Jacob got his antelope

[idahoron]

Well today was the first day of Jacobs first antelope hunt. It was also his first time to hunt them with a muzzleloader. We have scouted a lot this summer and saw a lot of bucks. As his hunt grew near the water and the bucks in the area were in short supply. To top off a little bad luck it rained the last couple of days so the antelope were not on water, and I forgot Jacobs’s shooting sticks. Well I found a couple of alder sticks on the road to his area, and made a set of shooting sticks with a string.

For this hunt we decided to try a new tactic. We were going to hunt scrapes. We found a spot that had a lot of sign and the bucks had scraped and peed there a bunch. We sat up a blind and we set out a decoy. We saw a few does at first light. At about 9:30 I look over and told Jacob that a buck was here.
He asked about shooting it and I told him it was his hunt he would need to decide for him self. Soon he said I am going to try it. I was watching out of a hole in the blind. I had used the range finder and he had the yardage, he set the sight for 86 yards, and all that was left was to get into shooting position without being seen. This is what the antelope saw.

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Antelope%202012/Jacobshunt06.jpg

He eased the rifle up and the antelope had him pegged. The buck stared at us and I thought at any second he would bolt. The buck turned his head and Jacob got the big 50 on the shooting sticks. I heard the hammer cock. I heard the set trigger snap. I eased my finger into my left ear and watched. At the shot I saw the bucks whole left side sink in. I saw the buck thrown sideways a step. A huge hunk of hair was hanging in the air. I also saw the bullet skip at least four times across the dirt and grass kicking up dust. The buck was on the run now. Jacob said I could not have missed! I said, “you didn’t”. The buck wobbled and I saw the blood coming out of a hole in his ribs. A couple more steps and the buck was down. The big 460 grain Paper Patched slug had done the job.

He was so happy he had a smile all over his face. He had just killed his first Muzzleloader antelope buck. I was way more than excited for him. Ron

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Antelope%202012/Jacobshunt11.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Antelope%202012/Jacobshunt07.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Antelope%202012/Jacobshunt08.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Antelope%202012/Jacobshunt02.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Antelope%202012/Jacobshunt05.jpg

[garbear]

Thanks for sharing. I have never hunted speed goats. They re on my list.
Garbear

[smoked turkey]

Wonderful hunting story! I am excited for both of you. What a memory. I have a feeling it won't be his last. Congradulations on a job well done.

[Hellgate]

I don't know you guys from Adam but I am almost in tears with pride for both the father and son. What a great hunt. Doing it the old fashioned way, scouting, looking for sign, camo-ing your selves, making a blind, improvising the shooting sticks and plugging the buck. No mean feat. What a wonderful life long memory that will make.

I have similar memories with my dad (he's gone now) and they are precious. Thanks for showing such a wonderful adventure. Gotta go. starting to blubber.....

[JeffinNZ]

What a fantastic set up. Great going.

[Hickory]

Once, while shooting prairie dogs in the Conata Basin of South Dakota off the abandon
railroad track, a half dozen of these antelope showed up where I was shooting.
The sound of the shooting did not disturb them one bit. Only when
I stood up did they take off at warp speed. Wouldn't mind shooting one sometime.

[waksupi]

Congratulations, but Lordy! I would be afraid to be out in camo with a decoy during a rifle season.

[newton]

I can only imagine what its like to hunt them critters. Its on my to do list, but I know that hunting anything in the open like that is an accomplishment. And to get as close as you did without a full enclosed blind, two people to boot, is pretty good. But from what I have read on here, if that goat had been further away it would not have been a problem with your set up.

That's got to be exciting for your son and you. I can't wait till my son is at the age where we can go hunting like that. I know a lot of guys get their kids hunting as soon as they can walk, and while my kids have all been hunting with me from an early age, they will all have to show maturity before I put the gun in their hands. Its an honor and privilege to take an animal like that. I bet your proud.

Not to mention the fact that those boolits sure did put the smack down on that guy! Its nice to see that you hit an animal when you shoot, and with a boolit like the one your using its a sure thing.

[gkainz]

I hunt pronghorn in WY regular rifle, but muzzleloading looks like fun! (Got my CO muley buck with my TC Hawkins .50 couple of week ago).
Congrats!
Tell me about that rear peep sight? My old eyes need something like that now.
Greg

[Hanshi]

Congratulations! Great hunting and shooting.

[swheeler]

Way to go Ron and Jacob! Your blind is a very good match to the sagebrush, stealth man stealth. I've flashed pronghorn with the lid of a snoose can before and had them come in for a look see, curious animals. You both did good!

[idahoron]

Thanks guys. This was a super hunt for me for so many reasons. Jacob is such a great kid he deserved it. He has been a life guard for a couple years at the city pool. This summer he taught swimming lessons for free for his Senior Project, and he started a fund raiser to install a new diving board, slide, pool filter, and new life guard equipment. He spent all summer working three jobs and fund raising which he raised $15,000 for the city pool upgrade project. He was so busy that he only got to go fishing a couple times. This hunt gave us several scouting trips and the hunt. Like I said he is a good kid.
Ron

[swheeler]

Ron; looks to me you did fine on both counts, hunting and raising a son, you should be proud.

[Ernest]

simply WONDERFUL congratulations.

[horsesoldier]

Congrats!!!

[Boerrancher]

Ron, a congratulations is due to both Jacob and you. Jacob for a successful hunt, and you for raising such a fine boy. Thank you for sharing the hunt. I have some wonderful memories of hunts with my father. Now that he is gone I cherish each one, as I am sure Jacob will in the years to come

Best wishes,

Joe

[Roundnoser]

I see he has the head caped out. Looks like its gonna be a wall hanger! Nice job. Congrats on a clean harvest.

[roverboy]

Congratulations to Jacob. Thats a good'un. I've wanted to hunt antelope for a long time.

[RhodeHunter]

Congratulations to you both, and thanks for sharing!! Can't wait to get out in the woods with my kids someday. My son has expressed some interest in taking the hunters safety course, so it just might happen in the next couple years if I'm lucky.

[idahoron]

When my son gets tags I don't even plan on hunts for my self. You will enjoy it a bunch. I can't wait for grand kids. Ron

[starmac]

Kudos to you both on outfoxing the goat, and thanks for sharing.

I too would like to hear the lowdown on the peep sight.

[idahoron]

The peep is a Lyman 57 SML. The front sight is a Lyman 17aml with Lee Shavers BPCR inserts. These sights are adjustable in the field and they are sighted in out to 300 yards. Ron

[4719dave]

WOW that is sweettttt .nothing like a PROUD DAD AND HIS KID .congrats on the hunt .That sure looks fun .