My first Antelope!!!

Rack · #1 10-20-2009, 02:52 PM

Well I did it! I shot my first ever Speed Goat Monday morning at 8:30 am North of Foremost in WMU 112!

We Spotted him Sunday with 18 does and three smaller bucks. Throughout the day we covered all three zones and easily saw 150 Antelope. This one was by far the neatest looking one we saw. I wasn't sure as to how I was going to get into him being in the wide open like that. He stayed in the middle of the pea field most of the day and with all those eye's I wasn't very optimistic as to how I could get a shot. I went back late in the evening and busted them coming out of their watering hole.Thank God for the spotting scope as I caught movement near what I thought was just a common Foremost area rock pile. I got pretty lucky when they all started coming up out of it. The plan for the morning was for me to be hiding in that waterhole down wind before first light.

Monday morning found me trying to locate the field in the dark, not an easy task but I somehow managed. I tried to quietly walked through the harvested pea field to the water hole. As I walked I worried they may have moved on due to the numbers of guys out spotting the day before. I patiently waited as the lights slowly came on but no Antelope. I had an east wind this morning which was a little unexpected so I had to set up on the west side of the dug-out. The morning was beautiful, a bit chilly with a slight breeze and overcast. I popped up from the cover to stretch my legs and to glass the area. As I glassed the fields I spotted a young Buck with a doe to the east in a barley field. They were looking right at me! Aw great I thought to myself, now I've done it! I got repositioned higher up in the cover and watched them through my rifle scope. I almost couldn't believe my eyes as there were now 6 animals all of which were on a steady pace right toward me! As the does and smaller bucks moved along closer and closer I began to panic as I didn't see the Big Guy. I also started to second guess my position as I may only have a straight on chest shot should he show up. My heart started pounding as the herd pushed in to around 100 yards. I slowly lifted my head up from the cover to see if my Buck was with them. Indeed he was, right at the very back with his nose to the ground marching his harem to the water hole. I felt as though my heart was going to explode and the shakes set in as they all approached to within 50 yards. I put the cross hairs on the lead doe and she saw me move! Suddenly she veered off the the left and trotted straight south with her eyes glued to me. This was my only chance to finally get the scope on the Big Bucks chest as the herd started to slowly trot away. The Big Guy and one other Buck then stopped broadside to me, did a 180 degree turn and started to run! I kept on him as he hustled toward the herd. He was now about 100 yards slightly quartering away to his left, now or never I thought. Boom! The old Remington 30.06 barked and the goat pilled up head first into the stubble. I looked up to see the goat laying on his back with all fours in the air. The shot entered a little back on the rib cage and blew out his front right shoulder,clipping everything in its path! Yes my first ever Speed Goat is down!

Thanks for the earlier advice guys on what gun to use for my hunt. I ended up using my trusty 30.06 with a Bushnell 3-9x40 and bi-pod. I am very happy with the way everything worked out for my first Pronghorn hunt. Looking forward to another one six or so years!

Rack

slopeshunter · #2 10-20-2009, 02:54 PM

Congrats on your first antelope, nice looking buck!

Rockymtnx · #3 10-20-2009, 03:16 PM

Congrats on a great antelope.
Thanks for sharing with us.

elnino54 · #4 10-20-2009, 03:24 PM

Nice Speed Meat............well done !!!!

Twisted Canuck · #5 10-20-2009, 03:32 PM

Great looking Speeder, sounds like you handled the pressure of getting busted pretty well and put it where it needed to go. Congrats!

AB2506 · #6 10-20-2009, 03:39 PM

A nice goat and a very good hunt. Too bad about that exit wound. Get a good taxidermist. Several new forms out there that are nice and will help conceal the hole.

Rank Beaver · #7 10-20-2009, 04:17 PM

Congrats on your loper they sure are fun to hunt. Next year i get to try with my bow alot less guys shooting around me.

Rack · #8 10-20-2009, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AB2506

A nice goat and a very good hunt. Too bad about that exit wound. Get a good taxidermist. Several new forms out there that are nice and will help conceal the hole.

Thanks for the advice, not sure if I'm going to mount him. Going to score him tonight to see where he's at.

#9 10-20-2009, 06:18 PM

Great looking antelopre...congrats!

Rack · #10 10-20-2009, 07:45 PM

I'm open to any taxidermist suggestions in the Lethbridge area. I have had work done by Top Notch in Coaldale and have been happy so far.

BigRackLover · #11 10-20-2009, 08:14 PM

nice lope for sure!

Walleyes · #12 10-20-2009, 08:23 PM

Good one rack,, way to go..

Donny Bear · #13 10-20-2009, 08:50 PM

Excellent good one for sure

Duk Dog · #14 10-20-2009, 10:42 PM

Congratulations.

SugarCreek · #15 10-20-2009, 11:19 PM

Congrats on your first antelope. Looks like he has some great mass and nice prongs..........Marco

pottymouth · #16 10-20-2009, 11:53 PM

great speed goat

mossyfoot · #17 10-20-2009, 11:57 PM

Try Ryan Leismeister in Taber, 650 bucks and u will have your animal back in less than a month and a half. I highly reccomend him he is kickin some nice mounts these days.

crazyfish · #18 10-21-2009, 06:41 AM

nice goat, looks pretty good in the mass portion !

Rack · #19 10-21-2009, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mossyfoot

Try Ryan Leismeister in Taber, 650 bucks and u will have your animal back in less than a month and a half. I highly reccomend him he is kickin some nice mounts these days.

Thanks for the tip Moss, he pm'd me last night. I will pop into his place to check things out first.

TomE · #20 10-21-2009, 05:35 PM

If you decide not to mount him, I would be interested in buying your cape..Very nice Goat.

Rack · #21 10-22-2009, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SugarCreek

Congrats on your first antelope. Looks like he has some great mass and nice prongs..........Marco

We unofficially scored him last night. He gross scores 82 2/8 and nets 79 2/8. His best horn was the right with good mass measures of 7, 7 1/2, 4, and 3 1/8 and of course the big prong at 6 1/2. If he hadn't broke off the left prong he might have stayed in the book.

Needless to say I am mounting him as I am absolutely thrilled to have taken such a neat looking animal!

BrownBear416 · #22 10-22-2009, 03:02 PM

Great buck...

Congrats...

Love the mass...

Rack · #23 10-22-2009, 03:21 PM

Some more pic's before he's gone for plastic surgery and a tan.

freejoe · #24 10-25-2009, 02:01 PM

way to go Rob looks like all your planning paid off

Joe

ram crazy · #25 10-25-2009, 06:24 PM

Congrats on the first Loper, he'll be tough to beat that one. Now it's on to the big Mulie, good luck Robbie!!