We First off I want to give Scott and Joe a big thanks for being there on my hunt. We had a blast to say the least. Bustin each other's chops, more me poking the bear aka Scott, and making this Wyoming DIY, public land the Eastman way hunt one for the books.
We saw so many Antelope it was honestly overwhelming for me. Buck after buck I passed on looking for that perfect monster and we sure looked at a few but just not quite the one I burned 7 points for, so I thought. I think after day 2 Scott was about to ring my neck for passing on some of these bucks. Pretty Boy, the Goofy Buck, Kickers, the Heart Shaped buck and the Tall Buck just to name a few.
Pretty boy was Scotts favorite and he had it all. Pretty much perfect that anyone would be happy with including me but when we went to look for him we couldn't turn him up.
The Goofy buck was on the list now too. We had stopped to help out some elk hunters to tell them were we had seen a few good bulls and turns out this young lady and killed him earlier that day, bummer but good for her! They had close up pics of him and wow! I screwed up passing on him.
The Heart Shape buck turned up bedded just off the two track road we where on so not to disturb him we drove on by, parked down the road out of sight to make the stalk back to him. We got with in shooting distance and I let him have it. But the bullet had different ideas and landed in front of him! By By Heart Shape Buck.
With that disappointment to all of us we continued down the two track and we soon found Kickers. We tried three different stalks but I couldn't get a shot off on him, he was chasing does like crazy. I think that was the day we walked 6 miles, 5 the day before.
One more stalk on a buck we didn't name mid day. Scott and I made a awesome stalk on him got with in shooting range and well how do I say this? My new nickname at Eastmans is Uncle CLICK! Yep forgot to chamber a round and that buck heard it and hauled butt.
After the whole Click thing happen we decided enough of me screwing up the day and to head home. We were hunting on the way out of coarse and we spotted a few at the base of a hill a ways off the road. We stopped broke out the spotters and there he was! The buck I had been looking for the past three days, the Tall Buck. We quickly made a stalk but ran out of cover. The buck was still 800 yards away. We also found that there was a ton of goats in the valley between us and him so getting any closer wasn't going to happen. We made a quick plan to back out, go up on the hill behind him, come down above him and get a shot. We left Joe to keep and eye on him, discussed hand signals and we were off. Well Scott was, he blew my doors off! Every one of his steps are two of mine and he starts running back to the pick up! I eventually made it to the truck and we were off. We got to the hill above him but got our land mark screwed up and we blew him out before we go close enough for a stalk. That's been my luck! We watched him walk down a ditch and go back to feeding and yep he was real close to were we left Joe, figures right? So we jumped back in the pick up to try again before it got dark. We got into position to relocate him when Joe meets up with us and tells us as we drove away in the truck he went up and over the hill we were on and out of my life he went.
We did manage to have about 10 bucks in front of us and a bunch of does so we picked out the biggest one and I shot........ Rite over his back! I wanted to puke! I was again so disappointed in my crappy shooting I just wanted to burry my head in the ground.
With that being our last day hunting due to Scott having other obligations and we needed to head back to Reno Joe and I decided to go out before daylight the next morning and go to that same area and see if we could locate the tall buck. When we got there not a single animal was it the valley. We glasses the rim of the hill Scott and I had parked on and there was a buck! Not a monster but a chance, one more chance that I could redeem myself and bring home some meat for the freezer. We put our stalk together and go with in shooting range. Laying down on the ground with the rifle laying on the packs as steady as can be, (same as the last times I missed) I squeezed the trigger and hit him low, jacked in another and hit him mid body but forward but enough to do the trick! Finally!!!!!!! Not the exact words I used but finally I got one.
We got a few photos loaded him up and headed out with only one hour to spare!
Lessons learned here for me. Just cause I can blow up milk jugs at 1100 yards on a bench sure as heck doesn't mean I can do it in the field let alone 400 yards. I got myself a rude awaking and a serious slap in the face, not by Scott or Joe but it was warranted, I need to practice off the bench a lot more. Scott had some cool steady sticks from Bog Pod and they worked great and with some field practice with them I will be way more prepared next time.
All in all a hunt I will remember forever the good and the bad. I know Scott has some stories to tell at the office about my shananagins, the water trough, my victory dance that was still alittle rough around the edges and a few more.
I won't go into much about Scott but he is one hell of a hunter and can see elk like nobody's business and with a hot cup of coffee in the morning he is guy I'm happy to call my friend. He likes it with extra whip! Just sayin. Lol
We saw so many Antelope it was honestly overwhelming for me. Buck after buck I passed on looking for that perfect monster and we sure looked at a few but just not quite the one I burned 7 points for, so I thought. I think after day 2 Scott was about to ring my neck for passing on some of these bucks. Pretty Boy, the Goofy Buck, Kickers, the Heart Shaped buck and the Tall Buck just to name a few.
Pretty boy was Scotts favorite and he had it all. Pretty much perfect that anyone would be happy with including me but when we went to look for him we couldn't turn him up.
The Goofy buck was on the list now too. We had stopped to help out some elk hunters to tell them were we had seen a few good bulls and turns out this young lady and killed him earlier that day, bummer but good for her! They had close up pics of him and wow! I screwed up passing on him.
The Heart Shape buck turned up bedded just off the two track road we where on so not to disturb him we drove on by, parked down the road out of sight to make the stalk back to him. We got with in shooting distance and I let him have it. But the bullet had different ideas and landed in front of him! By By Heart Shape Buck.
With that disappointment to all of us we continued down the two track and we soon found Kickers. We tried three different stalks but I couldn't get a shot off on him, he was chasing does like crazy. I think that was the day we walked 6 miles, 5 the day before.
One more stalk on a buck we didn't name mid day. Scott and I made a awesome stalk on him got with in shooting range and well how do I say this? My new nickname at Eastmans is Uncle CLICK! Yep forgot to chamber a round and that buck heard it and hauled butt.
After the whole Click thing happen we decided enough of me screwing up the day and to head home. We were hunting on the way out of coarse and we spotted a few at the base of a hill a ways off the road. We stopped broke out the spotters and there he was! The buck I had been looking for the past three days, the Tall Buck. We quickly made a stalk but ran out of cover. The buck was still 800 yards away. We also found that there was a ton of goats in the valley between us and him so getting any closer wasn't going to happen. We made a quick plan to back out, go up on the hill behind him, come down above him and get a shot. We left Joe to keep and eye on him, discussed hand signals and we were off. Well Scott was, he blew my doors off! Every one of his steps are two of mine and he starts running back to the pick up! I eventually made it to the truck and we were off. We got to the hill above him but got our land mark screwed up and we blew him out before we go close enough for a stalk. That's been my luck! We watched him walk down a ditch and go back to feeding and yep he was real close to were we left Joe, figures right? So we jumped back in the pick up to try again before it got dark. We got into position to relocate him when Joe meets up with us and tells us as we drove away in the truck he went up and over the hill we were on and out of my life he went.
We did manage to have about 10 bucks in front of us and a bunch of does so we picked out the biggest one and I shot........ Rite over his back! I wanted to puke! I was again so disappointed in my crappy shooting I just wanted to burry my head in the ground.
With that being our last day hunting due to Scott having other obligations and we needed to head back to Reno Joe and I decided to go out before daylight the next morning and go to that same area and see if we could locate the tall buck. When we got there not a single animal was it the valley. We glasses the rim of the hill Scott and I had parked on and there was a buck! Not a monster but a chance, one more chance that I could redeem myself and bring home some meat for the freezer. We put our stalk together and go with in shooting range. Laying down on the ground with the rifle laying on the packs as steady as can be, (same as the last times I missed) I squeezed the trigger and hit him low, jacked in another and hit him mid body but forward but enough to do the trick! Finally!!!!!!! Not the exact words I used but finally I got one.
We got a few photos loaded him up and headed out with only one hour to spare!
Lessons learned here for me. Just cause I can blow up milk jugs at 1100 yards on a bench sure as heck doesn't mean I can do it in the field let alone 400 yards. I got myself a rude awaking and a serious slap in the face, not by Scott or Joe but it was warranted, I need to practice off the bench a lot more. Scott had some cool steady sticks from Bog Pod and they worked great and with some field practice with them I will be way more prepared next time.
All in all a hunt I will remember forever the good and the bad. I know Scott has some stories to tell at the office about my shananagins, the water trough, my victory dance that was still alittle rough around the edges and a few more.
I won't go into much about Scott but he is one hell of a hunter and can see elk like nobody's business and with a hot cup of coffee in the morning he is guy I'm happy to call my friend. He likes it with extra whip! Just sayin. Lol
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