10/19/2025
The next hunt had a lot of moving parts. We started off with a rain delay. Those are never great because you know the minute you get going everything from the knees down is gonna be wet the rest of the day. This hunt also had a time crunch. We only had one day with this family & had 3 tags to fill. Challenge accepted!!!
We left the pickup with 2 shooters & 2 bows. Matt, like most dads we hunt with, wanted the kids to shoot first. Olivia was the first hunter so we got situated behind the 2 horses & took off.
We weren't seeing much until we got about a half mile in the pasture & over the ridge. Then just like that, there were 2 shooter bucks that stood up about 70 yards to our right. We had a staring contest & won. The bucks headed in the same direction we were headed, over the next ridge. They covered some ground & had parted ways by the time we reached the rise. It was an equal opportunity set up so we picked one & got started.
The rain had stopped but the clouds hung on. It made it near impossible to spot the other 4 antelope laying across the valley on the side of the hill watching us. We kept working in. The target buck laid down. We were getting in range & he bedded down, allowing us to get in to 40 yards. The angle was a little steep, but at the last moment he stood up & turned, giving Olivia a better shot. She made contact at 40!!! The shot was a little farther back than we would have wanted. We watched him for a while & he bedded down, but needed some time.
With up to 2 more tags to fill we made a plan & contined on to the next buck with Mason, keeping an eye on the first one. Aspen & Mason were doing great getting in on a good buck. He was even bedded at times. At about 35 yards they were waiting for their opportunity when a calf decided THAT was the goat he wanted to chase & pushed everything over the hill. Those are the risks when you hunt animals with animals among animals. They chased the buck hard. From our vantage point we could see the buck get close to them & then move out again, but they were below him on the hill & couldn't see what we could. That whole thing finally fell apart so we were off for another prospect.
This buck was bedded when we spotted him. They worked in & just like that, at 25 he stood up & Mason drilled him!!! As they were wrapping up, another nice buck was on a mission. Head down, stopping to check the trail, we told Matt he was huntable, so he got equipment & away they went. They followed him & were able to get a shot at 50 that didn't connect. His kids & I were having a blast watching it unfold. Then Olivia points out a buck running in from our left, hard & fast. I spotted the angry MONSTER behind him making him flee. From where we were we could see the running goats & Aspen & Matt, but they couldn't see each other! It looked like a collision was about to happen!!! Finally, the front buck came to a screaming halt, 40 yards from them, & the big brute pulled up short at 60 yards when he finally caught sight of the horse. It was INSANE!!!! The bucks had other business so quickly changed course & were gone. Always so fun being out there with these crazy animals!!!
We tried to get back on Olivia's goat, but after 2 pastures & a couple miles we called the hunt. It was an incredible day. 3 hunters, 3 shot opportunities, almost 8 miles, 8 hours & Great-Grandpa Rick was the hero who kept Landon entertained in the pickup the ENTIRE time!!!
