My Cousin Riley, Uncle Ronnie, Dad, Grandpa all took off yesterday morning the the book cliffs for our first ever antelope hunt any of us have ever been on. The morning started off pretty slow with only seeing 8 does with not even a little buck mixed in. We walked around a few places that looked like a good spot for them to lay down and close to water but couldnt turn anything up. We were driving down to a place where I had seen a pretty good goat on a few occasions and he was laying about 50 yards off the side of the road. Riley eased the door open on the truck, Slowly worked his way over to the bar ditch and sat down. layed the gun across his knees and boom... He got up and took off... He was mad he had flinched and shot about 3 feet over the top of his back. He says he flinched but I think it was buck fever. They took off so fast we didnt even know what direction they went when they headed over the hill. We looked around for him for a while but couldnt find them again. We were headed up to a high point to stop and glass around and eat some lunch when on the way I decided to do a short walk and have them pick Riley and I up on the other side. We made it just over the hill and walking down the ravine was a good buck. Riley sat down and I gave him my shooting sticks and he aimed for what seems like forever at the goat 200 yards away and touched one off and again shot over the top of him. The buck jumped in the air and ran about 50 yards and stopped and looked back at the dust. Riley shot again, Over the top. He got mad and threw the shooting sticks to me "I cant hit the Damn thing you shoot it if you want it." I started laughing and tried to talk him into one more shot but he wouldnt do it. By this time he had us figured out and was getting out of there. He stopped and gave us one last broadside look and 394 yards. I took a couple deep breaths and let one fly dropping him in his tracks with the 300 win mag. I think his shoulder hit the ground before anything else did. I found the slug lodged on the opposite side between the skin and ribcage. I hurried as fast as I could and got him field dressed and drug him to the truck to have him skinned, quartered and on ice in the coolers in about 30 minutes.
He is 14 1/2 tall and 7 1/4 bases. I dont know how to score him or I would post it.
So we get some lunch in us and head on down the road and there is a jack rabbit sitting under a bush about 200 yards out and I tell riley see if your gun is on. He lays his gun across his knees and boom.. "Well dude no more excuses." He wants that buck he missed earlier in the day so we head back down in the area he was and I see one of his does skylined so we stick the truck in a wash and keep a rocky point between them and us while all 5 of us sneak up on the point in hopes of getting a shot. we make it up there and get him settled in for a 250 yard shot and he just needs to clear the does. we only had to wait about 2 minutes and he was clear. I give riley the go ahead to shoot. Boom Whack, He just stands there. The does are headed to the next state and he walks behind some rocks and just stands there.... 10 minutes he is just standing there still and we cant get a follow up shot on him cause all we can see are his horns. I knew he was hit right behind the shoulder from watching in my bino's. So Riley and I sneak up around the point to see if we can get another shot on him. He is dead on his feet. We actually had to go push him over.. I have never heard of anything like it before but he only went about 20 feet after the shot and had all 4 legs spread out propping himself up.
Here are both of our bucks. Not too bad for 1st timers!
He is 14 1/2 tall and 7 1/4 bases. I dont know how to score him or I would post it.
So we get some lunch in us and head on down the road and there is a jack rabbit sitting under a bush about 200 yards out and I tell riley see if your gun is on. He lays his gun across his knees and boom.. "Well dude no more excuses." He wants that buck he missed earlier in the day so we head back down in the area he was and I see one of his does skylined so we stick the truck in a wash and keep a rocky point between them and us while all 5 of us sneak up on the point in hopes of getting a shot. we make it up there and get him settled in for a 250 yard shot and he just needs to clear the does. we only had to wait about 2 minutes and he was clear. I give riley the go ahead to shoot. Boom Whack, He just stands there. The does are headed to the next state and he walks behind some rocks and just stands there.... 10 minutes he is just standing there still and we cant get a follow up shot on him cause all we can see are his horns. I knew he was hit right behind the shoulder from watching in my bino's. So Riley and I sneak up around the point to see if we can get another shot on him. He is dead on his feet. We actually had to go push him over.. I have never heard of anything like it before but he only went about 20 feet after the shot and had all 4 legs spread out propping himself up.
Here are both of our bucks. Not too bad for 1st timers!
