Bryce’s 2009 Oregon Silvies Hunt Unit Pronghorn – Antelope
The Bates Antelope hunt story started a while back at an RV Show in Salem. As usual when talking about RV’s one (sales person) likes to find some common ground. I found that that Harold Bates was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. I also knew that he had a number of points saved up for hunting Oregon Antelope – Pronghorns.
Whether he bought and RV from me or not, I told him when he needed some information on where to hunt when applying for a tag, doesn’t hesitate to call or email me.
Well this year (2009) Harold and his son Bryce both drew the Silvies #2 Oregon Antelope Tag and contacted me. It was nice to hear from him again and I was glad to see what I could do for him and his son.
Harold has hunted Antelope in Montana and Wyoming many times, but this would be their first time in Oregon… So he is a very experienced hunt of great success.
I was able to get waypoints to Harold and he put them on this Garmin Nuvi. We did have to work on that a bit and came up that the Nuvi works with gpx format extension files.
During Harold and Bryce’s hunt, my son and I were over in the area on the closing weekend I thought we could find them and see what we could do. The following is the notes that I got from Harold on the hunt.
“Our antelope season was not a complete bust! My son got a nice one, and comparing it to what the guys at the Artistic Taxidermy were displaying, we were very pleased, it was a full 15 inches and fairly heavy with very nice shovels. Our search for my buck was long! I had chances to shoot smaller bucks, but was not going to settle for one smaller than my sons. It’s better to not take one than to take a smaller buck; Dad would never live that one down. I do have another chance, heading for Montana this week for Antelope and Mule deer. So I’ll have another chance.”
Frankie and I had tried to find Harold and Bryce at Chickahominy Reservoir and could not find them on Sunday. Sent him a picture of the sign at the lake and said we are here, but your not, so the following is the comment back. I should have looked harder as we past through Silver Creek on the way out.
“Frank, we moved the Motorhome up Silver Creek to cut down on drive time. We did run into some Lopes west of Dry Lake, been hunting there for the last couple of days. We did jump a couple of shooter bucks, and a few does. I passed on a small buck. My son Bryce connected on one, you see in the picture.
We checked out the Buck Creek area, spent 1/2 a day there, we did see a few does. There are a few bow hunters camped in the area.”
I would have to say that Bryce and his dad should be very proud of Bryce’s Lope. Very heavy horn and great prongs. The new state record for Montana at almost 92 points has only 14 1/2 horns. It is not always length that makes a great lope, but mass and prongs.
Great Job Bryce!