Pronghorn Chronicles....

[SDSmlf]

Well, back at camp again. Got a call from Mom owner and she said bring her truck back.... We did at least see some pronghorn finally. The rain is taking a break. Heading back out in yet another truck.....

Looking at that landscape imagine stalking being a real challenge. Hard to hide behind a clump of grass. Would be thinking ambush setup at a water hole.

 

[Patocazador]

It seems the younger generation now only knows about computers, phones, and video games. They need to hang out with old guys. Old guys know s#!t.

When I was in my 20's radical speakers would come to the colleges and spout, "Don't trust anyone over 30." It should have been don't trust anyone under 30 ... still is that way.

 

[Ricochet]

Goodness sakes! I hope you get your antelope, mercy! I know that you want to make the best of the rest of the trip but after the first day, and he spins the truck on the second day, Im not sure I wouldn't ask for his old man to drive me around! And a truck that has for sure 4wd!

 

[Brokennock]

My apologies for not having seen your accident report yet at the time of my initial response. I hope the dad gets smart and sends you out with someone more mature with more experience in the very near future. He is lucky you were with his sons when that accident happened, he should at least acknowledge that fact.

Among the steadily diminishing list of non-hc/pc things in my hunting and scouting gear is a modern tourniquet and an Israeli Bandage. These will NOT be one of the items removed from said gear for period correctness reasons.

If one does not have these items, and just as importantly the knowledge of how to use them, get the items and take the "Stop the Bleeding" class be offered all over, sponsored by various agencies.
bleedingcontrol.org

I look forward to further reports, with hopes of improving conditions and luck.

 

[Baxter]

This a story that I'd buy a slick-cover magazine to read.

 

[poker]

Quite the adventure. One thing for sure is that one never forgets those kind of hunts. Good luck Sparky

 

[Sparkitoff]

Well today came to and end with a lot of driving and not so much hunting. The terrain demands scouting before setting out on foot. The ground is flat as a postage on a postcard and the "cover" is ankle to knee deep at most. It has rained more than ever so waterholes are not attractive, there is pooled water everywhere. The weather has somehow got the bucks stuck on their does earlier than usual so decoys are not working either. We drove well over 300 miles today. Nearly 10 hours of zoom here and zoom there to glass a field or pasture for a few minutes. A few long dirt roads were travelled for up to 10 miles at a reasonable pace. I saw one buck with some does. Son-in-law suggested a buck that has been frequently seen in a high grass triangle just 50-yards off a dirt ranch road. This buck doesn't even look up at a passing vehicle. The right plan might put me in range. Well that buck must have heard us because he was not in that triangle. He was there alright, but 400-yards out in the field in virtually no cover. The owner was out in his truck looking for pronghorn for me too. He called twice. One time the boys could not find the location he referred to, wasting over and hour trying to find it. Another time there was alleged to be four bucks close to a road in a low ravine. The boys turned the truck around to go there. After just a minute Son decided to turn back around and check one more spot. Well we never found that spot and a follow-up phone call revealed that the four bucks were done doing whatever in that ravine and moved on out of sight. There is a good wind and the rain subsided so tomorrow we are hopeful to get onto some dirt ranch roads that have been unusable when muddy. There is a buck hanging on the skinning pole and I find out my companion took his buck with a modern rifle at 339-yards. I am glad for him. That is not my style, too impersonal and not enough "hunt". Someone gave up their pronghorn backstraps and tenderloins so they are on the pit grill along side some wild mushrooms that were picked up in a small woodlot near camp. I am going to put ice on my sore shoulder. It is still swollen. No pain when sitting patiently in the truck but when out moving around it lets me know it took a blow. To answer some questions; this is a paid, guided and outfitted hunt. This company has gone 100 percent on pronghorn for the past 20-years with one year exception where they were one short. They literally have a monopoly on the landowner tags in this area and a network of owners that will sign an experimental tag. They buy the tags from the landowners so it is easy for the landowners to turn over all the State provides them to one outfit. This is an area of the panhandle that spans about 175 square miles. I know of one other outfitter that has just 4 landowner tags within this turf. State land is by draw and the success rate is around 30%. The outfitter admits that nearly every hunter takes the first opportunity on a buck. The closest shot this year so far was 40-yards, but it occurred quite accidentally. They were stopped watching some other pronghorn further out when a buck stood up just 40-yards away. The next nearest shot has been 200-yards. A lot of this "hunting" is driving around until a buck is spotted and then as long as you get out and turn the truck off it is legal to shoot. Many guys lay the rifle over the hood of the truck or get in the pickup bed and shoot off the roof. A few people will have to sneak closer and shoot off of sticks. Every single hunter in camp has a very modern centerfire rifle with scope and many have long-range set-ups. Some have passed up bucks within 300-yards because it was "too close". My old buddy is 81 years old and shooting a M70 308 with a vintage 4X scope. The rest of the camp thinks he and his rifle are antiques. They are intrigued and keeping up with me because I am using a flintlock and trying to hunt on foot. The plan for tomorrow is to locate a buck and let me do whatever I want to get in range. I have to go, these backstraps look done and my shoulder is killing me.

 

[Crane Senior]

Good luck tomorrow I like your approach much better that the 300 yd one. I watched a hunt similar to yours on YouTube, it sure takes some work. Love this commentary, thanks.

 

[Patocazador]

Someone gave up their pronghorn backstraps and tenderloins so they are on the pit grill along side some wild mushrooms that were picked up in a small woodlot near camp.

With the luck you've been having, DON'T EAT THE WILD MUSHROOMS!

 

[Sparkitoff]

watching some other pronghorn further out when a buck stood up just 40-yards away. The next nearest shot has been 200-yards. A lot of this "hunting" is driving around until a buck is spotted and then as long as you get out and turn the truck off it is legal to shoot. Many guys lay the rifle over the hood of the truck or get in the pickup bed and shoot off the roof. A few people will have to sneak closer and shoot off of sticks. Every single hunter in camp has a very modern centerfire rifle with scope and many have long-range set-ups. Some have passed up bucks within 300-yards because it was "too close". My old buddy is 81 years old and shooting a M70 308 with a vintage 4X scope. The rest of the camp thinks he and his rifle are antiques. They are intrigued and keeping up with me because I am using a flintlock and trying to hunt on foot. The plan for tomorrow is to locate a buck and let me do whatever I want to get in range. I have to go, these backstraps look done and my shoulder is killing me.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Wow, no rain! 5 days from home and early mornings are taking a toll on me. As I prepare to head to camp I realize that I have taken some forum members with me on this hunt, vicariously through their wares. I admit to being a mix of old and new. I have this bag I made, but I carry a wind meter and rangefinder in it...

Then I have a short starter from Two Feathers (Stoney) along with my priming flask and vent pick/pan scraper....

Willfish4fud made this "loading pouch" with 4 vials. I have a pre-measured powder charge in two vials, two balls and a strip of patching in another and caps with a leather capper in the last. I don't plan to use the caps on this hunt as I am using a flintlock, but I did bring a percussion rifle as back-up...

Then I have my wind meter and Case knife that I use for patch cutting and game cleaning (and anything else). A long time ago I broke a Case knife. I didn't know anything about the company then but I sent the knife back. They fixed it better than no, no charge. Since then I joined the Case Collectors Club and I have a bunch of them that I display. This is the one I use....

BlackHillsBob did some stock work on my rifle. I hope to show it later with a pronghorn next to it!

The sky is orange and light is breaking. The dark grey clouds look like smoke from a chimney on a windy day. We are heading 74 miles from camp to check out yet another property. Fingers crossed....

 

[bisleyjohn]

Stupid question from a Limey who doesn’t hunt, why have you hidden your faces in the photo?

 

[yonderin]

Maybe too much adventure but a hunt you'll never forget.

 

[Patocazador]

Next year go to Wyoming ... lots of antelope and from my experience very competent guides.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Back for lunch. Today's lunch is German White Brat and Pronghorn and Jalepeno Brat with mashed potatoes and brown gravy. Tortillas if you want to wrap the brat like a sandwich. Sugar cookie dessert. The rain is returning in the distance. We went 51 miles to one ranch and back. Then 74 miles to another and back. Saw a whole herd of pronghorn on State Grasslands where we can't hunt. Then saw 3 very nice bucks near the road on private property that we cant hunt. They are out and more visible than the previous days. If we can find one no matter how far away I have my own plan. I need more of a chauffer to drive me than a guide at this point. The rain is light and scattered so I think there's a good chance we can get enough dry spells to make it happen. Can't hurt to add success to my prayers....

 

[Sparkitoff]

This person took an antelope with this outfitter out of this camp. He is not in my group. To answer a previous question, I block the face because I did not obtain permission from the person to use their photo in a public forum and in this case the photo was not taken by me and I do not know to whom credit is due, therefore block the faces.....

 

[Sparkitoff]

In for a break and snack. There is chicken fried steak sizzling. We are early in so we are taking it right out of the pan onto our plates. Diced potatoes with onions are also in the adjacent pan and we dig into that. Just a snack, we need to get to the OK border 57 miles away with time to hunt. My companions have their bucks in the cooler....

You can clearly see the abundance of clouds in the sky and the pronounced lack of cover or terrain features in the landscape....

 

[Sparkitoff]

I just finished a dinner of pronghorn backstrap with garlic, pickles and onions, air fried battered onions and beans. Now is a good time to tell you about this afternoon.....

 

[Sparkitoff]

This afternoon I headed out with one new "guide" in a new truck. The owner of the truck was the driver. He was an interesting character. He is around 30-years old and the oldest of the guides I have been carted around by this week. He has autism. I have an autistic relative that is extremely low functioning. This guy had his own truck, could drive and was in most ways a part of the outfitters team. He was very robotic in speech and some actions. Crash was in the passenger seat this time and I was on the passenger side rear seat. Crash told the driver, "Go to the Beinhart property". The driver recited the directions to us in a choppy, monotone sentence. "456...South...22 miles...right at light...87 North 74.4 miles...turn left at the white mailbox...take dirt road 2.3 miles...ranch on right". So I'm thinking okay this is going to be interesting. So we drive about 98 miles. As we slow down and turn the WELCOME TO OKLAHOMA sign is right in front of us. In the rear view mirror the green sign with red, white and blue accents says WELCOME TO TEXAS. This ranch is in two States! We can only hunt on one side of the dirt road. We check the landowner tags and discover Crash had four when we left but now only has 3, and he's missing the one we need. We pull over on the dirt road and search the bright blue Ford STX pickup. Whew, there it is between the passenger seat and console...

 

[Sparkitoff]

We continue the drive along the muddy road. It is raining again....just great. We reach a right intersecting dirt road and pull to an angle at the junction of the two roads. Time for binoculars. The driver says, "There...antelope...300 yards....four does, one buck...". Crash and I find them in our respective binoculars. Crash says, "Too bad they are too far for you". OK, that's it. I'm taking over. It's my hunt. "Drive further down the road we were on until I say stop", I bark. Crash tells the driver to do as I say. We drive past the pronghorn that are in the ankle-high grass. After about a half-mile I say stop. I look with binoculars and see the 5 animals still bedded down where they were. I tell the driver, "Turn the truck around". He obliges and we are facing the way we came.

Now, I am going to use my flintlock, I choose to only hunt with traditional muzzleloaders. I am also a realist. I am wearing somewhat traditional attire. Brown duck-cotton pants, a linen button shirt, my "Mexican frock" and a brown cowboy hat. I have a wind meter and a range-finder in my leather possibles bag. Well, there is no way I can just walk over to the pronghorn without being seen and expecting them to stay put. I can deal with that problem. I have my HECS hunting suit in my pack. Giggle if you want to. The HECS uses the Faraday Cage theorem to block electrical energy from your body. It is the same principle as the mesh on your microwave door that keeps the electricity in. Basically, animals can see the electrical emission from living things. The HECS suit makes you appear like an inert object to animals. I have been using this two years and I believe it. Too many incidents to be coincidental. Sit on the ground in the open just 15-yards from my turkey decoy. Turkeys come right in and hang out. Deer under the same tree canopy I am sitting under, just feet away. Dove decoy 10-feet away and they land next to it. It does not make you invisible, just that you look inanimate. Like a log or fence post I guess. You still have to control your scent and minimize movement and remain silent.