Our Wyoming antelope hunt finally came together after too many years of postponing and then repeatedly not drawing. We applied for a prime area in Southcentral Wyoming with high expectations for quality trophies in a unit hard to draw. With a lot of preference points, we were awarded tags. Our plan was to hunt the first day of the season after a few days of scouting. Neither of us had hunted it before, and I had been eyeing it for a long time. I wanted to hunt it at least once before hanging up my rifle.
Dave and I now live back East, but we love the West. Dave’s doctoral thesis work was in Nevada mapping geology, and I lived in Western Colorado for almost two decades. Too far to drive across country from the East, we flew to Arizona. A friend offered to drive us to Wyoming if he could come along. The drive was long, but for two geology fans, it was outstanding and we enjoyed every minute.
Five days of scouting from dawn to dusk showed us that this would not be an easy hunt. We knew this vast unit had produced spectacular trophies in the past, but the severe winter two years ago decimated the antelope herd and reduced the number of non-resident tags. We were fortunate to have drawn. Happily, we saw very few other hunters scouting but also very few antelope and no giant bucks. That was a shock and a great disappointment in such a famous area. I was hoping for a truly superior trophy. However, we had made our choice and paid our money. We were determined to make the best of it.
The weather was good, cool enough in the morning for a jacket, warm enough at noon for short sleeves, and only one thunderstorm that lasted a couple hours. September is a wonderful time to hunt Wyoming. A lot of elk and wild horses entertained us when we couldn’t find antelope. As few as there were, we found some bucks worth a second and even a third look. What appeared to be our best buck lived not far off a major gravel road. This was a little surprising. We concluded that most hunters felt the “big boys” were way back in the hills and simply passed by this guy. We’d driven for days back in those hills and saw nothing better. As there were only lesser bucks up and down this road, we drove to the next concentration of antelope clear across the unit. After traveling the two-tracks back and forth and not seeing big bucks, we started using the highway. It was much longer but also much faster.
We racked up the miles coming to Wyoming and traveling to our area. We did not pull a camper, so it had to be motels, and they were far from our unit, but bigger towns also provide nicer restaurants. That was something to look forward to at the end of every day.
After five days of pounding hard, we decided the buck by the gravel road was the best. Our friend and driver thought he would go low 80s. I had killed more than one buck like this while my brother had not. I wanted him to have it. I liked a pretty buck on the other side of the unit. He was two or three inches smaller, but never mind, I liked the way he looked with his forward hooking horns. I have been told when you can’t find a giant, pick out a buck that is interesting or different and be satisfied with it. Good advice.
On opening morning, we set out long before dawn, driving an hour and a half to the gravel road buck. We wanted to be the first ones there just in case anyone else had designs on him. He lived in checkerboard land where every other section is either public or private. This morning, he was on private land and we couldn’t shoot him. After an hour and a half of waiting for him to move, we gave up. It was time to cross the unit and try to find my buck.
Hours later, we were driving a ridge and there he was down in a little hollow about 450 yards away. Oddly, he didn’t run. I think he couldn’t see us well and started walking closer. I hopped out, set up for the shot, and he just kept getting closer. When he stopped about 390 yards away, I touched the trigger and he fell dead.
I used a .28 Nosler by Ryan Pierce’s Piercision Rifles LLC loaded with 195 grain VLD Berger Bullets at 3,050 fps from a 27" barrel and topped by a Z5 5-25X56mm Swarovski scope. It has become my favorite antelope rifle. It includes a muzzle brake, a necessity for accurately shooting big magnums. It reduces recoil so much I never notice it. This time, I didn’t need its long-range capability, but it’s reassuring to have it when you need it. A quick green score of my buck indicated he was in the 78-79" range.
After pictures and field dressing, it was time for a quick bite of lunch and the drive back to the gravel road buck. Sure enough, there he was and on public land this time. No other hunters were in the vicinity. Dave got out of the truck and set up the .28 Nosler, but the buck was walking with a small group of does. It seemed a very long time before he stopped. Fortunately, he and his does did not go any further away. He bedded down at 350 yards. Now it was time for Dave to shoot, and shoot he did! One shot and the gravel road buck lay backwards in his bed. Two bucks with two shots on opening morning in one of Wyoming’s premier hunting units! It doesn’t get much better than that.
After the required drying period, Dave’s buck officially scored 83 4/8" B&C, 84 1/8" SCI, and my buck scored 79 6/8" SCI – two trophies well worth all the long days of scouting and 1,500 miles of driving. I would love to hunt this unit again after the herds rebuild, but the reality of preference points, reduced tags, and Father Time are all working against me. Nevertheless, I’ll keep applying because nothing beats the experience of a Wyoming antelope hunt in September.
Dave and I now live back East, but we love the West. Dave’s doctoral thesis work was in Nevada mapping geology, and I lived in Western Colorado for almost two decades. Too far to drive across country from the East, we flew to Arizona. A friend offered to drive us to Wyoming if he could come along. The drive was long, but for two geology fans, it was outstanding and we enjoyed every minute.
Five days of scouting from dawn to dusk showed us that this would not be an easy hunt. We knew this vast unit had produced spectacular trophies in the past, but the severe winter two years ago decimated the antelope herd and reduced the number of non-resident tags. We were fortunate to have drawn. Happily, we saw very few other hunters scouting but also very few antelope and no giant bucks. That was a shock and a great disappointment in such a famous area. I was hoping for a truly superior trophy. However, we had made our choice and paid our money. We were determined to make the best of it.
The weather was good, cool enough in the morning for a jacket, warm enough at noon for short sleeves, and only one thunderstorm that lasted a couple hours. September is a wonderful time to hunt Wyoming. A lot of elk and wild horses entertained us when we couldn’t find antelope. As few as there were, we found some bucks worth a second and even a third look. What appeared to be our best buck lived not far off a major gravel road. This was a little surprising. We concluded that most hunters felt the “big boys” were way back in the hills and simply passed by this guy. We’d driven for days back in those hills and saw nothing better. As there were only lesser bucks up and down this road, we drove to the next concentration of antelope clear across the unit. After traveling the two-tracks back and forth and not seeing big bucks, we started using the highway. It was much longer but also much faster.
We racked up the miles coming to Wyoming and traveling to our area. We did not pull a camper, so it had to be motels, and they were far from our unit, but bigger towns also provide nicer restaurants. That was something to look forward to at the end of every day.
After five days of pounding hard, we decided the buck by the gravel road was the best. Our friend and driver thought he would go low 80s. I had killed more than one buck like this while my brother had not. I wanted him to have it. I liked a pretty buck on the other side of the unit. He was two or three inches smaller, but never mind, I liked the way he looked with his forward hooking horns. I have been told when you can’t find a giant, pick out a buck that is interesting or different and be satisfied with it. Good advice.
On opening morning, we set out long before dawn, driving an hour and a half to the gravel road buck. We wanted to be the first ones there just in case anyone else had designs on him. He lived in checkerboard land where every other section is either public or private. This morning, he was on private land and we couldn’t shoot him. After an hour and a half of waiting for him to move, we gave up. It was time to cross the unit and try to find my buck.
Hours later, we were driving a ridge and there he was down in a little hollow about 450 yards away. Oddly, he didn’t run. I think he couldn’t see us well and started walking closer. I hopped out, set up for the shot, and he just kept getting closer. When he stopped about 390 yards away, I touched the trigger and he fell dead.
I used a .28 Nosler by Ryan Pierce’s Piercision Rifles LLC loaded with 195 grain VLD Berger Bullets at 3,050 fps from a 27" barrel and topped by a Z5 5-25X56mm Swarovski scope. It has become my favorite antelope rifle. It includes a muzzle brake, a necessity for accurately shooting big magnums. It reduces recoil so much I never notice it. This time, I didn’t need its long-range capability, but it’s reassuring to have it when you need it. A quick green score of my buck indicated he was in the 78-79" range.
After pictures and field dressing, it was time for a quick bite of lunch and the drive back to the gravel road buck. Sure enough, there he was and on public land this time. No other hunters were in the vicinity. Dave got out of the truck and set up the .28 Nosler, but the buck was walking with a small group of does. It seemed a very long time before he stopped. Fortunately, he and his does did not go any further away. He bedded down at 350 yards. Now it was time for Dave to shoot, and shoot he did! One shot and the gravel road buck lay backwards in his bed. Two bucks with two shots on opening morning in one of Wyoming’s premier hunting units! It doesn’t get much better than that.
After the required drying period, Dave’s buck officially scored 83 4/8" B&C, 84 1/8" SCI, and my buck scored 79 6/8" SCI – two trophies well worth all the long days of scouting and 1,500 miles of driving. I would love to hunt this unit again after the herds rebuild, but the reality of preference points, reduced tags, and Father Time are all working against me. Nevertheless, I’ll keep applying because nothing beats the experience of a Wyoming antelope hunt in September.