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My Antelope Hunting Adventure In Wyoming

By John MuellerSeptember 13, 20095 Comments

LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015

It was quite an adventure hunting with a bunch of friends from the forum as well as a few Bowtech Staffers. This hunt was more about the friendships than the actual hunting, although the hunting was fantastic.

 

Even though most of us knew one another, few of us had actually met face to face; we just knew each other from the forums. It was neat to have a camp full of guys that got along like brothers the whole time, it really made the hunt a pleasurable experience.

 

Miller Outfitting knows how to put hunters on good antelopes and also show them a first class time, their operation is second to none. We all arrived at camp by 3:00 on Saturday with our hunt to begin Sunday morning. Doug the owner said if we wanted to shoot our bows a few times to see if they were still on he would put us all in blinds that evening since the hot weather was perfect for hunting. So we all took a few practice shots and changed clothes and were in our blinds overlooking water holes by 5:00. Within 10 minutes the first goat was down. Bill had connected on a good buck. One more speed goat would fall that first evening. I had a doe and young one come to my water hole that evening but no shooters.

 

A doe and fawn that came in the first evening.

 

The first morning I went to same hole Bill took his buck at the night before, it was located in a good travel area.

 

A view of my water hole the first morning.

 

I had numerous small bucks and couple of does come in early.

 

One of the small bucks that came in early.

 

I received news via text Kevin had killed a goat a little ways from my blind and they were taking it in to get it in the cooler. It had been a while since I had seen any so I texted Rob and Greg asking if this was the 10:00 lull. Soon after that text I got word that Greg had hit one, but just grazed its back. What seemed like just a few minutes later I got the message that Greg and Rob had both tagged really good bucks. That meant I was the only one left hunting and it wasn’t even noon of the first day. At 2:00, after not seeing an antelope since 9:30, I called Billy my guide asking what the weather was supposed be like the next couple of days. He said cooler with a chance of rain. That meant the antelopes wouldn’t be coming to water as much as in the 93* heat of the day. I decided if a decent buck came in I would take him instead of waiting for a bigger one later. At 2:30 the antelopes must have gotten up from their naps. I had a steady stream coming to water, but they were all small.

 

Around 4:00 I got my sandwich out of my pack. I thought to myself, I better take a look around before I start eating. I peeked out the back of the blind and saw a huge buck running a good buck away from his doe. I quickly put my sandwich down and grabbed my bow. I decided I would shoot either of these bucks if presented with a shot. The bigger one didn’t want the smaller buck anywhere near his doe and kept running him off. Finally the smaller one started to make his way to my water hole. But he came in to my left just the opposite of all of the rest of them. I had to reposition myself for the shot. I ranged him at 22 yards and drew back. Almost at full draw my elbow scrapped the Velcro on a window causing my goat to leave the water, but he stopped after couple of steps. I aimed and touched off the trigger, my arrow struck low in the chest just behind the front leg. I immediately thought heart shot as he climbed out of the water hole and stumbled over the damn, blood pouring out of the wound, I knew he wouldn’t go far. I called my guide Billy, and told him to come get me I’m done.

 

In a few minutes Billy arrived with Kevin and Bill. We loaded up my trophy and drove a little ways away from the hunting area to take pictures and field dress my antelope. The guides actually take a bunch of pictures in different poses and when they get back to camp, they print out a beautiful 8 x 10 print for you and at the end of the hunt each hunter gets a disc with all of the hunters’ pictures on it. That’s definitely not something you get on every hunt.

 

Trophy shots sporting the BH.com colors.

 

 

One of the 8 x10 glossy that Doug gave me.

 

After we had all tagged out Doug suggested we all take a ride to Devil’s Tower National Monument, it was only about an hour and a half away. So Tuesday we loaded up into 2 vehicles and headed to Devil’s Tower. It was a neat ride through some beautiful country. Devil’s Tower is a huge mass of rock that rises straight up nearly 900 feet out the landscape, truly an amazing sight.

 

The whole gang at Devil’s Tower.

Then after lunch at a local diner we headed back to camp. But Doug took us home on gravel country back roads almost the entire way. We stopped many times to view deer and antelope as well as take in some awesome scenery. That ride was another one of the many highlights of the trip.

 

If you are looking for a fun hunt with a group of friends by all means consider an antelope hunt with Miller Outfitting. Definitely not the most adventurous hunt, but one to relax on and have a great time in camp and enjoy the services of a first class outfitter. And antelopes make a pretty darn good looking mount too.

 

Rob and Greg actually shared this water hole the first evening of the hunt.

 

 

Some goats just a couple a hundred yards from camp.

   

 

The equipment I used on this hunt was:

 

Diamond Iceman

Easton FMJ Arrows tipped with Rage BH 

Octane Bantamweight Quiver  https://www.bowhunting.com/shopping/Products/Octane-Bantam-Weight-Quiver__90625.aspx

Apex 4 pin sight

QAD Drop Away Rest

Octane 7” Stabalizer https://www.bowhunting.com/shopping/Products/OCTANE-7-STABILIZER-HWDGRN-__90541.aspx

John Mueller
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