Antelope Hunt Part 1

[Rauly]

This was one of the funnest hunts of my life and I didn't even have a tag. Friday Get Bit and Row For Fish stop by to pick me up to go on an Antelope hunt to eastern Oregon with them. We load my gear into the truck and take off with some fresh chocolate chip cookies that my wife just took out of the oven. The cookies didn't even make it to Gresham. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Next stop The Dalles. Get Bit thinks he has a slow air leak in the right rear tire. We stop at the Cheveron to see if they can patch it. The mechanic says sure and it figures it won't hold air it's a Ford. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Tire patched and being the good guy that Get Bit is he offers the mechanic some of MY smoked salmon. The guy said he wasn't going for that old indian trick, he wants cash. So Get Bit gave him cash and MY smoked salmon. Next stop our hunting location.

We arrive at about midnight so didn't think it would be to wise to wake the rancher. We found a wide spot in the road and slept in the truck. Realy comforatable! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] We wake up early and go to talk to the rancher but he is already out working his fields, so his wife, not so happy that we woke her called his dad and had him come over to take us out to talk to his son and find out were the antelope are.

After all the plesantries were taken care of we went hunting with the older retired rancher. We went to a paticular stubble field and dropped off Get Bit. Next thing you know is the old guy is spinning his wheels in the dust not getting anyplace, and I could not see Row for Fish in the back of the pick-up through the dust. Old Ray is just giving it more gas and saying that he hopes he doesn't have to put it in 4x4. All the while Row for Fish is sucking dust. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] I'm glad he was in the back and not me.

Nothing all morning so early afternoon Row for Fish calls an old friend to see if he has any antelope around his place. He said he saw them a couple of hours ago come on down.

It didn't take us long to get there.(20 Mins.) He gives us a map with the spot were they are supposed to be. We find everything and they are there. Unfortunately they spot us and head for the next county at about 50 mph. Those things are the fastest animals I have ever seen. No shots but things are looking better. We do a little scouting and find a group of about 15 but are unsure if they are on the property that we have permission to hunt. It's late so we went to a park to camp and get ready for the next morning.

We wake up early and go back and find Row for Fish's friend and find that they are not on his property but he knows the owner and we go with him to ask for permmision. The guy tells us to basicaly shoot them all they are pests. We told him we only had 2 tags and that was all we could take but thanked him for the offer. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Off we go with high hopes because we knew exactly where they were and where they would go if spooked. We had Get Bit as the blocker if they ran out the back. Row for Fish the rancher and I came in from the front. Great plan right. WRONG

They ran right past us and into the next county. Get Bit never even saw them. It was a good thing I was in the truck or I might have been trampled. We hunted some more but had to come home early. No antelope in the freezer but it was a great hunt and we will be back after them soon.

Antelope Part 2 the sequal comeing soon to a bb close to you. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Rauly

[Bait O' Eggs]

Nice story,

I know about the farmers/ranchers wanting you to shoot all of the antelope. I have been told in Eastern Oregon that if you have a gun and see antelope, you had better shoot until you cannot see them or you are out of shells. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] I said "I only have a deer tag", they said, "If you want to hunt anything here you will shoot antelope on site." [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

I suppose if I had to go re-build fence everyday in hard rocky soil from antelope busting it, I would want them shot also.

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

Boy, your antelope story is a real comedy.

I've hunted them in Montana since 1984 and don't have any stories like this.

I did have a string of hard luck stories on how the big ones always seemed to get away thru various problems until 1994 when I got one that went 15 3/8 inches. Second shortest shot I ever took on antelope also, 130 yards.

[Rauly]

Is there a speed limit in stubble fields? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Get Bit]

If there is a stubble limit, then every antelope I saw violated the basic rule. If only those guys would have let me chase me doves instead......

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

I suspect the stubble field speed limit would be determined by:

1) if the truck is brand new/or used
2) if the truck is yours/or your partners
3) if he's in the truck

[ 09-06-2001: Message edited by: Zen Leecher aka Bill W ]

[Fish Hunter]

I've noticed a large deep badger den will limit your speed. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]