DIY Az Antelope Unit 10 hunt success

Shot my first SpeedGoat opening day. Unit 10, Arizona. Found this Antelope with 4 does about 9:00 AM at about 1500 yards. Was able to close to about 800 and then had to crawl hands and knees to around 575-600 yards. He was bedded watching his 4 does in the middle of a large open plain area with really no surrounding cover for us to stalk in. We used a small ridge to hide our presence until around 800 yards. We then dropped my pack and crawled the last 250 yards. My son in law kept his pack and glass so we could study him when we got closer. My other hunting buddy stayed behind from where we spotted them at first just in case they moved off. We got to the 575 point and were able to tuck in behind a small cluster of desert sage brush. Got the Binos and spotter out and looked him over for quite a while as the heat waves were intense. After about 1.5 hours of looking him over he finally gave us a view where we could really study him. I determined I wanted to take him, got the rifle setup for a prone shot. Waited him out for about 2 hours. His does got up and started grazing and got separated by a couple of hundred yards, he got nervous and rounded them up and the shot presented itself at 564 yards. 1 shot with the 6.5PRC with a 144 Berger Hybrid took him down. Many thanks to @AZHTR and @lancetkenyon and @ButterBean with advice on tuning rounds and advice on the unit. Went back and forth on the 144 and the 131 HH and finally settled on the Berger. It was a great day and thanks to my Son in Law Doug and my good friend Steve. DIY is the way.

Congratulations, Great Goat and excellent back straps !!!

That is a great buck! Love that hunt. Took my last one in 10 about 5 years ago. Great job and write up.

Thanks Joe, that's a great goat! What's really amazing about unit 10, is that antelope country is some of the flattest country in AZ. It's void of anything but grass as most can see in the pic.
YOU did the scouting and all the practice at the shooting range, that's what made your hunt successful!

Congrats to you, Steve and your son-in-law! Great team effort!

Beauty! Congratulations on a great hunt!

Nice BUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very nice. Congrats

That's one nice goat, great job and Congrats!

Nice cap too, BEARDOWN!

Nice buck. Thankfully we've had some great rain this year, should be more antelope next spring If we can keep the antelope population down. Sitting on 15 points, maybe next year.

Great goat and nice write up! Thank you for sharing the story and pics. I'm at 21 points myself for AZ Antelope and have been thinking every year is my year for the last 5 lol

jgs8163 said:

Shot my first SpeedGoat opening day. Unit 10, Arizona. Found this Antelope with 4 does about 9:00 AM at about 1500 yards. Was able to close to about 800 and then had to crawl hands and knees to around 575-600 yards. He was bedded watching his 4 does in the middle of a large open plain area with really no surrounding cover for us to stalk in. We used a small ridge to hide our presence until around 800 yards. We then dropped my pack and crawled the last 250 yards. My son in law kept his pack and glass so we could study him when we got closer. My other hunting buddy stayed behind from where we spotted them at first just in case they moved off. We got to the 575 point and were able to tuck in behind a small cluster of desert sage brush. Got the Binos and spotter out and looked him over for quite a while as the heat waves were intense. After about 1.5 hours of looking him over he finally gave us a view where we could really study him. I determined I wanted to take him, got the rifle setup for a prone shot. Waited him out for about 2 hours. His does got up and started grazing and got separated by a couple of hundred yards, he got nervous and rounded them up and the shot presented itself at 564 yards. 1 shot with the 6.5PRC with a 144 Berger Hybrid took him down. Many thanks to @AZHTR and @lancetkenyon and @ButterBean with advice on tuning rounds and advice on the unit. Went back and forth on the 144 and the 131 HH and finally settled on the Berger. It was a great day and thanks to my Son in Law Doug and my good friend Steve.View attachment 295708View attachment 295727

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That's freaking awesome, Congrats

T

AZHTR said:

Thanks Joe, that's a great goat! What's really amazing about unit 10, is that antelope country is some of the flattest country in AZ. It's void of anything but grass as most can see in the pic.
YOU did the scouting and all the practice at the shooting range, that's what made your hunt successful!

Congrats to you, Steve and your son-in-law! Great team effort!

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Thanks. Now we're chasing the darn little Prarie Dogs. Like shooting a Guinea pig at 400 yards and is a challenge for sure. As they say, "aim small miss small". Great practice for sure!

Dosh said:

Nice buck. Thankfully we've had some great rain this year, should be more antelope next spring If we can keep the antelope population down. Sitting on 15 points, maybe next year.

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Pretty sure you mean "keep the COYOTE population down".

I was at 26 BPs this year, and did not draw Unit 10, my 2nd choice. 27 next go-round.

Awesome buck, good length, great shape to him too. I think you made the right choice taking him.

That is a great buck! I love the deep curls and pearl tips. Good writing about the stalk also.