I have always been fascinated by pronghorn hunting but just didn't ever get 'er done. I lived in San Diego for most of my adult life and some people I know would go to Wyoming and bring back the goats every year. I bought a sport fisher and then eventually another sport fisher and fished constantly then. Two years ago I sold my boat, my house and moved back to South Dakota where I grew up. South Dakota has some awesome Pronghorn hunting just not enough tags. This year I drew two tags (a buck and a doe/kidd) in the area that I wanted to hunt in and the first part of the split season to boot! I had planned to hunt for 4 days since it was my very first time in unfamiliar territory. I planned meticulously for the hunt since September when I drew those tags. I sighted in the ammo and the rifle was shootin' real good.
I got my fence done (deer tore it down twice) and hung three gates. I cajoled my significant other to do my horse chores for me while I was away hunting (cash always works). I bought a leupold spotting scope and a Nikon range finder. I also bought some Hornady "light magnum" interbond 130 gr. ammo in .270 cal. I tried to figure out a way to bring the goats back from 500 miles away and keep the meat good. Two large plastic tool chests (they are bigg uns) and 200 lbs of ice was the plan. I couldn't get a motel room in town as oil drillers had the 20 rooms until the end of October. I was lucky enough to find a rancher who had a trailer house on his property about a half mile in. The days clicked by in anticipation. A week away from the trip, I got an impacted molar from a lost filling. The doc pulled it but I delayed my trip by a day. Then my mom went into the hospital with pneumonia. My mom got better and so I left on a Friday with two days left to hunt.
I got up to the trailer late Friday afternoon and there were about 50 goats on the hill. I had permission to hunt 1,000 acres but that hill was off limits to hunters. The sight was sheer excitement though! The next morning I went scouting. That country is soooo vast! Just on the edge of the badlands and a gravel road about every 200 square miles. No cell phone coverage and a person really does feel alone (good feeling for me). I spotted several hundred antelope over the course of about 15 miles but none looked like they were in a position to be stocked. Finally about 0900, 150 goats were spread over a quarter section. There was a with a good draw with bowls and some high spots to conceal my approach. I was in about a half mile or so when a sentry buck made me out and took his herd over the hill in a flash. I continued up over a rise and spotted a herd of about 25 in the bottom ground of a large, wide draw. They were about 300 yards out. I moved in about another 25 yards when they looked a little spooked. They were moving out but walking. I glassed a nice buck and then sat down in the sage and tall grass while extending the bi-pod. The rangefinder read 258 yards on the buck. The buck stopped and looked my way. I had a tough time keeping the cross-hairs steady in that 35 mph crosswind.
At the shot the buck tucked up his back legs and put on the after burner. I thought I hit him good at that point. The herd moved off behind a small rise. The does and smaller bucks came out running toward me. The larger buck wasn't with them! I went over the rise and there he was! He had made it about 50 yards before falling over. I went back to the truck, pulled out the mag hauler and went out to pick him up. He isn't a Boone and Crockett but he is my first buck, so up on the wall his head will go! I am so excited I can hardly wait till next years' hunt!
I got my fence done (deer tore it down twice) and hung three gates. I cajoled my significant other to do my horse chores for me while I was away hunting (cash always works). I bought a leupold spotting scope and a Nikon range finder. I also bought some Hornady "light magnum" interbond 130 gr. ammo in .270 cal. I tried to figure out a way to bring the goats back from 500 miles away and keep the meat good. Two large plastic tool chests (they are bigg uns) and 200 lbs of ice was the plan. I couldn't get a motel room in town as oil drillers had the 20 rooms until the end of October. I was lucky enough to find a rancher who had a trailer house on his property about a half mile in. The days clicked by in anticipation. A week away from the trip, I got an impacted molar from a lost filling. The doc pulled it but I delayed my trip by a day. Then my mom went into the hospital with pneumonia. My mom got better and so I left on a Friday with two days left to hunt.
I got up to the trailer late Friday afternoon and there were about 50 goats on the hill. I had permission to hunt 1,000 acres but that hill was off limits to hunters. The sight was sheer excitement though! The next morning I went scouting. That country is soooo vast! Just on the edge of the badlands and a gravel road about every 200 square miles. No cell phone coverage and a person really does feel alone (good feeling for me). I spotted several hundred antelope over the course of about 15 miles but none looked like they were in a position to be stocked. Finally about 0900, 150 goats were spread over a quarter section. There was a with a good draw with bowls and some high spots to conceal my approach. I was in about a half mile or so when a sentry buck made me out and took his herd over the hill in a flash. I continued up over a rise and spotted a herd of about 25 in the bottom ground of a large, wide draw. They were about 300 yards out. I moved in about another 25 yards when they looked a little spooked. They were moving out but walking. I glassed a nice buck and then sat down in the sage and tall grass while extending the bi-pod. The rangefinder read 258 yards on the buck. The buck stopped and looked my way. I had a tough time keeping the cross-hairs steady in that 35 mph crosswind.
At the shot the buck tucked up his back legs and put on the after burner. I thought I hit him good at that point. The herd moved off behind a small rise. The does and smaller bucks came out running toward me. The larger buck wasn't with them! I went over the rise and there he was! He had made it about 50 yards before falling over. I went back to the truck, pulled out the mag hauler and went out to pick him up. He isn't a Boone and Crockett but he is my first buck, so up on the wall his head will go! I am so excited I can hardly wait till next years' hunt!
