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nmhunter1975
Guest
Well we got to the ranch about 8 30 Friday morning and figured out the ranch and make sure where we could go and not go. After checking out the ranch and seeing some good numbers of antelopes in a general area we were happy with the ranch we got put on. We had a good look at the ranch and had a game plan for the opening day of the hunt. We went back to the motel had some food and a nap and checked out the town for a bit. With not much going on we thought we would make one more scouting trip and see how many people were out on the ranch. When we got there it was starting to get real stormy and the wind and rain stated real good. There was only one camp that we could see. So with the storm over our heads we thought we would just head back to the motel and wait for the morning.
The alarm clock went off at 4 45 am and I didnt waste any time on getting everyone up. After I had woke everybody up I went to check on the weather. I could tell it rained all night and that it was going to be foggy. We got everything ready and headed out to the ranch. We had decided to come in the back way of the ranch in hopes of the main gate to the ranch was going to get most of the traffic and push the antelope back to us. When we had got to the gate we went in and still had to wait for about 45 minutes for shooting light. As we sat in the truck it was still raining lightly and we could tell the roads were going to be muddy. With about 15 minutes before shooting time we had decided to go to the spot where we wanted to start walking. As we were driving we saw some antelope in the fog but could get a good look at them so we just kept on. We got to the area we had wanted to walk but the fog was just to thick to see more than 30 yards. So here we were again just sitting in the truck to stay out of the rain. While we were sitting in the truck waiting for the fog to lift I looked to our left and had seen some antelope on a far hill about ? a mile. With the spotting scope I could see some bucks in the bunch so I asked my dad if he wanted to try for these antelope. He said he was going to wait for the fog to lift. So I had asked my son if he wanted to go with me and see if we could get one. He was ready to go and with a big smile on his face said ?yeah dad I want to go.? So I told him lets go. I told him we would move when we had the cover of the fog and sit still when the fog wasnt so thick. We had moved in and had about 150 yards to go before I felt comfortable enough for a shot. As we were sitting in the waiting for the fog to roll in again we could hear gun shots off in the distance and so did the antelope and it spooked them. They ran over the hill and out of sight. I told my son we would work up the hill and hopefully catch them just on the other side of the hill and get a shot. As we got to the top of the hill we didnt see anything. So we just kept on and out of no where there they were. About 150 yards away but I could get a good view because they we on the other side of a small knob walking our way. I told my son lets sit here and wait for them to walk to us. I had the gun ready on the shooting sticks and waiting for them to come up over the knob. As we were waiting we seen a doe running from left to right and there he was the buck we wanted but he was all so running with other doe?s. As we waiting for the buck to clear the doe?s we seen an other buck bring up the rear of the heard and stopped and looked right at us only about 75 yards away. He wasnt bigger than the buck we were after but seeing how this was my sons first big game hunt I thought it would cool for him to see this one go down. So I put the cross hairs on the antelopes right side of his chest and let it rip. BANG and the animal drops I hear my son you got him dad. As we walk up to the antelope hes got a bigger smile on his face than I do mine. So we mark him with the GPS and walk back to the truck to get my dad and step brother. After taking some pictures and cleaning the animal we still had one more tag to fill.
With the fog lifted we were driving to the area we wanted to start the day off with. After about 15 minutes of driving and seeing a water mill that wasnt in the area we were headed I knew we had missed the road. After looking at the GPS I seen that we missed the road so turned back around and headed back . While driving back to look for the road we missed we had noticed some antelope on the same hill where I had shot mine. I could see one doe and the gut pile of the buck I shot in the same view. There were no bucks with the 3 doe?s so we just kept looking for the road. By looking at the GPS I could tell we were getting close. Just as we were getting ready to turn off to my left was a buck quite a ways out and we looked at him with the spotting scope and thought we should go after this buck. We got out of the truck and was walking away from the buck to come around him. As we were walking another buck came up out of a wash out and was standing about 180 yards broad side I told my dad that a good buck lets take him. My dad got ready and shot. He dropped him. I don't think the buck knew what hit him. My dad was very excited but he thought he had missed because the antelope was gone when he looked after the shot. I told him that you dropped him then he got the biggest smile on his face that I have seen in a long time. After 14 years of putting in for antelope and not getting drawn out first antelope hunt was done in about 2 ? hours. It was lots of fun and cant wait to do it again. Just hope we don't have to wait along time to go again. Need some help posting some pics.
The alarm clock went off at 4 45 am and I didnt waste any time on getting everyone up. After I had woke everybody up I went to check on the weather. I could tell it rained all night and that it was going to be foggy. We got everything ready and headed out to the ranch. We had decided to come in the back way of the ranch in hopes of the main gate to the ranch was going to get most of the traffic and push the antelope back to us. When we had got to the gate we went in and still had to wait for about 45 minutes for shooting light. As we sat in the truck it was still raining lightly and we could tell the roads were going to be muddy. With about 15 minutes before shooting time we had decided to go to the spot where we wanted to start walking. As we were driving we saw some antelope in the fog but could get a good look at them so we just kept on. We got to the area we had wanted to walk but the fog was just to thick to see more than 30 yards. So here we were again just sitting in the truck to stay out of the rain. While we were sitting in the truck waiting for the fog to lift I looked to our left and had seen some antelope on a far hill about ? a mile. With the spotting scope I could see some bucks in the bunch so I asked my dad if he wanted to try for these antelope. He said he was going to wait for the fog to lift. So I had asked my son if he wanted to go with me and see if we could get one. He was ready to go and with a big smile on his face said ?yeah dad I want to go.? So I told him lets go. I told him we would move when we had the cover of the fog and sit still when the fog wasnt so thick. We had moved in and had about 150 yards to go before I felt comfortable enough for a shot. As we were sitting in the waiting for the fog to roll in again we could hear gun shots off in the distance and so did the antelope and it spooked them. They ran over the hill and out of sight. I told my son we would work up the hill and hopefully catch them just on the other side of the hill and get a shot. As we got to the top of the hill we didnt see anything. So we just kept on and out of no where there they were. About 150 yards away but I could get a good view because they we on the other side of a small knob walking our way. I told my son lets sit here and wait for them to walk to us. I had the gun ready on the shooting sticks and waiting for them to come up over the knob. As we were waiting we seen a doe running from left to right and there he was the buck we wanted but he was all so running with other doe?s. As we waiting for the buck to clear the doe?s we seen an other buck bring up the rear of the heard and stopped and looked right at us only about 75 yards away. He wasnt bigger than the buck we were after but seeing how this was my sons first big game hunt I thought it would cool for him to see this one go down. So I put the cross hairs on the antelopes right side of his chest and let it rip. BANG and the animal drops I hear my son you got him dad. As we walk up to the antelope hes got a bigger smile on his face than I do mine. So we mark him with the GPS and walk back to the truck to get my dad and step brother. After taking some pictures and cleaning the animal we still had one more tag to fill.
With the fog lifted we were driving to the area we wanted to start the day off with. After about 15 minutes of driving and seeing a water mill that wasnt in the area we were headed I knew we had missed the road. After looking at the GPS I seen that we missed the road so turned back around and headed back . While driving back to look for the road we missed we had noticed some antelope on the same hill where I had shot mine. I could see one doe and the gut pile of the buck I shot in the same view. There were no bucks with the 3 doe?s so we just kept looking for the road. By looking at the GPS I could tell we were getting close. Just as we were getting ready to turn off to my left was a buck quite a ways out and we looked at him with the spotting scope and thought we should go after this buck. We got out of the truck and was walking away from the buck to come around him. As we were walking another buck came up out of a wash out and was standing about 180 yards broad side I told my dad that a good buck lets take him. My dad got ready and shot. He dropped him. I don't think the buck knew what hit him. My dad was very excited but he thought he had missed because the antelope was gone when he looked after the shot. I told him that you dropped him then he got the biggest smile on his face that I have seen in a long time. After 14 years of putting in for antelope and not getting drawn out first antelope hunt was done in about 2 ? hours. It was lots of fun and cant wait to do it again. Just hope we don't have to wait along time to go again. Need some help posting some pics.
