Please.... Bear with me i am not perfect by any means. First I support all hunting rights for any game and never have backed away from my views or opinions as a hunter/ trophy taker/ caretaker of the wilderness, or the necessity of hunting and the desire to take trophy animals as well as table fare from the field.
I just returned from my first western hunt. (Wyoming Antelope) unit 63. Where I was able to take a really nice buck.
I spent two days scouting the large amounts of Blm land in the unit, I even talked with a local rancher and got permission on some of his acreage, which I never needed because where he told me to go on Blm land was loaded with nice antelope....
While arriving an hour before sunrise to pack my gear, unload my quad, and enjoy a cup of coffee as the sun came up I felt an unreal excitement. When the sun broke I fired up my quad and drove down the 2track towards the afore mentioned scouted out area. After a fifteen min drive I glassed up the long 2track in front of me to see an elk, 3 mule deer and 2 antelope quite a ways off on the North Edge of the Ferris Mountain. Inspired and eager to start the hunt I shut down the atv. Hopped in the deep ditch on my right and began my long walk towards the mountain.
After about an hour I was within very reasonable glassing distance of the antelope which had been walking away from me for most of the daylight hour since I'd first seen them. Around that time I heard an engine faint but certain. The sound only grew and slowed once when it drove past my atv on its way up the same 2track towards those animals. The passengers highly visible in hunter orange. (they must have knew I was engaged in a hunt there being opening morning yet the preceded)
In a matter of seconds their side by side utv was engaged in a high speed chase after those antelope down the 2 track and along a pasture fence. The hunters chased the antelope through an open gate and around a pasture on the side of the mountain and when the antelope turned back toward the pasture and it was evident no large bucks were in that group the hunters moved off to the right and continued their plan. They made 2 large loops which I personally witnessed, and must have found some larger bucks towards the western side of the mountain because a couple times rifle shots did occur at the stopping of the utv.
As luck would have it I met up with that same crew later in the day back beside their truck, and surprisingly found them to be nice people, eager to talk of trophy antelope and be encouraging of my success. Middle aged men and women who in no way seemed burdened or hampered by health, age, or ability. Just people who didn't need the same value in the hunt.
They told me they had all spoken with the warden previously and that he was waiting for me by my vehicle to check my harvest. At this point I realized they all must have been licensed properly and to my knowledge they never shot from a moving vehicle. Even though I conversed with these people I never felt comfortable beside them.
My personal opinion is that a hunter finds value in a possibility of failure. Then tries to overcome it.
A killer desires the trophy no matter how it happens.
I'm not a better man because I found success differently. But I'm positive I feel better about the way I found success.
*In this day and age we can't separate ourselves - too many stand against us already. We can however inform people wherever possible on the value of being THE HUNTER vs. THE KILLER
(please note I in no way am pertaining to anyone who physically needs the use of vehicles)
I just returned from my first western hunt. (Wyoming Antelope) unit 63. Where I was able to take a really nice buck.
I spent two days scouting the large amounts of Blm land in the unit, I even talked with a local rancher and got permission on some of his acreage, which I never needed because where he told me to go on Blm land was loaded with nice antelope....
While arriving an hour before sunrise to pack my gear, unload my quad, and enjoy a cup of coffee as the sun came up I felt an unreal excitement. When the sun broke I fired up my quad and drove down the 2track towards the afore mentioned scouted out area. After a fifteen min drive I glassed up the long 2track in front of me to see an elk, 3 mule deer and 2 antelope quite a ways off on the North Edge of the Ferris Mountain. Inspired and eager to start the hunt I shut down the atv. Hopped in the deep ditch on my right and began my long walk towards the mountain.
After about an hour I was within very reasonable glassing distance of the antelope which had been walking away from me for most of the daylight hour since I'd first seen them. Around that time I heard an engine faint but certain. The sound only grew and slowed once when it drove past my atv on its way up the same 2track towards those animals. The passengers highly visible in hunter orange. (they must have knew I was engaged in a hunt there being opening morning yet the preceded)
In a matter of seconds their side by side utv was engaged in a high speed chase after those antelope down the 2 track and along a pasture fence. The hunters chased the antelope through an open gate and around a pasture on the side of the mountain and when the antelope turned back toward the pasture and it was evident no large bucks were in that group the hunters moved off to the right and continued their plan. They made 2 large loops which I personally witnessed, and must have found some larger bucks towards the western side of the mountain because a couple times rifle shots did occur at the stopping of the utv.
As luck would have it I met up with that same crew later in the day back beside their truck, and surprisingly found them to be nice people, eager to talk of trophy antelope and be encouraging of my success. Middle aged men and women who in no way seemed burdened or hampered by health, age, or ability. Just people who didn't need the same value in the hunt.
They told me they had all spoken with the warden previously and that he was waiting for me by my vehicle to check my harvest. At this point I realized they all must have been licensed properly and to my knowledge they never shot from a moving vehicle. Even though I conversed with these people I never felt comfortable beside them.
My personal opinion is that a hunter finds value in a possibility of failure. Then tries to overcome it.
A killer desires the trophy no matter how it happens.
I'm not a better man because I found success differently. But I'm positive I feel better about the way I found success.
*In this day and age we can't separate ourselves - too many stand against us already. We can however inform people wherever possible on the value of being THE HUNTER vs. THE KILLER
(please note I in no way am pertaining to anyone who physically needs the use of vehicles)
