WY Antelope Hunt-Son\'s First Hunt
My son and I headed for WY to hunt some goats. We won a guided trip at a sport show last winter and were very, very excited about this hunt. It was my son's first hunt in his life where he could shoot, he just turned 12 yrs old. He has been along with me for the last 5 years hunting deer, elk, and antelope and couldn't wait for this day he could hunt/shoot.
Day one was glassing and glassing, but nothing over 14 1/2 inches. We looked at 100+ bucks, no kidding! The drought here had hurt the horn growth this year.
Sunday we lowered the bar on what we were looking for to shoot, anything at or over 14 inches with mass and good cutters(pronges). Finally Sun am we spotted a nice 14 inch buck with good mass and cutters. My son was ready to shoot after sitting for a day and a half.
We parked the truck and walked over a ridge and the buck busted us, he slowly walked away down the hill. I put ear plugs in my sons ears while he was getting the gun ready. The guide ranged the buck now at 260 yds and said to Casey not to shoot, we can get a better, closer shot than the 260 yds. As soon as the guide finished his sentence, BOOM! Casey had shot. We look down the hill and the antelope just crumbled, straight down. Apparently, I had put the ear plugs in too good because he didn't hear a word the guide said and knew he could hit the goat. That's funny! What a shot, 1st animal of his life. He was shooting a Rem 7mm-08 Mountain Rifle with 120 gr Barnes Triple Shocks. Was 13 7/8 on one side and 14 1/8 on the other and really heavy. Wound showing is the exit hole, antelope turned 1/4 towards us to look back and whack! Second picture shows the ridge Casey shot from.
Next it's off to get my goat, but I really didn't care because I was so happy for Casey. He was sad because he had to put his gun away, for a week anyway. Deer and elk opens next weekend.
We found another goat a while later standing only 50 yds away and he was nice. By the time I got ready, he spooked and was now 602 yds away. I was ready to shoot, but he never stopped walking and then he walked over a ridge and I didn't get a shot. I walked over to the ridge (off my right shoulder in the picture) where he was and there he was, now 570 yds away, right out in the flats. I set up my 270 AM, 17 clicks up, no to light wind, and let it fly. I looked in the scope and saw the hit, the guide saw dirt fly and said that I shot over the back. I told him I didn't think so, the goat took 4 or 5 walking steps and dropped. The 270 Allen Mag with 140 gr AB's did it, no problem.
What a hunt, 2 days with my son, 2 shots, 2 antelope and a memory I'll never forget.
Yes, his goat is bigger than mine, mine was 14/1/8 and 14 1/4 but not near the mass or cutters, I'm glad.
My son and I headed for WY to hunt some goats. We won a guided trip at a sport show last winter and were very, very excited about this hunt. It was my son's first hunt in his life where he could shoot, he just turned 12 yrs old. He has been along with me for the last 5 years hunting deer, elk, and antelope and couldn't wait for this day he could hunt/shoot.
Day one was glassing and glassing, but nothing over 14 1/2 inches. We looked at 100+ bucks, no kidding! The drought here had hurt the horn growth this year.
Sunday we lowered the bar on what we were looking for to shoot, anything at or over 14 inches with mass and good cutters(pronges). Finally Sun am we spotted a nice 14 inch buck with good mass and cutters. My son was ready to shoot after sitting for a day and a half.
We parked the truck and walked over a ridge and the buck busted us, he slowly walked away down the hill. I put ear plugs in my sons ears while he was getting the gun ready. The guide ranged the buck now at 260 yds and said to Casey not to shoot, we can get a better, closer shot than the 260 yds. As soon as the guide finished his sentence, BOOM! Casey had shot. We look down the hill and the antelope just crumbled, straight down. Apparently, I had put the ear plugs in too good because he didn't hear a word the guide said and knew he could hit the goat. That's funny! What a shot, 1st animal of his life. He was shooting a Rem 7mm-08 Mountain Rifle with 120 gr Barnes Triple Shocks. Was 13 7/8 on one side and 14 1/8 on the other and really heavy. Wound showing is the exit hole, antelope turned 1/4 towards us to look back and whack! Second picture shows the ridge Casey shot from.
Next it's off to get my goat, but I really didn't care because I was so happy for Casey. He was sad because he had to put his gun away, for a week anyway. Deer and elk opens next weekend.
We found another goat a while later standing only 50 yds away and he was nice. By the time I got ready, he spooked and was now 602 yds away. I was ready to shoot, but he never stopped walking and then he walked over a ridge and I didn't get a shot. I walked over to the ridge (off my right shoulder in the picture) where he was and there he was, now 570 yds away, right out in the flats. I set up my 270 AM, 17 clicks up, no to light wind, and let it fly. I looked in the scope and saw the hit, the guide saw dirt fly and said that I shot over the back. I told him I didn't think so, the goat took 4 or 5 walking steps and dropped. The 270 Allen Mag with 140 gr AB's did it, no problem.
What a hunt, 2 days with my son, 2 shots, 2 antelope and a memory I'll never forget.
Yes, his goat is bigger than mine, mine was 14/1/8 and 14 1/4 but not near the mass or cutters, I'm glad.
