start looking for a buck for me and would get Bravo another doe if the opportunity came.  We were running out of public sections and decided my favorite spot had rested enough…  As we were driving up on the highway we saw a herd on the edge of the public land where we usually parked while walking to the favorite section.  Noting their location as we drove by a second time, we came up with the plan to drive through the first section and park out of sight then try walking closer.  We made it to our goal location which was the perfect high ground about 400 yards from the edge of the public land and the herd didn’t seem to know we were there.  There was a herd buck that was very occupied with a smaller buck that was eying some of his 15-20 does.  He would chase this other buck off and then come back to his does.  This happened many times and was fun to watch, except that we were wanting to shoot him instead of watch him and the rock pile we were pinned down on wasn’t too comfortable.  As the bucks were doing their thing, the herd kept feeding closer to us and we realized that the next time the buck came back to round them back up he would both be in range and well within the public land boundaries.  As he did this, he stopped perfectly broadside and as I was about to pull the trigger he felt the urge for one more ½ mile jaunt over to say something to buck number 2.  The wait continued…   When he came back, he repeated his usual rounding up of the outer does and when he stopped this time the 140 SST from the .264 was en route.  It connected with a solid whack and the buck dropped in his tracks.  I immediately went back to coaching mode and grabbed the rangefinder and chart for the second rifle.  I picked out a doe that was away from the others and got Bravo on her.  The first shot hit dirt again in true USMC/Navy team fashion ;) but the herd hardly responded.  The second shot dropped her in her tracks as well.  The herd then actually ran right for us and stopped at 100 yards.  I very easily could have used my doe tag but decided having two on the ground would keep us plenty busy for a bit.  Bravo went back for the truck while Lima and I did some picture taking from our not so grassy knoll, and then met him at my buck.  While we were doing this, we could see Buck #2 leisurely walking in the direction the herd went.  I was pretty sure I could see a smile on his face even from ½ mile.  I then understood why these little bucks get such a herd of does in this hard to hunt, limited access unit.

The not so grassy knoll.  The buck was shot down near the windmill and the doe was to the left a ways.

Reenacting the shot.

Getting our first good look at him ( he had been spending more time far away than with the herd and the spotting scope stayed in the truck this time) we found him to be just an average buck for the unit.  I’ve yet to see a true big one up there so they all start looking big.  I was certainly happy with him though and he was certainly a tough herd buck from the pile of girlfriends he had, but there was also some ground shrinkage going on.  I was also a little disappointed with my shot placement as the bullet went right through the spine at the tenderloins.    I’m not sure what to blame there, as the duct tape holding the windage turret in place had done its job.  Bravo’s shot went right through the spine too.  I guess maybe we did it on purpose since we were pretty close to the edge of BLM property and didn't want them to wonder onto public land.   If anybody is still counting, #4 and #7 had each just killed their 3^rd antelope.  Getting them into the cooler, we realized how nice it is being able to drive the truck with camper right to them.  Running water has its virtues, as well as not needing the back pack.  When the tasks were complete, we decided to eat our sandwiches on the way back to town to get out of the hotel rooms and get more ice on the meat.  Our new plan was to stay in Fort Collins that night to get them closer to Denver for Sunday when they would be back to work instructing cross country flights back to Mississippi.  I think they even did the responsible thing and checked on their students when we got back to a cell signal. 

My first buck for the season, antelope #3 for build #7.  Rifle #4 on the left.

Bravo's second doe relocated for the picture, antelope #3 for rifle #4.

We spent the rest of the afternoon looking for my second buck but had no luck.  We did find a couple more sections of public land we could get to through so it wasn’t a total loss.

Round 3:  Solo day trip for my second Buck

After getting the USMC/Navy team on their way with packaged meat, I rested my legs for the rest of the day and talked myself into a day trip the following day.  When I got up to the area in the morning, my plan was to hit up the reservoir section as I knew there were a couple bucks that liked to be around there in the mornings.  As I pulled off the road and onto the BLM section, I stopped to glass the square mile section.  Sure enough, I see the white butt of a buck going cross country at a walking pace.  About the same time, I see another truck driving right through the section.  I drove further and parked to get a look at it from another angle and see if I could see where the buck went if the truck spooked him.  As I was looking for the buck, the truck pulled up and "Red" from Oklahoma got out.  We had quite a conversation about antelope hunting and I told him he had to have driven right passed the buck but he never saw it.  We wished each other luck and went separate directions.   I went to an adjacent public section thinking I might spot the buck crossing it but never saw him.  I did find a bunch of does bedded down, which would have been a simple thing with that doe tag in my pocket.  I was after a buck though and decided to keep hunting.  So to my favorite spot I went. :)

It wasn't too long once I got onto the section that I slowly crested the ridge above one of the draws and saw a herd up feeding.  I got back down and was pretty sure they never saw me.  I went down the back side of the ridge and made my move toward them with the ridge between us.  When I felt like I would be close, I crawled over the ridge, using the rifle up on its bipod as my fourth limb.  As I crested the ridge, I saw the tops of their heads.  I was close.  Maybe too close, at about 100 yards.  I stayed low and may have been busted as a few of the does started moving.  The direction they chose was going to have them crossing the ridge below me and soon I would be in plain sight.  I chose a spot and got into position for a shot but they never came.  It wasn't long before I figured out they were playing me and would be headed in the opposite direction.  I made my way back up to the crest of the ridge and sure enough, they were single filing it out of town, but at a walk.  The buck was in the back and all I could see from my spot was heads.  I had to crawl higher before I would be able to take a nice body shot.  There was a short distance when they went lower, out of sight,  and I was able to quickly make my move.  When they reappeared I was ready and put one of the 140 SST's right where it needed to go.  The buck soon fell and I had pulled off my combo.  I looked up at the does standing at about 200 yards and was tempted to shoot one and then realized I was by myself, over a mile from the truck and didn't need to pack two out of there.  My next thought was that my doe tag would just be a donation to the game and fish dept. and I would let her live and  have another fawn next year.  I guess that is why the published success rates for these units is always around 98%.  When I got to the buck, I confirmed his identity as Mr. Lucky which was the third time I had caught him in the same location. 

A little closer look at Mr. Lucky.  Antelope #4 for Rifle #7.

This background should look familiar by now.

A great ending to our 2012 antelope season.

Keywords: SR#4, SR#7