Full version (pic heavy): https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/2986136

TLDR:
My dad and I take my grandfather on his last Elk hunt. We make amazing memories and are blessed with many victories!

Grandpa's Elk




My son gets passed down my first gun, and gets his first kill (a prairie dog) in my Dad's lap


Unexpected Bonus: my Dad and I get to harvest an awesome Fallow deer together.

That's truly an amazing trip, Joe.

Already had it's own thread, but here's my desert mule deer taken with a muzzleloader.

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/2984708

I got to hunt pronghorn for the first time in 15 years Saturday. I burned 14 points to draw an area where I used to live and hunt a lot. I got to hunt some BLM land that I used to run cattle on, but it wasn't open to rifle hunting then. This was the first year that unit was included in the rifle season. I burned way more points than needed, but it was worth it to hunt my old stomping grounds.

I found 3 shooter bucks on public land Friday afternoon. One was on our old BLM allotment. He was my first choice. Easiest to get out. I put him and his girls to bed that night.
Next morning as first light appeared, the fog density became clear. Or unclear, depending on your perspective. I was pretty sure I saw him chasing something across the flat as soon as I could see anything. No does, and the rut is just starting. I went looking for the does. Found them. Worked my way out towards them. At about 200 yards they started to take notice, so I found a place to shoot prone and wait. I no sooner got set than here he comes back from whatever he was doing. The does closest to me got his attention, and he stopped. Bad idea.




It is hard to take decent pictures with an iPhone by yourself.

After the harvest, I found an old meat pole up in the hills, and put it to good use.





Scenery was ok while I was working.

On the road to go hunt with BradMtn346. My annual sabbatical. We will have a hell of a lot of fun and I might even fill my cow tag.

TLDR version: I shot my first pronghorn on Friday around Laramie, and my FIL did the same on Saturday. Great trip all around.




My FIL and I each drew an antelope tag around Laramie. My BIL and his wife drew as residents and pulled the same unit. Suffice it to say that I had an enjoyable trip to Wyoming and a successful pronghorn hunt. And allow me to publicly say that my wife rocks for being cool with me going to Wyoming- without her- to see her family.

I made the trek from South Texas via DFW and we arrived late Wednesday. Thursday we visited, spent time at the range, and scouted a few public spots. My BIL and his wife drew a limited access area, and my FIL and I had to hunt public land. We scouted a number of places and saw a lot of antelope, including a few big bucks. The buck numbers seemed to be good around Laramie, which I understand had to do with a relatively mild but wet winter. At one point in our scouting we could see some creek bottom down on some private land, and I had a dozen elk, another dozen mulies, and 5 or 6 pronghorn in the view of my rangefinder at the same time. (This does not happen in Zavala County).

Friday morning the two of us set out to some public land that is off the beaten path while the others went to their spot. The weather was perfect- low 40s with moderate winds. I spend 95% of my hunting time in a deer blind looking for whitetail, and the difference in approach and animal was eye opening. I started the day off just like a stand hunter trying to hunt antelope. Right before sunrise but during legal shooting light I decided to slide over to the next ridge to get a wider view. As I tried to sneak over I could see a buck and a doe in the next dip. They spot me and slide around past another ridge with what turned out to be about 13 does and fawns and a yearling buck in tow. Good for me, I'm out of sight, so I can stand up hurry over and get in prone position on a ridge. As I get set up (loudly I'm sure), I glance downhill to my right, and there is the herd buck. Big. This all occurs as the sun is breaking and I realize that I am shining like a beacon and am upwind of the herd. I try to get situated to get the herd buck, but by the time I was close to ready he was moving fast right into the sun. The herd settled in at about 350 yards and the bucks were running around, but further away. About the time I was getting set up for a chance at a long shot, I see an orange cap high, but in that general direction. It was my FIL. He saw me, went a different direction and ultimately neither of us ever got a shot because the herd moved along.

45 minutes in and I had made at least 3 rookie mistakes

At that point I would change position, glass & observe, then change position working my way a little further into the public land. I went to a high ridge so I could see the other side, and when I got to the top a small buck busted me and snorted a couple of times. Another mistake on my part. I slid a little back down the ridge and found a good rock that I could lay prone behind with good cover and a lot of ground to see. I don't know if that was the right tactic, but it made sense with my stand-hunting tendencies. I ranged a number of rocks and ridges and kind of had a kill zone picked out between 225 and 350 yards where several low areas converged.

A little while later I saw a buck about 700-800 yards away that was moving generally towards me. It looked like he was looking for does. I heard what I assume was a grunt to my left, and that little buck had worked his way up the ridge where he had previously busted me. At the sound of the grunt, the bigger buck turned and ran straight at the little buck. I got ready and hoped he would slow down in the kill zone, but he kept running through it, got about 175 yards away and then posed quartering towards me. The .270 hit true and he dropped on the spot.

Winchester Model 70, .270. Federal Premium bonded tips, 130 gr


It happened so fast that I didn't really have time to think about it. But afterward I was shaking like crazy. I field dressed him and we got him back to the truck and headed to the house. Sadly, the half mile drag wore out this out-of-shape flatlander.

When I put a tape to him, he was bigger than I realized with the curls. His horns were a little over 14", and the total score was pushing 75" (assuming I scored him right). I am generally of the opinion that a trophy can be a trophy regardless of how it scores. But this was more than I could have realistically expected on my first pronghorn hunt.



My BIL, FIL, and me.


The same morning my BIL and his wife shot good bucks as well. Here are the heads side by side. Three Ags, three bucks. Left to right- mine, his, hers. The cottonwood there put in some work.



We went back out that evening but were unable to get my FIL on a buck. The next morning, my BIL joined us and we went out to the same area. The temp had dropped to about 30 degrees, and the wind was blowing like crazy. We saw a few at daylight that stayed out of reach, and my BIL and FIL hustled to stalk a buck and doe down only to have the buck disappear to who knows where. Awesome and frustrating at the same time.

With the high winds, we decided to stay low and walk the draws to the back of the place. As we were approaching the back of the property, I spotted a buck just over the ridge in the next draw. My BIL and I stayed still and my FIL was able to slide up to a perfect shooting position. He dropped him at about 170 yards.



This is his first pronghorn, and he just got his first elk last year. He was excited to get the goat, and was thrilled that it happened the second day when all three of us could be on the hunt together.

4 shots, 4 bucks within a 28 hour period.

On Sunday we decided to combine a family trek with a scouting trip. The area we looked at was some rocky/breaky country that could work for my BIL's whitetail tag this year and definitely for mulies in the future.

This formation looked like it belonged in Utah.


There was a drop-off overlooking a creek with water and tons of cover. Might not be a high number of whitetail moving through, but it has potential to hold a good one.


Gig 'em from Wyoming with Colorado on the horizon.



We spotted a group of mule deer does and fawns. There are 8 of them in this photo. My nieces were able to see them multiple times, and we got to show them the difference between the doe tracks and a larger buck track we found.


This was just a great view to share.


All in all, it was a great trip. I am quite blessed to have the chance to hunt these awesome creatures, and even more so to have such good family.

I've officially caught the Western hunting bug and hope to make it a more regular part of our family outdoor experience.

I'm leaving in a few hours to head to the Flat Tops Wilderness for 1st rifle elk in Colorado. It's 26 degrees there right now. Thanks to a couple of posters on this thread for pointing me in the direction of this area. Hope to have some pics of antlers to show y'all next week and not just pictures of snowy mountains.