257 Weatherby 120 gr. Gameking – 50 foot shot!
This was a great hunt with some fond memories, one coming from my taxidermist. His comment came as surprise to me “bubba, couldn’t you guys find the big buck!”
I remember my first kill with my 257 Weatherby MK V Left-Handed custom rifle and what happened to the rifle after the first kill. I had been up at Wild Bill Campbell’s place on East Birch Creek Rd, outside of Pilot Rock, OR.
50 yard quartering shot – PSE Signature Mach Flight
John had given me permission to hunt in the back country near
Blizzard Ridge for Pronghorn – Antelope during the Archery Season in Oregon. In the early days it was quite easy to get an archery tag for Pronghorn – Antelope in Oregon. You could put in for your favorite rifle area as your first choice, as it takes some 10-12 years to get drawn, then your second choice could be archery. You would not lose your points and a lot of us did this then. The Grizzly Unit during his time period had a lot of Pronghorn – Antelope and one could find them on any scouting trip. Very few persons bowhunted for Pronghorn – Antelope in this area. John had lots of Lopes and to him they were a nuisance and just as soon have someone chase them off is property.
It wouldn’t be my best Pronghorn – Antelope, but it was my first to come out of the Grizzly Unit. On this trip I was hunting by myself and never saw another hunter in the area. I could make a successful stalk without interruption!
The pack-out the next day!
Proof Shot!
A flash does mircle for shots!
Both the Mulie Buck and I spent the night!
It was now getting late and I had messed up on a couple of dandy bucks during the day, missing the opportunity of getting off shots on my stalks. I noticed a buck coming across the flat about a mile out late into the day. I would need to work quickly
Spanish Goats can come in many color variations.
They don’t always spend their time down in the canyons!
Spanish Goat – Kona, Hawaii
Taken at 600 yards – 257 Weatherby -120gr. Gameking
“Guys, I am going to miss the plane” “No worry bro, we will take care of it” My guide was now driving in excess of 80 miles per hour on a twisting road back to Hilo, Hawaii.
One can only imagine what was going through my mind at that time.
I had been hunting with a couple of local Hawaiian Fireman that worked at the airport in Hilo. They had arranged a goat hunt on thelarge ranch above Kona. I was on my two days off while on my 21 days of active duty with the Naval Security Group Command at Wahiawa. If I had missed movement (back on duty), I surely would have been up for Captain’s Mast, the U.S. Navy as no mercy for missing movement.
It had been one heck of a hunt looking for Goats. During the daytime the goats spend their time in deep narrow rugged canyons. One wonders how they can find a way out and I know that none of us wanted to venture down into them.
It had been really late into the afternoon when goats started to emerge from the canyons.
I had a 6:30PM flight back to Oahu and it was now 3:30PM as the two goats appeared in the direction that we would have to travel back to the truck, which was about 3 miles away. Plus the fact that it was more than 60 miles back to the Hilo Airport!
I quickly lay down in the prone position and took rest on the black Billie and made the shot. “Bubba shoot the other billie too!” I missed the brown Billie that was on the move with the black Billie going down. The distance was right at about 600 yards and the wind was blowing as it always does in the ridges above Kona. The boys could not believe that I had made the first shot and dropped the Billie in his tracks. Good thing that I did not get both of them. It would have been a tough pack out with two Goats.
Taken at 200 yards – Post Hollow – 257 Weatherby
I remember Dynamo’s comment to me “Bubba, I think you could have shot a bigger ram, like the one I got” Little did Dynamo realize that the Texas Dall (Corsican) Ram that I shot at 200 yards cross canyon would have a net score 105 (Gold Medal) would be the largest free ranging Texas Dall Ram ever shot in Oregon. Al and I had glass a herd of rams and eves for about an hour as they maneuvered their way to us. I had lots of time to decide on the type and size or ram that I wanted to shoot.
It had a been a virgin trip into Little Trout Creek, near Ashwood, OR. We had gotten permission to hunt the Darrel Friend Ranch. The sheep had a range of about 20 miles that they would move within from ranch to ranch and BLM. During a spring run-off I watch sheep jump and swim across a river. We had been the first persons other than family that got the opportunity to hunt this ranch.
Again this ban of sheep and other exotics had been turned loose some twenty years before this hunt by “Old Harry”. He had found ranchers that would be willing to let him turn them loose for future use of paid hunting. “Old Harry” just got to old to see where his dream went.
