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2007 Silvies Unit Antelope – Brian Henninger PGA Tour Pro

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 Hunter Henninger with Dad’s Silvies – Antelope

Hunter Henninger already accomplished hunter:  http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080203/SPORTS02/154881907/-1/SPORTS02

I do believe that this was the first Big Game Hunt for Brian Henninger with his son aboard in Oregon.   What a hunt for Hunter Henninger to go on, but an Antelope hunt with his dad.   He would have the chance to see game and of course watch his dad harvest a nice Pronghorn – Antelope buck.

As with the two Frank’s in another story, I loaded up a Garmin E-Map GPS for Brian with what I thought were the best waypoints for him to hunt the Silvies Unit.   Brian had waited some 12 years with his collective gathering of preference points to materialize into a Antelope hunt.   This was Brian’s first Antelope hunt in Oregon.

Once hooked on Antelope hunting one wants to hunt them forever.  Only problem it does take a long time to get a tag in Oregon.  You have a great chance in Oregon to take a Boone & Crockett Pronghorn.   You just have to wait it out and not get anxious! 

I do remember Brian’s comment to me after he harvest his dandy buck and got it pack-out to the truck.   “Frank after I left and went down the road about a 1/4 mile, I saw the biggest buck ever standing by a fence line.”   This is the typical case when it comes to Antelope hunting, especially in Oregon.  It has happen to me a number of times while archery hunting for Pronghorns.

 Hunter assisted his dad with the GPS and was an expert in a very short while, giving directions to dad in the field.  I also understand that Hunter Henninger could spot the Antelope better than dad in the field.   Kids are always quick when it comes to spotting animals once they have been trained to spot for something out of the ordinary.

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Brian Henninger with his 07 Silvies Antelope & 300 Weatherby

Check out Brian’s Children’s Foundation:

 http://www.brianhenninger.com/

http://www.brianhenninger.com/index.php

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Silvies Unit Pronghorn Hunt – Linda’s Hunt

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 Silvies Unit Antelope taken with 257 Weatherby @ 250 yards.

I can’t say that in the earlier days of my kids growing up that I had family hunts with them.  I had been a bit selfish about hunting, getting use to hunting with my partners and harvesting bucks and bulls.  The idea of hunting with the family and sitting around camp, burning daylight as camping trip and not a real hunting trip that would not go over very well with me. I finally came up with the great idea of the family hunt and then partner hunt during the season.

When our son was about 9 his mother had drawn a Silvies Unit Pronghorn – Antelope tag.  Now this would be a Son, Mom and Dad hunt in the Silvies Unit.   Knowing that I could get Frankie’s mom Linda into a Boone & Crockett Pronghorn.  It had been a while since I had been in the Silvies Unit, but I knew that the big bucks would be there for us to fine.  I had some keys spots that I was going to take Linda and Frankie too. On this hunt I was going to have a lesson of humility given to me.  I did not realize what a great shot Linda was; I had just recently given her my 1 hour lesson on shooting on the run.  We had gotten up into an area that I knew would hold a dandy buck, in the Junipers, near Dry Lake.  It wasn’t long before Frankie spots a Big Antelope buck at about 200 yards out.  Linda gets out with the 257 Weatherby and wants to take an off-hand shot, I tell her to take a rest and felt that she could not make the shot.  She did not have much time with shooting the 257 Weatherby in the field.  This would haunt me later in the hunt and even to this day!  As we were making up the mind to shoot, the buck bolts and ran off over the rim.  A few minutes later another hunter took the buck down.  I thought we were the only ones up in this area and that it was not a big deal to let the buck go and find him later.  Pronghorn – Antelope are quite habit forming in their routine.
I found out later by the local rancher that the buck went 16 1/2 inches and had a green score of 85 B&C.

During the rest of the day, not much was said about that incident.  It would be the next day before we got on track with the harvesting a Pronghorn buck.  I had taken Frankie and his mom down by the lake off of Hwy 20.   I notice a monster buck out at about 400 yards, an easy shot with a rest.  I told Linda that I would get on all fours and she could use my back as rest.  She would have nothing to do with that procedure of hunting.  The buck got tired of waiting for Linda to find a rest that was safer.  The only shot she would have with that buck was from my back as the conditions were such.  We are now 0 for 2 on big bucks found!

Later in the day we came around the corner of a Timothy grass field and there was a buck standing about 250 yards out head on.  Linda said “I am going to shoot that buck,” “no wait until we see the side profile.”  Her rifle goes off and to the amazement of Frankie and me the buck goes down in the spot he was standing!  Wow! Were the words out of Frankie and myself!  Linda had just shot the Antelope Buck at 250 yards, OFF-HAND and a low percentage head on frontal shot.  It may not have been a Booner, but it was a big buck to our son!  You say luck on the shot, not at all, well maybe at that time I thought so! After that I have seen Linda shoot sage rats on the run with a 22LR at 50 and 100 yards.  She has the gift of shooting game on the run and hitting what she sees. Oh! I have had to eat my words many times, when I’ve told her she wasn’t going to hit the target.
So, on this hunt our son had a real taste of hunting and seeing his mom make a great shot.

The hunt was not over with all the way…  On the way home near Wamic, I spotted a number of bucks down in a gulley.  I found a parking spot and told Linda and Frankie I would be right back with one of the bucks.  “Ya!” Were the words out of their mouths…  I had to cross the White River and work my way into the thick brush.  I could see two bucks at about 75 yards.   I close the gap to 35 yards and made a through the cross fence and took the nearest buck.  I was back in 15 minutes to the truck, “I need some help in packing out the buck.”  “Sure dad!”  It was not a great buck at all, but a memorable hunt for Frankie.  It allowed me to later concentrate on my up coming elk hunt.  He got his first taste of having to field gut a couple of animals.  Frankie can shoot like his mom, I have yet to see him miss anything, but then that is another story.

Hunting Equipment

Hunting Benefits – GPS Global Positioning System

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First off I can read a map, Military Training and the days of only having paper maps, but these days paper is for backup only, as GPS systems are so accurate and what they have to offer, such as backtracking, there is no way I would leave home without one!

In the old days the Global Positioning Systems could tell you where you have been via way-points and tracks.  

Oh! One could plug in coordinates, but it still was a plot system.  I use my laptop with mapping software all the time to locate new spots and then viewing it with Google Maps.   If I have something good that I want to venture it is loaded to my Garmin GPS with mapping.

I have updated this POST with new Mapping Software that will enable the Hunter and Outdoors person the freedom to not have to look over your back and wonder if you are hunting public property.  Recently I have put new mapping software to my Garmin Map Source on my Laptop and then download to the Micro SD Card that is in the slot on my Garmin Oregon 300.

New Garmin Montana with picture on screen


With this software you will be able to see BLM, State Lands, City Lands, Private Lands and National Forest Lands and Timber Company Lands are also on the software.   Being I am in Oregon I went with the OR-PLAT4GPS.  It is almost unbelievable what you see.    I fee that everyone should have a Garmin that has a color screen, high sensitivity antenna and capabilities to accept a Micro SD Card.

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Garmin Rino 520HCX – 2 way FRS/GMRS – Topo GPSNew Garmin Montana with picture on screen

 Now the GPS can tell you where you have been, where you want to go and how to get there.   It is like looking at a TV and understanding what you have in front of you.  With the TOPO maps a GPS it can greatly make you get a gripe on the reality of using the GPS in the field.  

 If you understand Topo maps, you can identify with the lay of the land.  Be able to find the shortest way out using the GPS.    These days I can look at a map, have an idea of a place I have heard about or I want to visit.  Plug it in, even go to Goggle Maps these days and see an aerial view of the place I want to hunt or have hunted.

 Now we have new products that have GMRS and the mapping.  If one has a partner with the same like GPS they can pinpoint each other.   One has to love technology and what it can do for you.  I have had great results with the Garmin Products!  It is very easy to get the latest software updates from Garmin for your GPS Unit.  You can view some their fine trail products at the following website.

LINK: GARMIN ON THE TRAIL

Example of Micro SD Card 2 Gig

 

The Name of the Company is HUNT by on X Maps:     HUNT by on X Maps

Sample of BLM-State-Private

Just think when you zoom in on this mapping for more detail, you might even find the name of the landowner of the private parcel.   This is the greatest piece of mapping software that I have ever seen or had the privliage of using.

Here is a short U Tube from HUNT by on X Maps:  Advantages of Mapping

Just the other day up on the Santiam River in Oregon, I wanted to check out an area that I had seen elk a couple of years ago.   What I found with new software was that they were in BLM, but next to a timber company.  In checking with the timber company allows hunting.  I am going to share this information with the waypoints to a customer of mine.

You can always send me an email if you have any further questions:  bwanabubba@gmail.com   COBRA

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2001 Silvies Unit – Antelope Hunt – Phillips

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 Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. with their Silvies Antelope

Early on I had told my old running partners, Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. that they needed to put in for the Silvies Pronghorn – Antelope tag.   Low and behold one of the Frank’s drew the tag for second season.  At that time I was working for a Sporting Goods Company in Portland, OR as the Operations Officer and was able to get a loaner Garmin GPS the     “E- Map” for them to use.

I had taken the time to put in GPS coordinates that would enable them to find the truely big Pronghorn – Antelopes that occupied the area. “Frankie if you take the time and not shoot the first nice buck you see, you can get a real wall hanger buck.”

I suppose I should explain the GPS coordinates and how I came about with them!  I have spent a great deal of time in the Silvies Unit and neibhoring units on weekend scouting trips.   I also had the privelege to know many of the ranchers in the area from spending so much time in the area.   Ranchers do like to talk about the land and will give vital information on the whereabouts of game and game that they might have taken off the land.   I have made a habit of collecting the information.   When I was with Fisherman’s Marine and Outdoors I was able to become an expert with GPS’s and gave a couple of classes.   I would never leave home without a GPS!

I did not receive any calls during the hunt and I wondered how the boys did on the hunt.
I had to meet the two Franks at their store for a run and see the results.  As can see the pictures tell the story.  Not the whole story mind you, but the end results.  Frank Sr.’s comment to me was  “Bubba you were right on with the waypoints, we saw more than 14 big bucks and tried to kill them all.”  Ok!  They did miss a couple of them at long range, but when it counted they netted the one that counts.  This buck was running with about 60 does and a couple of smaller bucks.

Having the right knowledge about a spot that you have never hunted can make the hunt successful.  In the past 8 years, I have dial too many to count on the use of GPS and waypoints for hunting spots.  Pronghorn – Antelope have been the most successful for me.  Most have not hunted for them and know that they need to find out about them in a quick manner.  That is a service that I can offer for a reasonable fee.
The Garmin GPS systems have been a great too work with and I have never had a failure in the field with a Garmin product.

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Frank’s Son-in-Law!   He is 6′ 6″! Check out the Horns!

Bwana Bubba

Hunting Equipment

Be Successful! Choose the right Optics for you!

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Binoculars are under my right arm always out of the way, but on the ready! 

Using good pair of binoculars this bull was spotted from about 1400 yards away with a smaller bull.  

Years ago I would carry in my backpack my spotting scope and camera, which was a big SLR Minolta.   My binoculars were always on my side under my arm.

These days I carry only the binoculars and a small digital camera with me.   I feel that my binoculars can tell me what I need to know about horn configuration on an Pronghorn – Antelope, Deer, Elk or Exotic.  

Having been in the sporting goods business and doing trade shows for sporting goods manufacturers in the past, I have been able to test out just about every model and manufacturer of optics.  There are a great deal of great optics out there for you to look and find the pair that will be comfortable for you.

It is not how much you pay for optics, but how they feel, are they clear, will they gather enough light during low light conditions and will do the job for you.   I have never been one for compact binoculars for hard field use.  I might have a spare pair of compact binoculars in my backpack, just in case I get into a pinch.

I suppose I should explain myself on the issue of compacts.   This of course has nothing with cost, as many compacts are as much as larger binoculars.   My thoughts is in the size of the glass and how much light gathering do I really get when it is needed.  A vast majority of people buy compacts because of the size.   There have been many times while hunting and glassing into timber  or glassing during the early and late hours of the day that a pair of compacts could have never given me the view to see game, little along game with horns.   In my opinion the amount of glass you have determines a great deal in light gathering capabilities of the optics especially during low light conditions.

My two (2) favorite binoculars are the Bushnell Discoverer 10X42 (roof prism) and the Elite 12X50.  The 12X50 that I have is the Baush & Lomb model date about 5 years old and is of the Porro Prism.   

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This particular model is now a roof prism and more streamline.  Almost all of the optics are marketed through Bushnell.  I would strongly urge anyone to check out this brand of optics with a great warranty.   A pair of binoculars should be clear, easy to use, comfortable to the eye with no distortion or eye strain, waterproof and within your budget.  There are a lot of very good binoculars that don’t cost thousands of dollars.  Recently I used a pair of the Trophy Model Roof Prism 10×42 Bushnell on a test and they worked very well.  What a bargain that they were with fully coated lens, BaK-4 prism and waterproof all for under $150.00 bucks. 

http://www.bushnell.com

A few years ago on a mule deer hunt above the John Day River, near Clarno.  I had my son and an old friend with me.   My old friend wanted to check out a spot before the end result area that I wanted to hunt.  This little side trip delayed us a little to long to catch the bucks that were held up in Dry Creek.   As we got there I could see deer moving out at about 800-1000 yards.  I told the boys “there are some dandy bucks going out over the ridge in the 30″ class.”   “What bucks” were the comments back from my son and friend.  The two of them could not see horns at all.   I told them that optics are everything!

Oh!  The 12X50 Elites do weight a bit, but I do feel that it is all worth it.  I can rely on them to function every-time that I pull them up to spot game.

As I said earlier, I do not hang my bino’s around my neck and never have.  I like to have them on my right side under my arm, as I am left handed.  Very easy to grab and pull up at any given moment.   I have always had them connected to a wide camera strap.  Having them in my front is an uncomfortable to me and I also feel that they can slow one down when in the “Blink” Mode.   I would suggest you to try this the next time you are hunting or scouting! 

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White Knuckle Road Mule Deer – Oregon

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 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. I had just killed a big Black Bear down in California Gulch up off of Pearson Creek.   We had gotten the bear back to the cabin and Bill had asked to see my new fancy Weatherby.   He took out a pocket knife and turned the rifle upside down and said to me “bubba, this rifle will have a lot of kills and I need to mark it for you.”   About that time Wild Bill notched the butt stock pad of the rifle.   I know sometime later that I had more than 30 notches in the butt stock pad of that rifle. So with fond memories and trying follow Wild Bill’s first notch, I took this nice buck with the 257 Weatherby.   I shot the buck so close, that I took off a dead run and did not notice the half down barbwire fence of yester year about 50 feet in front of me.   I and the Weatherby ran into the fence and had a nice landing; I also ruined a great pair of worn Levis.

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Kona Goat Hunt – Last Minute Billie

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Spanish Goats can come in many color variations.

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They don’t always spend their time down in the canyons!   

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                     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.

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Oregon Texas Dall Ram – Ashwood, OR

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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.