2 VA LRHers in eastern WY

Oliveralan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
993
Location
SW MT or noVA
Hey everyone,

Just got the last hiccups worked out! My good friend, and member Trebark and I will be in eastern WY, in Newcastle, for a few days starting 10/6. Would love to put some faces to usernames! If anyone is in the area and would like to meet up, let us know.

We are hunting antelope in areas 6&7, I also picked up a region B deer tag for fun. LRH will of course be kept as up to date as possible regarding two first time western hunters spooking antelope and getting lost in WY :D

Good luck with your season, or as we say in german, "Wiadmanns Heil!"
Oliver
 
That's pretty close to my neck of the woods... you're about 75miles east of me. I hear good things about the hunting in that area... good luck fellas.
 
Good Hunting

And remember when you fart outdoors, that southbound wind will bring that odoriferous cloud right past my house in an hour or two. :D:D

There is nothing between us and Wyoming but a few fence lines and most of them are down.

(Bist du Deutche?)

Have a great time.
 
Thanks for all the well wishes. Currently in the airport in Denver waiting on a delayed flight... Only a few more hours till we're out afield!
 
LRH!
So here's the story as it has unfolded so far....

I arrived a bit earlier than Oliveralan and was able to do some scouting. During that time, managed to see quite a few antelope, but didn't a get shot (didn't get a shot one time because I was talking to a landowner and securing permission to hunt on his place!) While scouting, found four does in an area where I only had a buck tag. So I sat and watched the does at 720+ yards. I hoped that maybe a buck would join them. He did not appear, but then I discovered I was sitting on the edge of a prairie dog town. So took out a bit of frustration on them and killed one at ~575 yards.

That night, Oliver arrived. Because we got back to the motel from the airport around midnight, we decided not to go to out before dawn. So we slept in and got on the hunt around 9:00am. We started the day with some 100yard zero verification. You see, our rifles had been zeroed at <1000ft of altitude and we are at ~4400ft now. It only took a couple of shots to get things dialed-in. Then it was time to get on the hunt.

To start off we cruised some of the places that I had scouted earlier. After a scouting for a while, we happened upon a nice buck. Oliver ranged him at 399. He asked if I was going to shoot and I responded "yes". It was not as far as I really wanted to shoot, but he was a nice buck. So we got out and doped the shot. Te wind here in Wyoming blows hard! Kestrel said 10-12mph of wind. I doped the scope and took the shot. Clean miss! Turns out we under doped the wind. As antelope do when spooked, he took off for at least a one mile run.

Undaunted, we continued on until we came upon another buck. He was 600+ yards away. It was Oliver's turn to shoot, so we got out and set up. Not sure if the buck saw us or not, but he started trotting and went down in a drainage. When he came out the other side, he emerged with 15+ does with him. Does didn't go far, but that buck kept on trotting. He finally stopped and laid down. We could just see his horns over the top of the hill. Oliver kept his eyes on that buck, while I glassed the does. To my surprise, there was a buck among them. Finally all the does and the second buck went back into the drainage. After waiting for any of them to get up and show themselves, we made the decision to change our position to get a shot. Then the buck that we could just see his horns, got up and trotted back through the drainage and came out the other side. We got set up and Oliver was getting ready to shoot but the buck didn't seem to want to stop. Looking back, the other buck came out. Oliver decided to take a shot at that one.

670 yards with ~10mph of wind. Oliver dropped the buck with one shot, but his head was still up. This brought all the does out of the drainage and they stopped to look at the buck on the ground. This brought the other buck back. That's when I said to Oliver, your buck isn't going anywhere. Give me the ranged on this other buck. He ranged it at 670 and 10mph of wind. Dialed the scope and shot. Clearly hit him but he didn't go down right away. Ranged him again ~675 and sent another one. He turned and dropped. Turning back to Oliver's buck, his head was still up. In a gutsy move, he decided to take another shot. Sent another round and that buck's head flopped right over.

Here are the hunters and trophies!

OliverMattWYGoats.jpg


Did you think I forgot about rifles and loads?

Oliver was using his 6.5x47lapua shooting 130grain JLK at 2910fps.

Mine was taken with a 260Rem shooting the 130grain JLK also at 3005fps.
 
LRH!
So here's the story as it has unfolded so far....

I arrived a bit earlier than Oliveralan and was able to do some scouting. During that time, managed to see quite a few antelope, but didn't a get shot (didn't get a shot one time because I was talking to a landowner and securing permission to hunt on his place!) While scouting, found four does in an area where I only had a buck tag. So I sat and watched the does at 720+ yards. I hoped that maybe a buck would join them. He did not appear, but then I discovered I was sitting on the edge of a prairie dog town. So took out a bit of frustration on them and killed one at ~575 yards.

That night, Oliver arrived. Because we got back to the motel from the airport around midnight, we decided not to go to out before dawn. So we slept in and got on the hunt around 9:00am. We started the day with some 100yard zero verification. You see, our rifles had been zeroed at <1000ft of altitude and we are at ~4400ft now. It only took a couple of shots to get things dialed-in. Then it was time to get on the hunt.

To start off we cruised some of the places that I had scouted earlier. After a scouting for a while, we happened upon a nice buck. Oliver ranged him at 399. He asked if I was going to shoot and I responded "yes". It was not as far as I really wanted to shoot, but he was a nice buck. So we got out and doped the shot. Te wind here in Wyoming blows hard! Kestrel said 10-12mph of wind. I doped the scope and took the shot. Clean miss! Turns out we under doped the wind. As antelope do when spooked, he took off for at least a one mile run.

Undaunted, we continued on until we came upon another buck. He was 600+ yards away. It was Oliver's turn to shoot, so we got out and set up. Not sure if the buck saw us or not, but he started trotting and went down in a drainage. When he came out the other side, he emerged with 15+ does with him. Does didn't go far, but that buck kept on trotting. He finally stopped and laid down. We could just see his horns over the top of the hill. Oliver kept his eyes on that buck, while I glassed the does. To my surprise, there was a buck among them. Finally all the does and the second buck went back into the drainage. After waiting for any of them to get up and show themselves, we made the decision to change our position to get a shot. Then the buck that we could just see his horns, got up and trotted back through the drainage and came out the other side. We got set up and Oliver was getting ready to shoot but the buck didn't seem to want to stop. Looking back, the other buck came out. Oliver decided to take a shot at that one.

670 yards with ~10mph of wind. Oliver dropped the buck with one shot, but his head was still up. This brought all the does out of the drainage and they stopped to look at the buck on the ground. This brought the other buck back. That's when I said to Oliver, your buck isn't going anywhere. Give me the ranged on this other buck. He ranged it at 670 and 10mph of wind. Dialed the scope and shot. Clearly hit him but he didn't go down right away. Ranged him again ~675 and sent another one. He turned and dropped. Turning back to Oliver's buck, his head was still up. In a gutsy move, he decided to take another shot. Sent another round and that buck's head flopped right over.

Here are the hunters and trophies!

OliverMattWYGoats.jpg


Did you think I forgot about rifles and loads?

Oliver was using his 6.5x47lapua shooting 130grain JLK at 2910fps.

Mine was taken with a 260Rem shooting the 130grain JLK also at 3005fps.
Outstanding! gun)
 
Fantastic boys!! Can't imagine how much fun your having. Two nice bucks and a ton of memories. BTW did you see any jackalopes yet?
 
Sounds like trip going as planned! Call me when you guys get back...I'd love to take a look at the trophies.

All the best and hope the rest of the trip goes as well as the first part.

Matt
 
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