Antelope fun

[Don McDowell]

Yesterday was first day of the season. I have pretty much decided to take my antelope with the 44-40, altho I do reserve the right to change my mind
Anyway made a couple of pretty good stalks on a couple of nice bucks, but just couldn't get that last 50 yards or so I wanted to be able to be sure to make the shot.
As it was getting pretty dark to shoot with open sights I was headed back to the house on the 4wheeler, and there were two bucks standing right in the trail about 75 yds off. I stopped and they walked over the ridge to the right, as I was sort of grinning and cussing at the same time, I looked and here came the little kid back over the ridge. He was curious and stopped and looked I just sat there and he came closer and closer and closer, and I'm thinking I could if I were desperate pop him with the 45 colt pistol. But I'm not that desperate yet, anyway he came close. I took the phone and tried a picture, he didn't mind so I took another, almost like he's posing. I ranged him at 22 yds, he turned broadside and posed and I got the last picture.
Love messing with the buggers.

       

[bruce moulds]

don,
what a lovely experience.
too much in this day and age, people seem to think they have to kill anything.
sometimes the pleasure of hunting is choosing not to kill.
today long range shooting seems to be replacing hunting.
the knowledge of how to stalk to a sensible distance, as well as the desire, is being lost.
good pointing rifles are being supplanted by so called sniper rifles, and are useless for most conventional hunting.
we forget that the hunting rifle evolved to do the job of hunting, the knowledge of which is disappearing fast.
in your short post I could feel the joy you experienced and shared with us.
thank you.
keep safe,
bruce.
p.s.
looks like you have a bit of feed there.
is it good feed?

[Don McDowell]

Bruce I enjoy the hunt much more than the kill. Some folks confuse big horns/antlers with a trophy. I've shot little bucks like that before usually after a really hard stalk and was just as happy with it as if it would of made the record books.
The grass is fair, but we've been awfully short of rain this year. There hasn't been any grazing in this pasture since June.

[Rowdy Rick]

Great picture Don! That is always a great experience. Hunters generally have more interaction with wildlife than most people, and the taxes (Pittman Robertson) paid by hunters provide the most financial contributions to wildlife of any groups including the anti hunters. A good tidbit to know is that the U.S. and Africa are the only two countries where wildlife has increased due to hunting management in the last 100 years. Enough from the soap box I was a wildlife photographer for quite a spell and the skills of making blinds and stalking are the same as hunting. Old Leonard Le Rue was a hunter before he turned wildlife photographer, probably had more pictures published than anyone I know.

Let us know how you come out, and hope you get one with that 44-40. I hunted antelope back in the late 70's down south of Rawlins and a little west, just before that bad winter hit and they reduced licenses down there. Some BLM land and had a good time. Got a small buck and that was my first and last. On my bucket list to get one with a Sharps someday. That meat was so tender you could cut it with a fork.

Rick

[Don McDowell]

Shooting one with a Sharps is a fun time. Hope you get to give it a try sometime.

[Steve Anderson]

The stories of not killing are some of my favorite memories. That little guy would have been awfully tempting though. I want to shoot one so bad with my Sharps! Last year I missed 3 different animals. Came home tickled with it all. Decided it way more fun to miss with a Sharps than to kill with anything else. Thanks for the pictures.

[Don McDowell]

Keep the steady pressure Steve. Learn to use the ladder sight and antelope jerky will fill your saddle bags in short order.
I shot a little guy like that a few years ago with one of the Sharps. I was trying to make a sneak on one of two different bucks, and the little guy just happened to be laying unseen in the draw between the two. I bumped into him at 135 yds. I knew if I let him go both of the big boys would be gone,,, he had a really neat set of horns for a little guy, and the jerky was as good as ever.

[Nuclearcricket]

Don those are nice pics. After all it is called hunting, not killing, just like fishing and not catching. I have hunted and killed most game here in PA, but I still get a thrill out of just seeing wildlife. To me its fun to go out for a walk and see the little bunny's along the trail and see how they react to your voice and such. A lot of the time its just nice knowing that they are around. Sort of a testament of how well we are taking care of the environment and the creatures that live there.
Good luck in getting close enough for a kill with the 44-40. But if you don't get quite close enoug, my guess is your gonna have a lot of fun trying.
Sam

[Stephen Borud]

Great pictures Don. Always fun to have those close encounters. Antelope are beautiful animals.


Stephen