SHIVAN
10-18-09, 09:00
Just got back from my Wyoming hunt, and harvested a very nice, though non-trophy antelope.
Day 1 - Arrived in Rapid City, SD on 9-OCT and drove the ~150 miles to Gillette, WY. WX - light snow 1-3" accumulation, 11ºF and 20-40 knot winds. Stopped in Spearfish, SD to replace window washer fluid with something rated for minus-35 degrees. Determined that rental Nissan Armada with Continental Contitrak tires was a suspect performer in snow.
Day 2 - Sighted the rifles in for 100yds at T&T Guns on Wyodak Rd., only to find that the nuts on my front scope ring had been vibrated loose during travel. Any time you travel with guns in storage on a plane, ALWAYS, ALWAYS verify zero after arrival. I tightened it up and got a good group in 12º weather, shooting Black Hills Gold 168gr Barnes TSX.
We hit Subway for lunch and headed the 25 miles out to our hunting spot to check-in with the landowner (Helen M.) around 1pm.
Arrived at 1:09pm, chatted up the landowner's son, and got to see the damndest call in of four mule deer. Using a fawn bleet, four does were called to within 20 feet. The lead doe had me in her sights and as I un-assed my position, they retreated. :D Apparently everyone, except me, found the proposition of me being disemboweled very funny and thought I should have stood my ground.
By 1:30pm we were checked in, licenses signed off, trepass fee paid, and obligatory presents delivered. Heard the stories of some Nebraska hunters who claimed there were no antelope on the property and got the unbelievable offer to shoot some antelope RFN.
Since we're always ready for some good antelope shootin' we took Helen up on her offer.
With rifles loaded, but none in the chamber we headed out with J.T. in the lead vehicle with Helen. R.M. and I were chasing in the Nissan. Helen dropped J.T. out on a group of speed goat, but they bolted at the sight of the trailing SUV. J.T. remounted and Helen dropped him on the same group a few hundred yards further down the trail. J.T. took a kneeling position on the trail, and had a nice buck staring directly at him from under 50yds. J.T. held his position for another second and the buck turned to give him a perpendicular shot in the boiler room.
J.T.'s .243 Winchester delivered the shot perfectly, and we had our first confirmed kill no more than 15 minutes after check-in.
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Joe_antelope.jpg
J.T. with his first antelope, and our first of the 2009 season.
R.M. was up next with me trailing in the Nissan. Helen again delivered us on to a group of antelope, and R.M. stalked them over the crest of a hill.
Helen told me to get in while R.M. stalked and set me up on a large group of 25-30 speed goat who were nearly 150yds out and jogging away and to my left. As they approached 200yds I had a good line on a moving buck, but my shot went just under his chest. Helen told me that I slammed the door on exit and it caused them to move so quickly away.
She took me 400yds further down the road and set me up on a group of 20 antelopes, with several nice black faced bucks in the group. She indicated that the 3rd one in from the rear was a good shooter, and that I needed to remember to not slam the door and shoot quickly.
As I exited on to the trail and took a knee, I forgot and slammed the door. :mad: It didn't matter. The buck was jogging away from me at an oblique angle, I aimed in back of the moving buck's left ribcage, squeezed the trigger, and the AR-10 delivered a 168gr Barnes TSX to the left rear quarter, behind the ribs, nicking the large intestine but into the liver and right lung. Making for a quick and deadly shot. DRT @ 115yds.
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Ed_antelope.jpg
Me, with my third antelope from Wyoming, wearing "urban camo"...
R.M. stalked the antelope, but was unable to develop a shot at over 400yds due to their speed of exiting the area. Helen picked him up again, and set him on a large group of mature bucks and does, near one of her many wellheads. R.M. had what he described as the textbook shot on an excellent buck standing broadside at 165yds. His Thompson .308 Win delivered it's 165gr Silver Tip perfectly.
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Ryan_antelope.jpg
R.M. with the best of the 2009 harvest
By 2:10pm we had all the animals loaded up and were headed back to the hut to gut, skin and butcher them. By 6pm on day 2, we were completely filled out and very satisfied. As you can tell by the pictures, we did this hunt with very little prep due to the circumstances. We all had plenty of camo and gear, but never needed it with Helen's assistance and setting up of the bucks.
Both R.M. and J.T. wanted to pose with their antelope in mujahideen-style, due to their tours in Afghanistan and work alongside 10th Mountain and 7th group as Combat Engineers. Here were the pics:
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Ryan_muja.jpg
Mujahideen style, sans horses
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Joe_muja.jpg
Mujahideen style, sans horses
I'll post some other pics later of our photo safari to Custer State Park, SD and Devil's Tower, WY.
Day 1 - Arrived in Rapid City, SD on 9-OCT and drove the ~150 miles to Gillette, WY. WX - light snow 1-3" accumulation, 11ºF and 20-40 knot winds. Stopped in Spearfish, SD to replace window washer fluid with something rated for minus-35 degrees. Determined that rental Nissan Armada with Continental Contitrak tires was a suspect performer in snow.
Day 2 - Sighted the rifles in for 100yds at T&T Guns on Wyodak Rd., only to find that the nuts on my front scope ring had been vibrated loose during travel. Any time you travel with guns in storage on a plane, ALWAYS, ALWAYS verify zero after arrival. I tightened it up and got a good group in 12º weather, shooting Black Hills Gold 168gr Barnes TSX.
We hit Subway for lunch and headed the 25 miles out to our hunting spot to check-in with the landowner (Helen M.) around 1pm.
Arrived at 1:09pm, chatted up the landowner's son, and got to see the damndest call in of four mule deer. Using a fawn bleet, four does were called to within 20 feet. The lead doe had me in her sights and as I un-assed my position, they retreated. :D Apparently everyone, except me, found the proposition of me being disemboweled very funny and thought I should have stood my ground.
By 1:30pm we were checked in, licenses signed off, trepass fee paid, and obligatory presents delivered. Heard the stories of some Nebraska hunters who claimed there were no antelope on the property and got the unbelievable offer to shoot some antelope RFN.
Since we're always ready for some good antelope shootin' we took Helen up on her offer.
With rifles loaded, but none in the chamber we headed out with J.T. in the lead vehicle with Helen. R.M. and I were chasing in the Nissan. Helen dropped J.T. out on a group of speed goat, but they bolted at the sight of the trailing SUV. J.T. remounted and Helen dropped him on the same group a few hundred yards further down the trail. J.T. took a kneeling position on the trail, and had a nice buck staring directly at him from under 50yds. J.T. held his position for another second and the buck turned to give him a perpendicular shot in the boiler room.
J.T.'s .243 Winchester delivered the shot perfectly, and we had our first confirmed kill no more than 15 minutes after check-in.
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Joe_antelope.jpg
J.T. with his first antelope, and our first of the 2009 season.
R.M. was up next with me trailing in the Nissan. Helen again delivered us on to a group of antelope, and R.M. stalked them over the crest of a hill.
Helen told me to get in while R.M. stalked and set me up on a large group of 25-30 speed goat who were nearly 150yds out and jogging away and to my left. As they approached 200yds I had a good line on a moving buck, but my shot went just under his chest. Helen told me that I slammed the door on exit and it caused them to move so quickly away.
She took me 400yds further down the road and set me up on a group of 20 antelopes, with several nice black faced bucks in the group. She indicated that the 3rd one in from the rear was a good shooter, and that I needed to remember to not slam the door and shoot quickly.
As I exited on to the trail and took a knee, I forgot and slammed the door. :mad: It didn't matter. The buck was jogging away from me at an oblique angle, I aimed in back of the moving buck's left ribcage, squeezed the trigger, and the AR-10 delivered a 168gr Barnes TSX to the left rear quarter, behind the ribs, nicking the large intestine but into the liver and right lung. Making for a quick and deadly shot. DRT @ 115yds.
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Ed_antelope.jpg
Me, with my third antelope from Wyoming, wearing "urban camo"...
R.M. stalked the antelope, but was unable to develop a shot at over 400yds due to their speed of exiting the area. Helen picked him up again, and set him on a large group of mature bucks and does, near one of her many wellheads. R.M. had what he described as the textbook shot on an excellent buck standing broadside at 165yds. His Thompson .308 Win delivered it's 165gr Silver Tip perfectly.
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Ryan_antelope.jpg
R.M. with the best of the 2009 harvest
By 2:10pm we had all the animals loaded up and were headed back to the hut to gut, skin and butcher them. By 6pm on day 2, we were completely filled out and very satisfied. As you can tell by the pictures, we did this hunt with very little prep due to the circumstances. We all had plenty of camo and gear, but never needed it with Helen's assistance and setting up of the bucks.
Both R.M. and J.T. wanted to pose with their antelope in mujahideen-style, due to their tours in Afghanistan and work alongside 10th Mountain and 7th group as Combat Engineers. Here were the pics:
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Ryan_muja.jpg
Mujahideen style, sans horses
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/SHIVAN308/2009_WY/2009Joe_muja.jpg
Mujahideen style, sans horses
I'll post some other pics later of our photo safari to Custer State Park, SD and Devil's Tower, WY.