Hunting Antelope - September 24, 2008

Introduction note: This was only my second antelope kill. I took my first one in 2006. I was unlucky in 2007 and didn't draw a single antelope tag. This season I had two antelope tags for the same area, White Mountain, which is just north of Green River. I had a tag for a buck and one for a doe. I planned to start out by getting my doe first. I came across a herd of about 30 does and fawns with this one buck standing guard. From the photo, you see that the high (7000') sage desert doesn't provide much cover. I did my best to use the undulating terrain to creep within shooting distance, but the buck kept leading the herd out of range. I took a rest and let the herd calm down. On my last approach, I saw the buck, but I couldn't find the rest of the herd. They were all in a low hollow on the ground. The buck, however, was standing tall and still. Even though I had planned to use my doe tag this day, when opportunity knocks. . . I extended the bi-pod legs attached to my rifle barrell and squeezed off a shot from about 130 yards away while lying on my belly. I over-estimated the distance so my shot was a bit high, but it dropped the buck on the spot anyway, blowing through the spine. It was a good clean kill.

Joe's antelope buck.