10 months ago I put together a "budget" hunt and it was to be my first trip out of state hunting and my first trip out west. The first thing I learned about budget hunts is, you'll probably blow the budget unless you have everything you need and you buy a lot of stuff you won't need.
Tim, Kevin and I set out from Michigan on a 20 something hour drive to Wyoming to chase Antelope we had public land to hunt and one ranch to try. When doing a 20 hour drive you learn everything gets more funny the farther into the trip you get, and South Dakota has to be the LONGEST state to drive through!! But we made it with no issues and soon found ourselves on a ranch with quite the "colorful" rancher. Kevin managed to put down a great Antelope on the first day and we saw more animals than we thought was possible.
Antelope seem almost out of place like something that belong in Africa, but you soon get use to them and stop slamming on the brakes every 20 yards with binos and cameras hanging out the truck windows. I can't say the same for Mulie bucks though, I'd gladly get yelled at for holding up traffic to glass them. :D
I learned quite a bit about wind and arrow flight, as I missed one antelope buck due to a 30-40mph "breeze". I also had one hit that was terrible due to the antelope either catching me moving or just jumping the string it seemed to me they are much more skittish in the wind then a whitetail or mulie. I watched as I wounded a nice buck, which after looking for a full day went unrecovered. (Much thanks to Tim and Kevin, who hiked their butts off helping me look) I spent some time in camp shooting and getting in tune with the wind.
The next day I managed to get a clean 17 yard shot at a nice Antelope as he came through a gate. Quartering away my 51# Selway Lil Magnum pushed a CE150 with a Abowyer "bonehead" through him entering behind the ribs taking out his liver and everything in it's path, upon exit it sliced the front leg bone almost in half! My buck expired in a few second and 58 yards from the spot I shot him.
I was a little nervous shooting a single bevel broadhead and not getting a decent blood trail but my fear was put at ease with the path I had!
I spend a few days hiking public land, found a nice mulie shed (a prize to me!) almost had a shot at a mulie doe, and throughly enjoyed learning to spot and stalk in areas with almost no cover.
I can't thank my buds enough for putting up with me that long, and those that helped and gave advice!
Wyoming is a beautiful state, and I think those Mulies got in my blood and I'll be back!
KME sharpened Abowyer Bonehead did the job!
Wandering in the Bighorns, at least at the elevations my lungs and legs could handle. :eek:
Topic: Wyoming, an Antelope adventure and "out west" learning experience (Read 1348 times)
