predator
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Since the recent Eastman's only had my perspective, I thought I'd share with you Lori's story, as it was her first antelope hunt. Enjoy!
We were as excited as a couple of giggling schoolgirls as we planned our upcoming trip. What to wear, what to pack, which day to go, where to stay?. all in anticipation for my first Antelope hunt. While out on a Wild Turkey hunt in Nebraska my friend Lisa, a long time hunter, suggested I try antelope hunting. I was thrilled she would consider helping me on a first time hunt. This she offered with the caveat, ?that is if we draw our permits the chances are pretty low?. Obviously, this could give my friend a very polite way to back out after she had time to think about it.
The months ticked by in anticipation and then the phone call came, ?We?re going, can you believe it? You don't know how lucky we are to pull permits in such a great unit?. Heck, I would have been happy with an ?average? unit, but if Lisa said it was a great unit, it must be better than average. Then, I pondered, does great mean there are more antelope, the antelope are taller, prettier, or are the antelope going to be slow and friendly; like a goat looking for handouts in a petting zoo, making Lisa?s job much easier helping me get my first antelope? Well what ever the case would be, I was excited to get outdoors and enjoy a few days away with a good friend.
As the hunt day came closer the ?what to bring? list became longer. I have hunted in a few states for different game, but kneepads were a first for me. Do they come in my size and exactly why do I need these? Lisa patiently explained that the antelope like to be out in the open to give them plenty of running room and time to spot a predator. These open areas had Sage brush as our only cover, we would be doing a lot of crawling on our hands and knees to move in close, ?and by the way bring a good pair of leather gloves, there are a lot of cactus you know?. This trip was getting better, not only would I be going to a Great unit, I was going to crawl around on my hands and knees over rocks and cactus through Sage brush. I hope my butt isn't too big and shows above the Sage like a flag waving an alarm ?a clueless woman is coming, run pretty antelope, run?!
Then the question came up about which rifle would I use. ?What do you mean, which rifle? I only have one rifle.? ?Well then, what kind of rifle is it?, Lisa asked. ?It's black and silver??. I could just see Lisa on the end of the phone shaking her head. It had the numbers 2,3,4 that I did remember. Well, Lisa assured me it was a .243 and that would work. I use to hunt White Tail with my rifle, but I found it a bit boring and put my rifle up for a bow. I got out the rifle, dusted it off, and like any good woman, had my husband clean it. What kind of rounds should I buy? Lisa suggested a ?partitioned? round. ?Aw yes, the partitioned round.??! Those handsome young men at the sporting goods store are so helpful. Since my shot could have the very high probability that it would be 200 yards or more ?shooting sticks? were added to the list along with practice at this range with my new ?partitioned? ammo.
Okay, I am ready, the gear is packed, the gun is clean, and the ?scent free? camo is in the bag. ?Really, you think I should bring a cooler?. ?I mean, do you really think I'll be lucky my first hunt?? I decided to take two coolers, one for the meat and one for a head mount, just in case the antelope I might get was pretty and look nice up on the ?Dead Head? wall at the cabin. I don't keep this sort of thing at home for all the carpool moms to see, I'm sure they would be jealous.
The day was set and I packed the car, which was odd, I generally drive a big Suburban to have room for four children and groceries, but I was driving by myself with a gun, a duffle and a couple of coolers. Also there was the added benefit to the environment, as I would be burning a whole lot less gas on my nine hour drive. I phoned Lisa very early in the morning in all my excitement and made her synchronize our watches for an ETA of 6:00pm at our rendezvous point. She said a groggy ?good bye? to go back to bed, since she had only a four hour drive, and I hit the road for my nine hour journey with an audio book, how could I pass up idle time without a book?
The trip was beautiful, the sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the prairie and Bad Lands are breathtaking. Now, once again I remember why I love to get out and go hunting. The trip passed quickly(for one of us), and we pulled into the parking lot at the same time with the precision of a Cuisineart. The happy chatter ensued with girly girl hugs then we carried our guns into the motel to check in. I often wondered why two women out hunting elicit as many stares as two men out shopping. Men, I have to ask you this, when you are out shopping with another man are all the women as kind and helpful to you as men are to us with all their experience and advice? All the men that saw us during our three-day trip were helpful beyond belief. I am always afraid that my inexperience will make me look foolish to those who hunt more often, like men. I can honestly say that on a whole men are very supportive and patient about women hunting, at least more so than on a golf course.
My most pleasant surprise about Antelope hunting was that you do not have to get up early. No 4:00am wake up call to be out waiting an hour before the crack of dawn. This was going to be a fun hunt, in a Great unit, crawling on my hands and knees over rock and cactus, keeping my butt down in the sagebrush.
Lisa said the antelope like to sleep in and don't start moving until the sun is up and they have a little warmth. So, after the sun started to come up, off we went on our hunt.
We drove into a beautiful area with low hills and a small river. The hope was that the antelope would want to be near water. After about thirty minutes I saw antelope. We stopped several times to glass the beautiful animals. After a survey of twenty square miles, I realized that indeed this was a great unit. There were antelope everywhere, and sagebrush and cactus.
Through the advice that Lisa had gained from another hunter in this general area we had decided to spend the first day looking and observing. We decided we would pick out our biggest, prettiest buck and then on the second day shoot one that was better. We spent the entire day looking at bucks. I'd see one I thought had big horns and then Lisa would point out the location of the prong in relationship to the length of it's ears. I would see another with long horns and then see they were skinny, with a very short prong. Lisa would see one that had a lot of mass to its horn, but I wouldn't like it because it didn't have the pretty black check patch on the side of its face. Heck, it was Antelope shopping! Now, what woman doesn't like a good shopping trip with a good friend?
Lisa and I were able to move in quite close to several groups of antelope, (the knee pads and gloves were a godsend); at one point we were no more than 40 yards from a group. It was amazing to be up so close to this herd and observe their behavior. The bucks would work hard to keep their harem together and ward off a few young bucks moving in trying to get lucky with the ladies. At one point we saw two bucks wage a small war. This is why I go hunting. I could have left then and know I had had a fulfilling hunt. Day to day life behind a desk, dealing with deadlines, paying bills, caring for family all can become a fast blur; then you sit outside watching the sun move across the sky, a wildflower sway in the breeze, an antelope sniff the air, bound off and all is calm; time slows, blood pressure lowers, and all becomes distant, yet clearer. This is why I hunt.
After our first day of Antelope shopping the sun was getting low with evening coming soon when Lisa spots a buck she thinks will suit me. I take a look and I believe she is right, his horns are long the mass is tremendous and he has that really pretty black check patch on the side of his face! I look again; he is only thirty yards away! This can't be right, I spent two hours sighting my rifle in for a two hundred yard shot. The buck stops and looks at me, maybe unsure if he sees me and trying to catch my scent. A fence post is nearby, so I don't have to use the shooting sticks either! I look at Lisa and she gives the nod to take the shot. I steady my gun with the crosshairs on the kill-zone and squeeze the trigger. The shot echoes in my ear and the big bad buck bolts like he's shot out of a cannon. In shock I immediately throw my gaze toward Lisa, she drops her binoculars and turns toward me in disbelief, ?I can't believe I missed!?, ?I can't believe you missed either?. It was only thirty yards away, maybe I didn't aim low enough? My heart sinks, I've let her down. She has worked hard to make my first hunt successful and I miss. Lisa sees the dejected look on my face and replies; well maybe he just ran off over that hill and stopped. As I get ready to cry like a woman, she looks up from her glassing with excitement, ?What's that laying out there about fifty yards?? Lo and behold my first antelope! In our shock we took our eyes off the animal, it turns out I hit him, he jumped, bolted twenty yards and went down. Wow, I actually did it. Up close, he was a whole lot bigger. Lisa, an experienced hunter, quickly had the buck field dressed and caped out with very little help from me. She assured me he was a keeper!
The next day I could tell my friend felt the pressure was off. This is the sign of a good friend, one who feels the success of your first hunt comes before her first shot. Another beautiful day for Antelope shopping, the sun was out the wind was down and the weather was cool. At mid-day we came upon a buck that I thought would fit Lisa. She too was in agreement. Another beautiful buck quickly did the ?death flip?, I think this was Lisa?s name for it, sort of an icky name, but descriptive. Once again in the matter of minutes Lisa?s fine honed skills had another antelope dressed out and in the cooler.
After two full days of Antelope shopping and lots of catching up we parted company with plans to meet again soon for another wonderful adventure. Maybe another antelope hunt, for sure a turkey hunt, which I do often with a bow, but maybe I'll mention to Lisa my thought about a moose.
My first stop back at home was to the taxidermist. He opened my cooler and took out my prize. When he said, ?that's a nice antelope, a REALLY nice antelope? I smiled from ear to ear. I bet he says that to all the girls.
Thanks, Lori, for making this hunt so much fun!
Pred
We were as excited as a couple of giggling schoolgirls as we planned our upcoming trip. What to wear, what to pack, which day to go, where to stay?. all in anticipation for my first Antelope hunt. While out on a Wild Turkey hunt in Nebraska my friend Lisa, a long time hunter, suggested I try antelope hunting. I was thrilled she would consider helping me on a first time hunt. This she offered with the caveat, ?that is if we draw our permits the chances are pretty low?. Obviously, this could give my friend a very polite way to back out after she had time to think about it.
The months ticked by in anticipation and then the phone call came, ?We?re going, can you believe it? You don't know how lucky we are to pull permits in such a great unit?. Heck, I would have been happy with an ?average? unit, but if Lisa said it was a great unit, it must be better than average. Then, I pondered, does great mean there are more antelope, the antelope are taller, prettier, or are the antelope going to be slow and friendly; like a goat looking for handouts in a petting zoo, making Lisa?s job much easier helping me get my first antelope? Well what ever the case would be, I was excited to get outdoors and enjoy a few days away with a good friend.
As the hunt day came closer the ?what to bring? list became longer. I have hunted in a few states for different game, but kneepads were a first for me. Do they come in my size and exactly why do I need these? Lisa patiently explained that the antelope like to be out in the open to give them plenty of running room and time to spot a predator. These open areas had Sage brush as our only cover, we would be doing a lot of crawling on our hands and knees to move in close, ?and by the way bring a good pair of leather gloves, there are a lot of cactus you know?. This trip was getting better, not only would I be going to a Great unit, I was going to crawl around on my hands and knees over rocks and cactus through Sage brush. I hope my butt isn't too big and shows above the Sage like a flag waving an alarm ?a clueless woman is coming, run pretty antelope, run?!
Then the question came up about which rifle would I use. ?What do you mean, which rifle? I only have one rifle.? ?Well then, what kind of rifle is it?, Lisa asked. ?It's black and silver??. I could just see Lisa on the end of the phone shaking her head. It had the numbers 2,3,4 that I did remember. Well, Lisa assured me it was a .243 and that would work. I use to hunt White Tail with my rifle, but I found it a bit boring and put my rifle up for a bow. I got out the rifle, dusted it off, and like any good woman, had my husband clean it. What kind of rounds should I buy? Lisa suggested a ?partitioned? round. ?Aw yes, the partitioned round.??! Those handsome young men at the sporting goods store are so helpful. Since my shot could have the very high probability that it would be 200 yards or more ?shooting sticks? were added to the list along with practice at this range with my new ?partitioned? ammo.
Okay, I am ready, the gear is packed, the gun is clean, and the ?scent free? camo is in the bag. ?Really, you think I should bring a cooler?. ?I mean, do you really think I'll be lucky my first hunt?? I decided to take two coolers, one for the meat and one for a head mount, just in case the antelope I might get was pretty and look nice up on the ?Dead Head? wall at the cabin. I don't keep this sort of thing at home for all the carpool moms to see, I'm sure they would be jealous.
The day was set and I packed the car, which was odd, I generally drive a big Suburban to have room for four children and groceries, but I was driving by myself with a gun, a duffle and a couple of coolers. Also there was the added benefit to the environment, as I would be burning a whole lot less gas on my nine hour drive. I phoned Lisa very early in the morning in all my excitement and made her synchronize our watches for an ETA of 6:00pm at our rendezvous point. She said a groggy ?good bye? to go back to bed, since she had only a four hour drive, and I hit the road for my nine hour journey with an audio book, how could I pass up idle time without a book?
The trip was beautiful, the sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the prairie and Bad Lands are breathtaking. Now, once again I remember why I love to get out and go hunting. The trip passed quickly(for one of us), and we pulled into the parking lot at the same time with the precision of a Cuisineart. The happy chatter ensued with girly girl hugs then we carried our guns into the motel to check in. I often wondered why two women out hunting elicit as many stares as two men out shopping. Men, I have to ask you this, when you are out shopping with another man are all the women as kind and helpful to you as men are to us with all their experience and advice? All the men that saw us during our three-day trip were helpful beyond belief. I am always afraid that my inexperience will make me look foolish to those who hunt more often, like men. I can honestly say that on a whole men are very supportive and patient about women hunting, at least more so than on a golf course.
My most pleasant surprise about Antelope hunting was that you do not have to get up early. No 4:00am wake up call to be out waiting an hour before the crack of dawn. This was going to be a fun hunt, in a Great unit, crawling on my hands and knees over rock and cactus, keeping my butt down in the sagebrush.
Lisa said the antelope like to sleep in and don't start moving until the sun is up and they have a little warmth. So, after the sun started to come up, off we went on our hunt.
We drove into a beautiful area with low hills and a small river. The hope was that the antelope would want to be near water. After about thirty minutes I saw antelope. We stopped several times to glass the beautiful animals. After a survey of twenty square miles, I realized that indeed this was a great unit. There were antelope everywhere, and sagebrush and cactus.
Through the advice that Lisa had gained from another hunter in this general area we had decided to spend the first day looking and observing. We decided we would pick out our biggest, prettiest buck and then on the second day shoot one that was better. We spent the entire day looking at bucks. I'd see one I thought had big horns and then Lisa would point out the location of the prong in relationship to the length of it's ears. I would see another with long horns and then see they were skinny, with a very short prong. Lisa would see one that had a lot of mass to its horn, but I wouldn't like it because it didn't have the pretty black check patch on the side of its face. Heck, it was Antelope shopping! Now, what woman doesn't like a good shopping trip with a good friend?
Lisa and I were able to move in quite close to several groups of antelope, (the knee pads and gloves were a godsend); at one point we were no more than 40 yards from a group. It was amazing to be up so close to this herd and observe their behavior. The bucks would work hard to keep their harem together and ward off a few young bucks moving in trying to get lucky with the ladies. At one point we saw two bucks wage a small war. This is why I go hunting. I could have left then and know I had had a fulfilling hunt. Day to day life behind a desk, dealing with deadlines, paying bills, caring for family all can become a fast blur; then you sit outside watching the sun move across the sky, a wildflower sway in the breeze, an antelope sniff the air, bound off and all is calm; time slows, blood pressure lowers, and all becomes distant, yet clearer. This is why I hunt.
After our first day of Antelope shopping the sun was getting low with evening coming soon when Lisa spots a buck she thinks will suit me. I take a look and I believe she is right, his horns are long the mass is tremendous and he has that really pretty black check patch on the side of his face! I look again; he is only thirty yards away! This can't be right, I spent two hours sighting my rifle in for a two hundred yard shot. The buck stops and looks at me, maybe unsure if he sees me and trying to catch my scent. A fence post is nearby, so I don't have to use the shooting sticks either! I look at Lisa and she gives the nod to take the shot. I steady my gun with the crosshairs on the kill-zone and squeeze the trigger. The shot echoes in my ear and the big bad buck bolts like he's shot out of a cannon. In shock I immediately throw my gaze toward Lisa, she drops her binoculars and turns toward me in disbelief, ?I can't believe I missed!?, ?I can't believe you missed either?. It was only thirty yards away, maybe I didn't aim low enough? My heart sinks, I've let her down. She has worked hard to make my first hunt successful and I miss. Lisa sees the dejected look on my face and replies; well maybe he just ran off over that hill and stopped. As I get ready to cry like a woman, she looks up from her glassing with excitement, ?What's that laying out there about fifty yards?? Lo and behold my first antelope! In our shock we took our eyes off the animal, it turns out I hit him, he jumped, bolted twenty yards and went down. Wow, I actually did it. Up close, he was a whole lot bigger. Lisa, an experienced hunter, quickly had the buck field dressed and caped out with very little help from me. She assured me he was a keeper!
The next day I could tell my friend felt the pressure was off. This is the sign of a good friend, one who feels the success of your first hunt comes before her first shot. Another beautiful day for Antelope shopping, the sun was out the wind was down and the weather was cool. At mid-day we came upon a buck that I thought would fit Lisa. She too was in agreement. Another beautiful buck quickly did the ?death flip?, I think this was Lisa?s name for it, sort of an icky name, but descriptive. Once again in the matter of minutes Lisa?s fine honed skills had another antelope dressed out and in the cooler.
After two full days of Antelope shopping and lots of catching up we parted company with plans to meet again soon for another wonderful adventure. Maybe another antelope hunt, for sure a turkey hunt, which I do often with a bow, but maybe I'll mention to Lisa my thought about a moose.
My first stop back at home was to the taxidermist. He opened my cooler and took out my prize. When he said, ?that's a nice antelope, a REALLY nice antelope? I smiled from ear to ear. I bet he says that to all the girls.
Thanks, Lori, for making this hunt so much fun!
Pred
![[000138].jpg](/xf/data/xfmg/thumbnail/35/35434-a1803197f68634771afc2f218fae8846.jpg?1684979424)
