This hunt season started the first of September with our any Antelope tags over by Elk Mountain between Saratoga, WY and Laramie, WY on hunt unit 50. Earlier in the spring, Mike and I put in to draw tags for hunting. I was fortunate to draw two out of the three that I had put in for: any Antelope area 50 Muzzle-loader only and cow/calf Elk area 31 tag. Mike draw all four that he put in for which was any Antelope area 50 Muzzle-loader only, doe/fawn Antelope area 59 and 90 (I think), and any Elk area 30.
Mike's father drove up from New Mexico the day before the opener to help us hunt and to help Mike out with his incredible Elk tag. Which is one of the highest priced tag in this part of the state because of the size of bull Elk that are here. We all got up at 4 am on September 1st to drive over to Elk Mountain.
Heading up to this day, I did not know how I was going to feel or what was going to be running through my head or when it finally did come to the moment to pull the trigger if I was going to do it or not. Remind you all that I had just got my hunter education certification in December 2016 and I have only handled a few guns in my life all starting in college. The first guy who taught me how to shoot a handgun was someone I had meet in one of my chemistry classes. He has served I don't know how many years over seas undercover as an Arabian so he had some intense training handling guns. Then I only have shot a few of my parents guns and my sisters rifle. When I graduated college, my parents bought me a bow and I had no intension of ever using it to harvest any game animals besides just shooting targets. So this year was truly my first year handling guns. Mike took me to the range to shoot his muzzle-loader and one of his friend's rifle. If anyone knows me they know that I do not like handling guns due to the fact that they are loud, you can't see the bullet moving or within the gun, and the recoil. But I had to use the muzzle-loader for my Antelope hunt so here we go. I was able to shoot his friend's gun alright hitting the target spot on and then it came to shooting the muzzle-loader. Now these guns are pretty cool because they are old school. You have to measure out the powder, pure it down the chamber, shove in the bullet (the hardest part), and then put in the primer. After finding the target at 200 yards, I focused on my breathing and pulled the trigger. BOOM! A poof of black powder in my face and in the air and then I ended up scoping myself between the eyes. After that I did not want to shoot again that day and of course I was crying since I just scared the shit out of myself and hated it.
We arrived to our hunt area after 7 am and started to scout around where Mike had shot his Antelope last year. We automatically saw a herd of them along the hike side and Mike and I bailed out of the vehicle in pursuit of closing the distance between us and them. Mike's dad and Brodin (Mike's dog) stayed in the truck keeping in contact with us through handheld radios. As we get closer, I make sure that my breathing remains steady and my ears and eyes tuned in on everything that is going on around me. Mike and I had the cover of a small batch of aspen trees helping us but I had to make sure that my steps were quiet and tried not to step on dead plants. Mike was so focused on one buck Antelope that he did not even see the ones that were staring straight at us so we lost the battle of that approach. Once they know what we were, the whole herd was off and running away. The rest of that day was just a battle to get within 250 yards. We would find a buck, make a plan, and then make our way. After sprinting, crawling, staying frozen in place, and sweating Mike and I would almost get close enough for a shot and then all of a sudden they would spoke and run off. I think we tried about 30 times that day with no luck and I know that I would have not been able to try so many times if I was not for Mike. It is hard work keeping your mind set on the task at hand because you would be focused on getting closer, setting up the bipods, finally finding him in the scope and then they would be off and running again.
The next morning I know that it was going to be my last chance because I know that I was not going to handle another day. Right away Mike found one about 800 yards away out in the open. The Antelope was facing in the opposite direction so we were off and running. I had just finished eating my banana so this sprint was intense already and I was sore from the day before. Mike and I get to 257 yards away and set up the bipods and pulled back on the hammer. It was prefect situation, a little too far for a muzzle-loader, but the wind was right and I was set up comfortably so when I was ready a few seconds later, I pulled the trigger. Powder filled the air and he was down and I was crying with excitement and Mike was super excited. Mike reloaded the gun and we started to walk towards him and BOOM he was up and running! What just happened?! I had just shot him and now he was gone so we were both confused at what just happened.
After that we tried another ridge where we put the scout on a couple different bucks. I ended up pulling the trigger 5 more times and every shot ended up right in front of them. With no more bullets on hand, I was pissed at myself and crying that I was done shooting until I went to the gun range again. It was not ethically right for me to continue on because I could have wounded one and left them in pain. Mike decided then to try to fill his tag so he want off on his own and Mike's father and I drove back around to where we started in the morning so Mike could work his way over the ridge. I found a buck that seemed to be acting a little strange. Mike was able to get close to him and pulled the trigger twice and confirmed to us on the radio that the Antelope was down. As Mike's father and I made it to were it was killed, we found no Antelope and Mike looking really confused. I guess a vehicle drove by down below and the Antelope got up and ran away. Knowing that it was wounded, Mike and I tried to find him. I ended up finally finding a small blood trail after we were about to call it quits. We found the Antelope and tried two more times but the muzzle-loader ended up miss firing. You should only shoot them about 4 times before needed to clean it so we made it back to the truck where Mike cleaned the gun and we watched the Antelope run across the road again. We watched him for a little bit and Mike then went after him to put him out of his misery. Mike was finally able to get close enough to kill him. After Mike's father and I hiked up to Mike, I come to find out that it was the Antelope that I had shot at earlier that morning. The one that we thought was down so it was my Antelope but Mike was able to tag him. I can't believe that it all finally worked out and that our hunt was over even though my tag was not filled.
I never know how much energy was going to be involved in hunting. You have to be mentally there with all of your senses on que and be ready for the let down of what people call "eating that tag" since it is only open for two weeks. Now that that hunt was over, we can focus on the trophy Elk tag and my cow Elk tag which I hope to fill using my bow.
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