At this point I only have pictures to give you all. David is going to write the story via his journal.
David and I had many email contacts, he bought a Garmin GPS, came by and I marked maps.
He made the trips to South Wagontire to scout all the hotspots and said he had a great time and lots of buck lopes.
David K. with his 2010 S. Wagontire Lope
Brian w/David's Lope-Glassing Partner
Frontal Shot!
Randy Riley with Beulah Lope 2010
Randy and Travis on a grusome hunt in the Beulah Unit.
Man this was a tough hunt, both physically and mentally. My dad had thirteen points built up for Antelope-Pronghorn in Oregon. He was ready to cash in guaranteeing a draw, but giving up on one of the other top Oregon Antelope Units. This hunt we went on was the Beulah Unit. Let me start by saying this unit is not at all your typical Antelope country. It was steep, rocky, and brushy and did I mention STEEP! After previously talking with the local biologist for the area and making notes of the areas he suggested, obviously that is where we started when we arrived two days before the season. We glassed and glassed until dark and were not seeing a thing, no Deer, Antelope, Elk, nothing. He started to get that regretful feeling for choosing a lesser unit with that many points earned. All we could do is put up with the long days of getting up at 4 and getting back to camp at 10 in search of a shooter. You’d think hunting in August would be great… It is but has just as many downfalls as hunting in November. First off you really don’t prepare yourself for the LONG days. Light at 6, dark at 9, that makes for a long day. Eventually we scrapped any info from the Biologist and went out on our own. Ended up stumbling on the only flat Lopey looking area we could find within a 30 mile radius of our camp. That night before the opener we glassed a nice buck that had 15 does with him. This was exciting, first to actually finally see some lopes, but also to find a shooter for the next morning. Seemed too easy! That opening morning we were up at 4 and up in our area by 5:30AM, 6 AM it was light enough to glass and I spotted the herd about a mile away. Time for the big stalk! Eventually after an hour of stalking cautiously, we ended at the last Juniper cover on the edge of the flats where they were. I ranged the buck at 450 yards. My dad shoots a 270 Weatherby Magnum and has ethically killed game at those distances in the past. Just after I ranged him, he decided it was a good time to bed down. After building a makeshift bench rest out of rocks and a backpack, he got comfy and ready for him to stand, 45 minutes later he stood. I told my dad whenever you are ready! I watched through my Swaroski and thirty seconds later BOOM! I watched as he shot literally two inches over the buck. End of that stalk! They were gone like lightning. Now since this is getting long, I am going to speed things up a bit. Over the next two days, we only saw Lopes in that exclusive area. Sunday night we managed a perfect stalk from another mile plus away. Three bucks but when finally we were fifty yards from them, my dad decided to hold off, they were not all that great. Fun stalk none the less! Monday morning we slept in until 5:30, got a late start, hunting hard the last three or four days in 100 degree weather was starting to take a toll on us. We weren’t seeing the quality bucks we were hoping for and the one that got away was exactly that. So that morning we weren’t expecting much heading into our “area”. Put up the spotters and within 5 minutes he spotted the buck he eventually ended up taking. We made another great stalk from over a mile away up to a rocky outlook just behind them. Once he found a good rest he set up for the shot. BOOM! I heard the “smack” and then there were smiles. My dads killed bigger lopes and was hoping for that magical 17 Incher, but I don’t think we would have found him. It made for a great end to a hunt with lots of ups and downs with my dad, but more importantly good memories. By the way, my dad is 54 and could out hike any of my buddies! We definitely came home with blisters and missing boot lugs. By Travis
257 Weatherby Lazermark Custom 120gr. Sierra Game Kings
It was a few years back that a few of us made a big hunt in the Central part of the state to chase some Mulies. It was an unusual hunt as we would work a ranch that we had access to for exotics and this was the first time for chasing Mulies on this place. This rancher is now gone into the wild blue yonder. He was all about horse trading for hunting privileges as ranchers are. He would take in new truck parts to keep his trucks running, never a rifle as he would always be loyal to his old Savage 7mm Mag., with the cracked and screwed together stock.
The picture as attached to this story was a pretty good buck for the area and came with a goofy finish on this hunt.
We had been working the back country where no roads existed, working from an old Jeep just taking it easy. All of a sudden two of us spotted this buck about 150 yards out just as daylight were emerging. Out of the jeep and both us taking aim on this buck, both shoot, with the LT getting his shot off a millisecond faster than I. In the time frame I had taken better aim and hit the buck in the chest – lung area and LT grazing the buck in the lower front leg. Hmm! Battle being over with the kill shot taking the buck, I took off in a dead run to the buck! The trusty 257 Weatherby once again proved to be the ultimate killing rifle, which it has done so many times…
I was so focus on the buck being on the ground and not moving that I did not bother to see in front of me or what my feet were doing. I ran head on into an old barbwire fence to my surprise and that fact I was now lying on my back. As I hit the fence with my quads I bounce backwards from the fence. Hey I could run the 100 in 10.5 at the time! Getting up, with everyone laughing at my antics, I quickly looked down to see my Levis ripped and blood running down my legs. Ok! I was ok and I got the buck and was very pleased with him, EXCEPT that he was sickly looking. Ticks had gotten to him and most were the size of a dime and had taken everything out of him. The meat was definitely no good to eat and a shame as to what the fate of this dandy buck would have been if I had not shot him.
The rest of the hunt was great and everyone tagged out on good bucks, which most hang in their homes to this day.
The other day an old hunting partner of mine, Ben Olson called me back on an issue that I had. We do not get to hunt or golf together much these days, but we do get a call in every so often.
Ben was telling me that he was over near Antelope or that region on an old road that we would cruise in the days of the Exotic Sheep hunting for Corsicans and Mouflons in that area of Oregon. Those that had the opportunity to get there first, before the state made changes or ranchers could make some heavy cash on the trespassing fees to hunt we had some great hunts with lots of sheep. Little Trout Creek was a great area to work. Ok! Getting back to the phone call from Ben, he told me that one of the local ranchers told him he could deer hunt over there. I asked him the name of the rancher, but he couldn’t remember, no use giving up a good thing. He did give way to the area of the loop road and that was enough information for me to figure out who the rancher might be and the canyons that once or still may hold Exotic Sheep.
It will be interesting when Ben reports after scouting the ranch as to what he encounters there.
I have attached a couple of pictures from past hunts, with a medium size Hawaiian Black that was taken from one of the guys in the group of past.
Looks like to me that Hunter Henninger has become quite the shooter, following his dad’s footsteps in using the 257 Weatherby. aka “257 BAD” Some years back when I was working for Fisherman’s Marine & Outdoor in Portland, OR as the Ops Officer, Brian Henninger called me and said “Frank I think I need another Weatherby” “What do you think about this caliber?”
Of course I told him I have had two of them and still use mine when I have time. One rifle had over 30 kills.
The amount of deer that this Weatherby 257 has or will have taken at some really long range shooting will be history and future for both Hunter & Brian.
As said by Brian Henninger, Hunter Dad!
“This deer was huge…Hunter from 250yds! 257 mag!”
Hunter Henninger’s 2009 Mule Deer – Pilot Rock – Oregon
