Antelope season 07 [Archive]

DanWalker

09-18-2007, 04:26 PM

Hi guys,
Just got done filling me second antelope tag. Now I'm done with them for the year.
I covered about 6 miles on foot yesterday, and couldn't find a dry doe. I was within handgun range of probably 20 different bucks before I finally found a shootable doe. I was running out of time and daylight, so I took the easy way out and shot her with my 7mm08, loaded with nosler ballistic tips. One sitting 150 yard shot through the lungs, and she dropped on the spot.
I shot my second doe this morning, with the 45. I planted a 320gr cast boolit low behind her shoulder from about 40 yards out. She was obviously hit hard, but was still struggling to stand. I ended her suffering with 2 quick shots from my win 94 45LC. It was also loaded with 320's.
I'm thinking I need to up the velocity a bit on the handgun loads. The 320's, when pushed to 1400-1500 fps from the rifle are just devastating. She's the second goat i've shot with the handgun and mild velocity loads. Both required extra shots to put down. I'm not one for causing unnecessary suffering.
Here's a couple pics for you guys. The first is a herd of juvenile bucks that I snuck up on. I sat and watched them for 20 minutes, as they fed around me. I was within 35 yards and could've easily shot one if I had a tag. instead, I just enjoyed watching them. they're looking at me in the pic because my camera beeps as it takes pics. I took several pics of them, and finally had to stand up to shoo them away.
Anyhow,
I'm off after mule deer in the morning with my bow.
Y'all have a great day.

rugerman1

09-18-2007, 09:16 PM

Nice Dan! :drinks:

frank505

09-19-2007, 11:24 AM

Ive shot and seen shot with a 45 and a 310 Keith loaded to about 1200 fps. plus quite a few mule deer. I doubt more velocity is gonna be better. Cast bullets from a revolver don't kill as fast as high velocity rifle, sometimes. Antelope are just tough anyway, I shot one at 10 yards one time and knocked him downhill. He was dead before I could get up. Another at 5 yards took a 310 through the shoulders and stood, legs splayed for several seconds before trying to run. Can't run with broken shoulders and huge blood loss. Another one with the 270 SAA at about 125 yards, she kinda wobbled a 100 yards or less and tipped over. Exit shoulder was broken, entered just in front of the diaghram and traversed the lungs. Would have bet a cold one she was dead broadside when I shot. Keep hunting with an ironsighted handgun, it is just too much fun and besides it irritates the crowd shooting the short rifles using rifle cartridges. And where are you in Wyo?

DanWalker

09-19-2007, 01:13 PM

I'm in Casper Frank.
After sitting and replaying the scene over in my mind a few times, I can't really blame the boolit or velocity. My placement was actually pretty poor. I hit her low and far back with the handgun shot. I think the bullet wound visible on her belly, just in front of the paunch is from the pistol. The two holes real close together, visible just below the trigger guard on the pistol are exits from the rifle. I normally try to place my shots so that at least one shoulder is broken. In this instance I hit neither of them. I'm still new to big game hunting with a handgun. I've not completely switched over yet. I normally carry a rifle with me just in case I mess up on an animal. I got so rattled when she didn't drop that I forgot to aim for a shoulder with the winchester. I must've flinched when I shot with the pistol because my shot hit low and left, usually a sign of me jerking the trigger. I imagine things would've gone differently had I hit her where I was supposed to the first time. A follow up shot with the pistol, properly placed would've finished things as well, I suspect.
Adrenaline is a wonderful thing, but it sure makes handgun shooting a challenge.

frank505

09-19-2007, 02:09 PM

it is ok, without the adrenaline you might as well stay home and watch the "game" or something else that is pointless. It is perfectly ok to carry a rifle for a while, shoot shoot shoot and shoot some more with your sixgun. How about prairie dogs, picket pins, rockchucks, rabbits and any other varmint there is. The more you shoot, the better you get and it gives you more confidence. We have a banner year with cottontails, so you can get some running shots in.

DanWalker

09-19-2007, 05:33 PM

How about prairie dogs, picket pins, rockchucks, rabbits and any other varmint there is. The more you shoot, the better you get and it gives you more confidence. We have a banner year with cottontails, so you can get some running shots in.

I've shot all of the above with my 45. I've made a couple of those"you gotta be kidding me!" shots on prairie dogs with it.
I've small game hunted with handguns for a number of years. I'm hoping to do some coyote hunting with handguns this year also.
That's what's so humbling about making a poor shot on something as big as an antelope.
Oh well, if it was easy, I'd get bored with it. That's probably why my 7mm08 sees so little time out of the safe anymore. Monday was the first time it had been fired in over a year.

longuner

09-20-2007, 07:50 PM

yes shoot as much as possible, the more the better.

scrapcan

09-21-2007, 11:50 AM

Dan nice going. On your hunting the speed goat, don't feel bad. You just did better than half the guys that are shooting some monster mag because someone told them they need it to shoot way out there to kill the speed goat. You done good and you proved we still have hunters amongst us.

If more of them were hunters there would be less chasing and alot less scared game that takes off before you get within a mile of them.

Which are did you hunt for antelope? Looks like she will be good eating as the forage is pretty good in the area you shot her in. But you just never know with the old speed goat, you could run one for hours and it will be good and the next one you shot while it was lazing away on a knoll and it will be too gamey to even cook in the house.

I lived on antelope for a couple years while at college in Laramie, and still like to eat it. We could get 1 buck tag and additional doe/fawn tags (as many as 6 one year)as the herd was a bit over populated at the time. Everyone wanted to shoot elk and deer, I decided it was just as good to shoot antelope and then I could hunt and process it in one day, then repeat as necessary.

When is the chili feed at your house?

DanWalker

09-21-2007, 03:42 PM

I hunted area 73. It's awful crowded out there on the opening weekends, but if you get away from the roads, you lose 90% of the "hunters".
Chili feed is gonna have to wait a couple weeks. I just sent 45nut the last of my antelope meat from my freezer. Now I gotta wait for the processors to get done with the 2 from this year.

Linstrum

09-21-2007, 05:20 PM

Wow! Now that is nice!

MT Gianni

09-21-2007, 09:41 PM

Nice shooting Dan. I have seen the bucks start to herd up and rut this week, lots of fun to see them get possesive and territorial. Gianni

DanWalker

09-22-2007, 12:45 AM

They are rutting hard here. Both does I shot had VERY irate boyfriends who stood 50-75 yards away loudly berating me while I field dressed and loaded their honeys in the game cart.

6pt-sika

09-22-2007, 02:48 AM

DanWalker

09-22-2007, 10:36 AM

Dan , nice :drinks:

I have a buddy that lives in Buffalo WY and he's been after ne for about three years to come out with a lever action or two loaded with cast bullets and peep sights to do a little antelope hunting . After seeing what you have done I may have to go on out with him !

Be kinda neat to wack one at about 100 yards with my tang sighted 38-55 or 45-70 !
Let me knw when you're headed this way. I'd be glad to tag along and help where required. If not, I'd still be glad to buy you a cup of coffee. It don't take much prodding for me to drive up there, considering the bighorn mountains are a 20 minute drive from there.
Also, getting close to antelope isn't really super hard. Just use the terrain to your advantage, watch the wind, and try to figure out which way they're headed, and circle in front of them, and let them come to you.
The hardest goats to stalk are the ones bedded in a group. They usually bed in areas offering them great visibility. They also always bed in a rough circle, with a few sentries posted out a bit. It's nigh on impossible to sneak up on them without being seen or scented.
I suspect antegoats got the impression of being hard to stalk from the time honored tradition of plugging them over the hood of your truck. MOST folks around here just drive out, get as close to the herd as they can in their truck, and lay over the hood and start blasting. Some now do the same thing from their 4 wheelers. A few will actually get out and walk a bit to get to the goats, but it isn't very many. I wasn't raised hunting that way, so when I came out here 5 years ago, I just started hunting them like deer or hogs, or anything else I've hunted growing up. Suprise suprise, I was immediately successful.

6pt-sika

09-22-2007, 08:54 PM

[QUOTE=DanWalker;225534]Let me knw when you're headed this way. I'd be glad to tag along and help where required. If not, I'd still be glad to buy you a cup of coffee. It don't take much prodding for me to drive up there, considering the bighorn mountains are a 20 minute drive from there.

Dan , thanks for the offer !

If I come out I will be sure to send you an email or post something about 6 months before !

My buddy there tells me to apply for a antelope buck tag and then purchase one or two doe tags as well . I have never taken an antelope .
So it was my thinking if I were to do the trip , take a scoped rifle for the buck and then a peep or tang sighted lever for the does .

I have a Marlin 1893 in 32-40 that I would love use on the prarie goats , but I'm scared to carry it on a commercial plane . If they loose my 1895CB , that is no problem to replace or the 308 Marlin Express . But my old old guns I hate to think of taking them on a plane :???:

Scrounger

09-22-2007, 09:46 PM

[quote=DanWalker;225534]Let me knw when you're headed this way. I'd be glad to tag along and help where required. If not, I'd still be glad to buy you a cup of coffee. It don't take much prodding for me to drive up there, considering the bighorn mountains are a 20 minute drive from there.

Dan , thanks for the offer !

If I come out I will be sure to send you an email or post something about 6 months before !

My buddy there tells me to apply for a antelope buck tag and then purchase one or two doe tags as well . I have never taken an antelope .
So it was my thinking if I were to do the trip , take a scoped rifle for the buck and then a peep or tang sighted lever for the does .

I have a Marlin 1893 in 32-40 that I would love use on the prarie goats , but I'm scared to carry it on a commercial plane . If they loose my 1895CB , that is no problem to replace or the 308 Marlin Express . But my old old guns I hate to think of taking them on a plane :???:

Think goat.

6pt-sika

09-22-2007, 10:25 PM

I'm thinking this lever action silhouette thing I seem to have gotten myself involved in will really help me with taking a prarie goat with a peep sighted rifle .

I think at the moment I am comfortable shooting at one out to 100 yards . And I think after the upcoming season I should be comfortable out to 125-150 yards . After 150 yards I would prefer not shooting at a living ( unwounded ) animal with peep or tang sights .

DanWalker

10-07-2007, 04:00 PM