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Zeke-BE

Wyoming Antelope

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So after about 5 years of putting in I got drawn for a good unit with lots of public land.  I didn't want to jump around private land all day so I was okay waiting for a better unit with more public.  Besides I already have 3 antelope from New Mexico so I was okay waiting for a unit with more public.  But this would be my brothers first goat hunt.  He lives in Denver so the first thought was to drive up there and meet him.  Then he had the great idea to have me fly and stay with him and we can do the 4 hour drive up past Casper.  Well that sounds a lot better then driving 14-15 hours so thats what I did.

Ive been on 4 goat hunts and shot ok sizes and this time I really wanted to take my time.  This year I had bad luck and missed 2 really big goats pushing low 80 inch's in New Mexico.  Even though this unit isn't known for large bucks I wanted to have the enjoyment of glassing hunting and passing on bucks and choose when Im ready.  Well looking at the forecast it was almost 3 days of rain.  On our way up there about hour out of Casper it didn't stop raining.  Lucky for us the main dirt road we were turning off was a well maintain gravel road.  But everybody says Wyoming mud sucks.  You step off the road you will be sliding all over the place and its more like a clay that doesn't come off.  The whole time it felt like your boots were 20 pounds each.  Well  We knew we weren't turning back and thought lets just find them off the road then.  Sure enough not more then 15 mins into our hunt.  I spot one from in the truck with my 15s.  I get out into the rain and set up my tri pod to get a less shaky view and turns out from all the bucks we saw driving on the high way he was the biggest and tallest.  Its rainy, muddy and it doesn't look like it will be giving up soon so I was no longer going to be picky about this hunt.  He was about 800 yards out and hiked into 400 yards.  Thats when he stood up.  I had to lay down in the mud and get into a prone shooting position.  Waited until he gave me a broadside shot and let it rip!  Hit but couldn't tell how good of a hit.  He ran not away but to the side about 100 yards.  450 yards and shot again.  Miss, (turns out I hit him in the neck meat).   Concerned I didn't hit him good I shot again and missed.  At this point he bedded down and my brother could see him bleeding from his vitals so I know I got him good.  HIked up to 250 yards and got prone again on a really muddy slop.  Looking from my scope he doesn't even looked phased!  What the!!!  Ok Im going to end this.  He is quarter away and shot and hit him right behind the ribs going into the vitals.   A big thump sound from there.  What does the buck do???  Nothing!  Hes just sitting there like nothing is happening.  What the!!!  My brother is calming me down and said just wait a min and see.  Sure enough about another 30 sec goes by and he just lays his head down and kills over.  Well success not how I like it,  I love to see the one shot drop but it didn't go that way but we got him.  High fives and give him a few mins. 

On our way over there my brother says wait theres a buck.  He happen to be running our direction and stops at 200 yards to look at us.  I range him and my brother not enjoying this sucky muddy hike we are doing and decided to take him right there!!  Boom drops like a rock.  All excited we are looking both bucks in site.  Probably about 100 yards apart from each other!!!  About an hour in on our 3 day hunting trip just ended!!!  It was a shame but man oh man that mud sucks!!!  Process it out and hiked back 800 yards up and down slipping in mud.  That was one of the toughest 800 yard hikes Ive done.  For the short time and weather we still had a blast and hope to come back soon.

My Buck

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Brothers first Goat

 

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  • Great Buck! 1

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50 minutes ago, AZBIG10 said:

What a cool hunt!  Happy it worked out for you both. Did you end up staying all 3 days? 

No just went home.  Nothing but rain.  I really wanted to stay and if finished early do some fishing.  Didn't have lots of rain gear

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Congrats on the success guys!  Saw the video, yeah...that looks brutal.  That mud just sticks to your boots and to itself.

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Nice antelope, and congratulations.

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