Post by BIG FOX on Oct 23, 2009 7:06:11 GMT -5
Well needless to say my trip was a blast. Got to hunt with my dad and had a great time doing it. Flew out to Denver CO and then drove to Casper WY from there. Got in a day before the hunt opened and went to set up camp. Dad bought a teepee from a guy in California and we pitched it out on the cattle ranch just outside of Casper. Really pretty cool experience camp wise, just glad the weather held out for us. So the hunt opened up on Oct 15th and we made it out from camp pretty early to go scouting and look for critters. I could not believe how many freaking Antelope there are in Wyoming. they are everywhere.
After riding around glassing the ranch we came across a herd of Antelope about 700 yards off or so. I checked them out and saw a real nice buck in the group. So we came up with a stalk plan and I headed out down into a ravine and up the other side to try to get into a better shooting position. With a 257 Weatherby on my back I climbed up the hill side and crawled up on the bank to see a couple Goats running off in the distance. I thought my chance had ended when all the sudden several, 15-20, goats came running around the corner of the hill side I was on. I threw my binos up and checked out the herd, No buck, they came running in and stopped at 150 yrds or so. still no buck. Then out of the corner of my eye I see some more coming and in that group I saw my buck He came bounding in with the others and stopped broadside. I hit him with the range finder, 152, no problem. Got the gun on him and with one shot down he went. Not a monster but I was more than happy to have the chance to take him and he will make a great addition to my game room in a few months. 14 inches tall and 14 inches wide a nice example of the goats out there...
So with that we rode around looking for more goats and checking out a few nice deer areas. With no more shooters coming up we called it a day.
Day 2 starts early and me and my dad head out together looking for Mulies. We head out to the secret spot my dad's friend told us about and head into the canyons. Once we get into a nice area I have my dad drop me off so I can go glass some of the canyons and look around. My dad (who is a disabled hunter) tells me he is going to ride down the dirt road a few hundred yards and wait for me at the bottom of the canyon in case I push something out to him. I head out and as soon as the truck gets out of site (maybe 5 minutes) I stop to look through a canyon and hear a loud boom... Click on my radio to her dad tell me BUCK DOWN from his 300 Weatherby. I walk back up the road he points where the deer went and I am on the trail, a few short yards later..... The pistol was dad's new toy and not the gun the deer was taken with. The deer was shot with a 300 weatherby he just wanted to pose with the pistol
I get back with dad after draggin his deer to the truck and he tells me there were 7 bucks in the group he saw and he quickly picked out what he thought was the nicest one. a nice 2x2 with eye gaurds.. Way to go POPS...
So he tells me where the rest of the bucks ran off to and I head that way to see if I can pick up the trail. Dad takes the truck and heads around the corner to glass some canyons. After about 20 minutes I see dad on the hill side flaggin me down and telling me to get my butt up there. When I reach him he tells me he spotted a deer in the moutains looking to bed down and we break out the spotting scopes. Locating the deer about 1/2 mile away in some "STEEP COUNTRY" we can tell he is a nice buck and just watch as he climbs up a moutain, finds a rock ledge, makes his bed and lays down for the afternoon snooze. Me and dad come up with a plan of attack that includes me taking off with my gun and a back pack through a river ravine making my way towards the deer and heading up one of the gulches that paralells the deers bedding area. I get my gear together and take off for my hike staying in touch with dad via radio in case the deer busts me or heads out. After about an hour and a half hike i climb up a steep cliff side and breach the top of the moutain down wind and below the deers bedding area. I glass the area of where the deer was and he is standing there looking around. He has no idea I am there. I poke behind a sage brush and get out the range finder, hit him with it and it reads 257. NO PROBLEM... After taking a second to gather myself together I lean out around the sage brush with the rifle. The deer is in my sites and I let one fly, BOOM a perfect hit in the shoulder, i hear the bullet hit and the deer takes off heading down hill and to my left. I chamber another round and BOOM, a miss, chamber another one as the deer is heading for a very deep cliff side and he stops just long enough to get the sites on him. and BOOM, down he goes. I can see his antler sticking up over the sage brush and I just jump up to hear my dad about 1/2 mile away yelling "WAY TO GO ANDY" I get on the radio and celebrate with dad, call my broter and tell him the news and just have a minute to figure out how I can get to my buck. 30 minutes later I am at my deer and could not be a happier hunter. To share this with my dad and to work this hard coming up with a plan of attack and have it work was the best hunt I have ever had. It was truely something I will never forget. The deer dressed out to about 180 lbs and was a 5x5 with no eye gaurds. You couldn't get the smile off my face if you tried. and I can't wait to get my heads back from the taxidermist from this trip of a lifetime..
Then to top off the trip my dad's buddy's son took me to his secret trout spot on a lake there in Casper where we caught some of the best tasting rainbow trout I have had in years and years. Not to bad for 3 hours of sitting on a rock and fishing with some night crawlers.... Smallest fish was 1 1/2 lbs biggest was around 3 lbs...
After riding around glassing the ranch we came across a herd of Antelope about 700 yards off or so. I checked them out and saw a real nice buck in the group. So we came up with a stalk plan and I headed out down into a ravine and up the other side to try to get into a better shooting position. With a 257 Weatherby on my back I climbed up the hill side and crawled up on the bank to see a couple Goats running off in the distance. I thought my chance had ended when all the sudden several, 15-20, goats came running around the corner of the hill side I was on. I threw my binos up and checked out the herd, No buck, they came running in and stopped at 150 yrds or so. still no buck. Then out of the corner of my eye I see some more coming and in that group I saw my buck He came bounding in with the others and stopped broadside. I hit him with the range finder, 152, no problem. Got the gun on him and with one shot down he went. Not a monster but I was more than happy to have the chance to take him and he will make a great addition to my game room in a few months. 14 inches tall and 14 inches wide a nice example of the goats out there...
So with that we rode around looking for more goats and checking out a few nice deer areas. With no more shooters coming up we called it a day.
Day 2 starts early and me and my dad head out together looking for Mulies. We head out to the secret spot my dad's friend told us about and head into the canyons. Once we get into a nice area I have my dad drop me off so I can go glass some of the canyons and look around. My dad (who is a disabled hunter) tells me he is going to ride down the dirt road a few hundred yards and wait for me at the bottom of the canyon in case I push something out to him. I head out and as soon as the truck gets out of site (maybe 5 minutes) I stop to look through a canyon and hear a loud boom... Click on my radio to her dad tell me BUCK DOWN from his 300 Weatherby. I walk back up the road he points where the deer went and I am on the trail, a few short yards later..... The pistol was dad's new toy and not the gun the deer was taken with. The deer was shot with a 300 weatherby he just wanted to pose with the pistol
I get back with dad after draggin his deer to the truck and he tells me there were 7 bucks in the group he saw and he quickly picked out what he thought was the nicest one. a nice 2x2 with eye gaurds.. Way to go POPS...
So he tells me where the rest of the bucks ran off to and I head that way to see if I can pick up the trail. Dad takes the truck and heads around the corner to glass some canyons. After about 20 minutes I see dad on the hill side flaggin me down and telling me to get my butt up there. When I reach him he tells me he spotted a deer in the moutains looking to bed down and we break out the spotting scopes. Locating the deer about 1/2 mile away in some "STEEP COUNTRY" we can tell he is a nice buck and just watch as he climbs up a moutain, finds a rock ledge, makes his bed and lays down for the afternoon snooze. Me and dad come up with a plan of attack that includes me taking off with my gun and a back pack through a river ravine making my way towards the deer and heading up one of the gulches that paralells the deers bedding area. I get my gear together and take off for my hike staying in touch with dad via radio in case the deer busts me or heads out. After about an hour and a half hike i climb up a steep cliff side and breach the top of the moutain down wind and below the deers bedding area. I glass the area of where the deer was and he is standing there looking around. He has no idea I am there. I poke behind a sage brush and get out the range finder, hit him with it and it reads 257. NO PROBLEM... After taking a second to gather myself together I lean out around the sage brush with the rifle. The deer is in my sites and I let one fly, BOOM a perfect hit in the shoulder, i hear the bullet hit and the deer takes off heading down hill and to my left. I chamber another round and BOOM, a miss, chamber another one as the deer is heading for a very deep cliff side and he stops just long enough to get the sites on him. and BOOM, down he goes. I can see his antler sticking up over the sage brush and I just jump up to hear my dad about 1/2 mile away yelling "WAY TO GO ANDY" I get on the radio and celebrate with dad, call my broter and tell him the news and just have a minute to figure out how I can get to my buck. 30 minutes later I am at my deer and could not be a happier hunter. To share this with my dad and to work this hard coming up with a plan of attack and have it work was the best hunt I have ever had. It was truely something I will never forget. The deer dressed out to about 180 lbs and was a 5x5 with no eye gaurds. You couldn't get the smile off my face if you tried. and I can't wait to get my heads back from the taxidermist from this trip of a lifetime..
Then to top off the trip my dad's buddy's son took me to his secret trout spot on a lake there in Casper where we caught some of the best tasting rainbow trout I have had in years and years. Not to bad for 3 hours of sitting on a rock and fishing with some night crawlers.... Smallest fish was 1 1/2 lbs biggest was around 3 lbs...