Hunting the Snake River Canyon in N.E. Oregon is for those than can shoot!
I almost lost one of horses on the pack-out and had Czar #1 Horse go down in the timber while trying to get to the elk for pack-out!
Years ago I loved to hunt for elk in the Snake River Canyon. I had a couple of horses that were for great riding and as pack horses. It was nothing to see bulls at long range during the season and try to find a way to get to them or shot long range shots.
The picture in this post, was one of those long range shots. I wish that I had more pictures, but can’t find them. I had hunted the year before and missed a big bull as I hastily taken the shot without getting setup properly.
I had trade hunting spots with a fellow named Randy Krupe. He wanted a place to hunt in the Steens Mountains and I wanted I wanted one of his elk the hot-spots. So I got the hot-spot near Tee-Pee Springs in the lower part of the Snake River.
I had found a great observation spot to glass for elk. This spot I had found the year before and I knew I would have to hustle to get this shooting rock and got there about an hour before first light.
As usual when dawn is breaking and your sitting there waiting, you have tendency to fall asleep as the temperature drops. Kinda weird how this happens! I had spotted a couple elk prior to this, but they were cows on the move. I told myself as I slapped myself that I could not fall asleep and not get the first lick in. Well this did payoff, but barely.
About a 1000 yards off, or three ridges off in the distance, I see the flash of horn. I quickly use the spotting scope and could see a branched bull. He is broadside in a down timber patch. I said to myself what the heck, I can’t kill him if you don’t take the shot. After the first shot, the bull turns and heads uphill and stops standing straight away from me. I figure at this time I need to aim between the horns and hold about 48 high or so. There was no wind and I had a great rest. I also know that my 340 Weatherby with the 210gr. Nosler would get there. I love this caliber for long range shots on elk. The Snake River Canyon is known for having to shoot cross canyon! At the sound of the shot, the bull was no longer standing. As the distance was great and I did lose sight of the bull. I felt that I had hit him and I would need to work my way over there. It took about 40 minutes to hit a game trail that would allow me to get into the patch. As I approached the area and was about 150 yards away I could see the bull bedded on the steep hillside in the down timber.
This was my first branch bull, that formed the path to bigger bull!
The bull’s head was up, but he could clearly see me, but wasn’t getting up. I was able to get a clear shot and put him down the rest of the way. Under inspection, I found my original bull hole in the neck. It had touched the just about everything in the neck.
Getting the bull out is another story about working my old horse Czar and almost losing my other horse on the pack-out.
P.S. There were 13 of us in an Elk Pool, with 20 bucks a head! It was based on points and not B & C Scoring. It was my lucky day!
When a planned trip does not go the way it was expected after 11 years of waiting!
The following story was sent to me by a young man that had drawn a Pronghorn Tag for the Silvies #2 hunt for 2011. I like that way Joshua hunts and his thoughts about his hunt. As you can see from the pictures he is dedicated hunter and from the Blacktail buck pictured in this story, he likes to trophy hunt!
Dear Mr. Biggs,
Thank you for your patience regarding the timely delivery of the story of my Silvies Lope hunt. Unfortunately, it is a disappointing story to due circumstances out of my control but there is always something to be learned every time I go out and with that in mind, no trip has ever been a waste.
First of all, let me say that this was the first antelope tag I have ever drawn in Oregon. I have hunted them one other time in Wyoming, where the herds can be seen spotting every rolling hillside and public and private is virtually the same thing. I did not know what to expect on this hunt which is what caused me to begin researching on the internet and eventually stumble on your website which was the most amazing resource I have come across. Everyone’s story updates are pretty cool too. 🙂 Your website allowed an under-prepared outdoorsman feel like he had done a little bit of scouting. You gave me a point of reference to start from and also, I believe, an edge psychologically to know that I was not wandering around in vain.
The night before opening day, I made the 8 hour drive over to beautiful central Oregon from the towering pines of southern Oregon in an amazing heavenly lightening show as I passed through the vast alfalfa fields. Using the coordinates you gave me I was able to find a campsite quickly, near a waterhole southwest of the well. Pulling in the dark, right away on the other side of the oasis, a small black bear was stalking around. I watched it in the headlights for a while, excitement brewing for the hunt to come.
Calling in the dogs in the snow!
The next morning I headed out before daylight and hiked through some of the canyons that were noted on the map you gave as I tried to get my bearings and a feel for the land. Sure enough, around ten o’clock, I was sitting at the base of a canyon taking a breather as the sun had began to heat up past the 75 degree mark, and I saw a lone buck tearing across the plain about a mile off. I watched him as he passed behind a small ridgeline out of site. I decided I was going to sneak up and over the face of that ridge and hopefully pop up directly above him thinking he might have slowed his pace after reaching the safety of the canyon walls. I started putting the sneak on him down across the plain, crossing a deep creek bed and up and over the ridge. Just as I hoped, I crawled slowly over the ridgeline through the sage and there he was standing broadside not more than 75 yards away!!! Here is the complicated part of the story. As I climbed up the ridge and reached the higher elevation, a ranch house came into view a couple miles off to my left and 100 or so head of cattle a half mile off to my right. As, I stared at the small buck in my scope (but the biggest I’d ever seen) the thoughts and voices of my mentors over the years raced through my mind and even as the Lope began to sense my presence and EVEN COME CLOSER, I couldn’t find the peace to pull the trigger. I knew I’d get another chance with 10 days left and decided I needed to really make sure I knew the public land boundaries. Later that evening I received a telephone call from work stating that I was needed for an emergency and that I had to return by Sunday.
Dandy Blackbear, up close with the leveraction!
In the remaining time I had there, I only saw one other group of females as far as I could tell, as they were too far off even with the spotting scope. I was disappointed that I could not finish the hunt as I felt like things were heating up and I was enjoying the challenge of a new species and a different terrain. That’s how life rolls sometimes I guess and I’m thankful for all the memories I had anyway.
BTW, I saw the biggest Muley I’ve EVER seen just bedded in the shade next to the road, an easy 35in wide with velvet hanging.
I wonder if that is a 30-30 or 32 Win Special?
Thank you so much for your help. I am not one to use a gps but I am definitely reconsidering it as I could have found precise spots that you told me about quickly and accurately. I look forward to trading information in the future. Again, thank you for your wealth of knowledge and your willingness to share it and your patience as I finished out the hunting year. I had a chance to guide a hunt in Chesnimus and finished out the year in Grants Pass where I reside. Here are a few pictures of this year other hunts. JOSH
I get a great deal of inquiries where to hunt every year and sometime, I am just another lead to the hunter along with the rest of the information they get from others. It is good that when it comes to hunting that hunters try to gather as much information as they can, including getting information from the local biologist for the area they plan to hunt. Many biologist are hunters themselves and want to see hunters successful. In Oregon the ODFW have some very good biologist and a couple I have know for many years.
Getting on with Linda’s hunt, she made contact with me early on about getting a Trout Creek Mule Deer tag. Tough unit to draw for, as it takes at least 10+ points to get drawn. The Trout Creek Hunt is in the Whitehorse Hunt Unit, bordering Nevada. There are some monster bucks that live in the arrid country, but hard to find.
I gave Linda some waypoints that were given to me by an old hunter that I had known for more than 20 years that hunted the Trout Creek Mountain and harvest many a big monster buck. Bud Lucas was his name and he lived in Klamath Falls, OR.
Bud Lucas with one of his Trout Creek Mulies that he took over his years of hunting! Miss this man! Bud still hunted though it took a long time to walk a 10O yards. Had MS…
He shared his stories and pictures of the bucks that he harvest of the years.
L.K.J.’s before 50 Trout Creek Mule Deer 2011
LINDA’S STORY:
I was Mule Deer hunting in the Trout Creek Mountains. Got my buck day 2 of the hunt. It was great! I wish I could hunt there every year. I went several days early and put bucks to bed. Found them in the morning. It was good I got my deer early as it began snowing a couple of days later. What a great experience I will never forget. I saved points for 10 years and wanted a tag before I was 50 (next year), now I think I may get another one before I am 60!
Happy Trails,
Thanks for the interest and encouragement!
I thought I would do some updating on this post since I did write it in 2011. I am a firm believer in having the correct equipment and knowledge to keep legal while hunting. The other benefit of having the following tool, is that you might be able to find a landowner that let you hunt. Most farmers have great feeling about Lopes when they grow grasses…
Everyone should have @onxhunt in Mobile and or Garmin Colored GPS with the #onxhunt chip.
The tool know where you are at all times, boundaries are important to know…
In my time I have done a great deal of scouting and researching of Pronghorn or Antelope as most call this great animal from the past in Oregon and the rest of the Western States, where they roam in hunt-able numbers.
2019 Thoughts: If you have time to scout even 1 day prior, get a game plan of glassing and glassing. Everyone should have at least an A, B and C plan. Glass from afar and if possible from a rise. Lopes are habit creatures and will work the same water holes and areas.
For archery hunters in many of the Western States you have a chance to hunt every year for Antelope. Where as with a rifle you might have to wait some 12-25 years to draw a tag, at least in the Oregon. I have hunters in Oregon that are now hunting almost every year with the bow. A great challenge to hunt with the bow, but what a rush and accomplishment to harvest up close and personal. You’ll find hunting with the bow for Antelope a great sport that you won’t be able to stop doing. I have been told by my hunters that they have had the best experience hunting Antelope over anything else they have hunted in North America. It could be that they see a lot of Antelope while hunting them.
Picture taken at 30 yards from a 500 yard stalk!
I one thing I do know after all these years and not even being in some of my old haunts for many years, is that Pronghorn are animals of habit from generation to generation. They cover the same ground and do the same things from one generation to another. Most of the land in which they live never changes. There was one buck that my friends & hunters chased for about three years and never got. I really wanted him for myself is what all thought. He would be located in the same spot within a 1/4 mile and escape basically the same way. His escape route was not one you could cover and he knew it. Now if we ambushed him in his normal spot he could have been taken. He was one of the biggest Antelope I ever hunted. I did get one hunter on him at very close range with a standing broadside at 40 yards. He missed the buck and the hunt was over for him! He had told me that he was the greatest shot with bow and arrow! A few years back I went back to a spot which I hunted and guided about 20 years ago. The only thing that had changed is the B.L.M. put a solar power water pump on a water hole in one of my favorite spots. Even the old ranchers sign was still there and he had been gone for a long time. The sign had stated in so many words that you were crossing into his lands. This happen to be B.L.M. that he leased, but did not own. I have that sign now in my loft.
I once heard on a hunting program on cable that Pronghorn don’t jump through barbwire fences! Well I have to tell you that they do got through the middle at times and not always under the bottom wire. I have a blurred picture in of a buck Antelope jumping over a five strand fence! YES I DO!
Ah! They do jump fences with ease!
I have seen mature bucks standing in the middle of a back country road in B.L.M., marking the road. No, not by scratching but by urinating in the middle of road. Once someone knows some of the peculiar habits of Antelope, you can use it to your advantage. Such is the case a couple of years ago when I spot a group of Antelope in a 5 tag unit. I wanted the picture of the buck and just knew he would go around the mountain and want to get back into the hole. He did just that and my son asked how did you know?
I ambushed this buck as he came around the mountain!
I have taken a great deal of Antelope with the bow and all but a rifle kill has been from stalking. A great deal of the bow hunters I know do wait on water, but you have to have patience. One of my GPS Hunters sat for two (2) for more than 12 hours. He as been successful two (2) years in a row. I do love to stalk them and arrow them before they know I am there.
This was stalked while at a waterhole and taken at 50 yards.
Antelope do lay in the sagebrush flats and with a lot of glassing from a vantage point you can find them and stalk within bow range easily.
I followed these bucks for some time and close the distance, wind to my face!
Many of friends think I am off the wall with some of my mannerisms when it comes to all types of hunting. First off I would never relieve myself in an area that I hunt and I am going to have a wide stance so none of my scent is getting on my boots or pants. Then there is the issue with sunglasses, I will always wear sunglasses (favorite are Ray-Ban Wayfarer-easy to lift with bino’s with no bind) during the day and “Photo Grays” for the evening hunts. I felt if the game, especially Antelope can’t see my eyes or movement then I could close the gap on them even easier once spotted. I always wore a hat and a backpack with the spotting scope & tripod sticking out of the top. It is what it is with habits and wearing the same pants on every hunt! Terrible that it may be I wore blue jeans as my basic pants! Once in a while I will go full Camo, but that is on my son’s request. It has never been about hiding from animals!
Good thing I had Top Secret Clearance on this shot! This picture was taken on a military missle site. This white buck was later taken out by a car as he crossed a highway.
Most experience hunters have there ways to hunt game, whether it is from stalking, waiting, ambush or just being lucky and walking into a shoot-able animal. It is whatever works for you that makes the hunt!
There was has been a time period when I did rifle hunt for elk, as most of my partners were into the rifle hunting of elk. This particular story is about a great rifle hunt for Rocky Mountain Elk in Oregon. The hunt involved my brother Steve and one of my running partners Frank Phillips.
Frank Phillips and I had drawn Grizzly Hunt Unit -Oregon second season elk tags and poor Steve had not drawn the Grizzly tag and ended up with a general season tag and would have to hunt the Biggs Unit that lay across the rural Highway 218 that split the two units.
In those days those us that hunted the B.L.M., State Lands and some private that were encompassed within or near the “BIG MUDDY“ or to my group named the “Rajneeshpuram“, kept hunting the area as quiet as we could. Not wanting it be known about how many elk lived in the rimrock, Junipers and sagebrush land that was overgrazed by cattle in and around Donnybrook, Ashwood, and Antelope closely guard for many years. The “Bhagwan-Shree-Rajneesh“ and his followers were to thank as they kept more than 60,000 acres closed to hunting, managed the creeks, built lakes and planted crops. I believe we first sighted Elk in about 1983 while bow hunting for the monster Mulies of the area, while glassing back at the at observation towers of the “Rajneeshpuram“ (tower had 365 degree viewing, plus sleeping area for the guards).
2 Bulls with this type of antler taken out of the gene poll!
On with the story that started with Steve and myself meeting Frank in Madras, with him being dropped off by his wife as she was heading to Black Butte Ranch outside of Sisters, Oregon. Keeping a low profile we got a couple of rooms in Madras at Huffy’s Motel easy to come and good to where we were hunting (45 minutes).
Since Brother Steve was going to have to drive down to the lower part near Clarno, Oregon and head into the BLM or maybe even Sorefoot, he would be dropping us off for our hike into the interior. We started out at about 4:30AM by being dropped off at the Microwave Complex on the road and we would check out the main basin near the “Baily Ranch”. The first part of the hike in would be about 4 miles of downhill with lots of rocks to maneuver through.
In that country when it rains the going get rough as the soil is more like clay and most difficult with caking up with as much as 4’ on the soles of your boots. Now both Frank and I were in great shape running as much as 30 races a year and putting in about 150 miles a month running. If it were today and kicking our legs out to get rid of the mud, probably have to have knee surgery. It was tough and one wonders what the heck we were doing and why not wait for the ground to dry out. We had the land to ourselves and during the whole hunt never saw another hunter. A well-kept secret, plus most want to hunt first season to get first lick on the big bulls. Little do they know that the big bulls get pushed out of the National Forest to the south of this area? So easy for them to find refuge in this open country where they can lay and watch there backside.
Looks pretty good from this angle!
We reached the basin that is near the big pine, the only big pine in the area, pretty close to the head waters of Current Creek. We did have access to a number of ranches in those days. Funny all of the land owners are now gone or dead, thus today much of this is not hunt able except with hard cash in the form of 10K or more. The B.L.M. holds elk still, but not in the numbers it once did with the predation from the Cougars, plus all the fires on private land has changed the landscape and habitat.
As for numbers, let me tell you about the 250 plus elk that were spotted by Rick Baily once near the lake. After 2 hours of working into the grazing herd, Rick and his buddies were able to take 9 bulls. This area is B.L.M. and one can sit above this place near Horse Heaven and glass for hours and never get bored!
So we are in the basin and I am starting to glass, as I know the area well and would find the bulls. It is the same spot about 3 years prior that my partners got there a few days early and decided to scout, though my advice was to scout and leave it for the opener. I believe that M.J. made comments on that opener day that they jumped 16 big bulls at the black rock. Oh! Yes! At times one would not believe the bulls that we would find!
My binoculars are Bausch & Lomb Elite 12 X 50. I love big glass with light gathering capacities as that is what I need in the early and late afternoon while glassing canyons and draws. It wasn’t long before I spotted a real nice bull, I would put him at about 320″. Since Frank was my guest, I gave him first opportunity to take bull out. I figured the distance to be about 375 yards and since he has taken deer at great distance in the Eagle Cap of Oregon, it should be no problem. Funny he asked me a question on “how are we getting this bull out of here if I kill him?” Not a problem with the quad for me! Now Frank is sorting out if he wants the bull and I was looking for bigger bulls as this was going to be the last time to hunt with a rifle for me for Elk.
He did not take the shot on the bull and I am sure he was worried about get the bull out of the basin. Some years earlier M.J. killed a bull in the same basin and ended up rolling his quad and having it and the bull on top of him. So the bull survived and with hindsight, I should have just shot the bull and got it over with early.
So now I am wanting to go cross country and head towards Earl’s place near Hwy 218 and that was about 6-8 miles line of sight. We did go cross country and it took a great deal of time, as we were getting tired of stopping every 300 yards and kicking the mud off of our boots. It really sucked and we were not seeing any elk on the way, only big bucks which did help take the mind off of the mud. Lucky for use Earl had a few pieces of land that connected, as we did not have permission to hunt David D. or Lowell F. Ranches.
Now we have gotten across the DMZ and were working up into in Cold Camp Creek on our way to Maupin Butte or Hasting Butte. There was a section prior to Maupin Butte that held a lot of Elk and Mule deer. There was always running water from a spring, plus the good grass that grew in there. We were now getting the chance to use the river bed to move and no more mud. The rain had stopped some hours before and the ground was getting firmer for us.
As we reach the first draw, we were quick to spot three bulls moving quickly through the trees, with one being a rage horn and the other two being spikes. Then came along a couple of decent Mulie bucks and finally a brave coyote taking up the back of the group! At this time I figured there was someone else coming from the Cold Camp Road to the West?
We let things settle for a while and then started to work down the draw and get up on the plateau and glass again. All of a sudden I spot a big and I mean big bull with about 15 or so cows. As I am getting down to take aim on this bull that was at some 600 yards plus I hear Frank say “now if you miss I kill him with my 270”. I wanted dearly to take the shot, but with those thoughts in my mind and the conditions not in my favor, I decide to let the bull drop over the plateau. He was not going anywhere and I could find him easy.
Now I was shooting a Weatherby Mark V Left Handed Custom in 340 Caliber, 26″ Magnaport barrel, Leupold VariX II 2.5 X 10 50MM and cranking out a 210gr Nosler Partition at about 3300 at the muzzle. Not a problem for long range shots. That rifle is still around and is one elk slaying rifle and I can tell you elk have fallen at distances I can see with the naked eye.
So now we are on the move and have gotten on the other side of the plateau and figured the bull was just over the edge. Ah! No bull or any elk around! We made it a couple of steps more and I spot an elk up in a draw off of Maupin Butte at about 1200 yards I figured. The hunt is now on and I asked or more like told Frank to head to left and I was heading to the right and straight forward once I got some cover. It was long as I was running so Frank would not get to the spot before me, he gave up his chance and it was my opportunity to tag the bull. I made it to what I thought would be the best place to have cover and equal height to the bull, but it would be a cross canyon shot. When I get there it is about 5PM or close to it, low light and what I see is a side profile of a big bull. All I see is antler mass and I am on the ground without looking at this point tri-pod down and taking instant aim at the bull that is at around 625 yards. I put the crosshairs on his back and let it rip (the 340 is sighted in at my standards at 500 yards)! I hit the bull in the boiler room, but he didn’t move! The cows made quick escape of the ridge! As they say if it isn’t on the deck, keep shooting. I take another shot quickly and hit the bull in the left front leg above the knee; he now of course falls over as he is on a side hill. Now one has to remember I only saw the side profile and figured it was my big bull I had seen earlier. Frank P. and I reach the bull at the same time! “Damn, it’s the wrong bull! Great mass but the bull had a bad pedestal and the left horn was all distorted and rolled back in! I pulled my tag out and tagged the bull!
The first season, my old time hunting buddy Ben Olson had taken a bull about 10 miles to the southeast at Horse Heaven that had the same issues, his had the right horn with a bad pedestal and the left horn was a massive six point. We did need to get the gene pool out of the area.
Now while we were quartering the elk and capping him, old brother (younger brother) was hunting in the Biggs Unit. He had run into old Mary M., who had a ranch on both sides of Hwy 218, who told him a monster bull that was in her place crippled up. I can’t believe that he did not ask permission to kill the thing. All I know is he worked the line below here fence line looking for the bull. She had told him that he appeared to be heading to the river (John Day). He never found the bull!
It is now coming on darkness as we would have to meet Steve at the gravel pit (which one you ask?) at exactly 6:30 for pickup. With my Hawaiian style of quartering an elk we had the elk capped, skinned and bagged in 45 minutes. With a quick hustle off the mountain, being able to hit Earl’s access road to the Maupin and Hasting Butte we came to the gravel pit at 6:30PM and Steve was there on time for pickup.
We were tired and needed to head back to Madras, get showered up, eat a steak and relax for a while. Frank P.; say “we can get the bull out in the morning”. I said no we get the bull out tonight or I will. I remember Frank P. looking at me a strange way!
We got back and get a hot shower; head over to the restaurant at Huffy’s and have a real dinner. All pain is gone, the temperature is dropping (31degrees) and full moon is now out with the sky opening up to stars and the moon. I got Steve on board and Frank P. is now in favor of getting the bull out at night and being able to hunt for his BIG bull in the morning. There is still was that monster bull in the area for him to take.
We reach the gravel pit at around 10:30Pm, un-load the quad, Steve left the area to go sightseeing and try to talk with Mary M. and try to get permission to hunt her place in the Biggs Unit.
Frank P. and I take the road up between Maupin and Hasting and hit the fence line which we now follow-up as far as we can. Thank goodness the moon was out as we weren’t running with lights, needed to keep the secret of the hot spot. Earl hated quads anyway and only let them be used once in a while… We make it to the spot and quickly load the quarters and head onto the quad. Frank says he will walk back down and I tell him “nobody walks, get on and hold on”. The whole roundtrip took some 45 minutes and Steve was back for the pickup on time.
Steve did not get permission to find the bull on Mary’s place! We get back to Huffy’s in about an hour. Take the bull and put it the shower of one of the rooms. We did not want anyone knowing we had taken a bull. Plus I did not want to haul the elk around with us for the next day’s hunt.
Sunday was going to Frank P.’s day and I would get him in on the big bull for sure. We got dropped off at the gravel pit on Hwy 218 again by Steve and head back to the kill area. Funny where my bull died, walk about 50 feet you could see Hwy 218…
We venture down past Maupin Butte, past the swamp and into the next basin above the Bhagwan’s place. You could see the old school buses and I could see a massive amount of elk bedded down! Surely the big bull was amongst the cows bedded in junipers somewhere. For more than 30 minutes I glassed and never found him. I then said to Frank “remember those large tracks we crossed about 500 yards back in the draw” “yep” “well those have to be the bull’s tracks and he probably knew we were on him and pulled himself out of the herd”. We can get him Frank, let’s haul ass and get him in the next basin, he is going to want to re-group with the herd sometime.
This is where I was blown away on the opening weekend by my running partner. “Bubba, I got a luncheon date with my wife at Black Butte Ranch at 12:30”
Another Position!In the velvet, this is what Frank P. Sr. could have gotten!
Thus ended the hunt of a lifetime, which I know Frank P. would have killed the biggest bull ever.
The following year Frank hunted the Grizzly Unit with his boys and they got a spike out by Horse Heaven…
It is funny that I don’t get many people inquiring about the West Biggs Antelope Hunt in Oregon!
I have spent much time over in the unit, which has a great deal of private land, yet there are a lot of Antelope in the Public Areas that are open, mostly to foot traffic with vantage point drive to points. The Antelope or Pronghorn love to move from some of the neigbhor units.
I have attached a link to a buck that would work both sides, plus a few pictures of a buck that I took pictures of while bow hunting for deer in the unit in August.
I knew where this guy was heading and could have waited!There was a bigger buck working the area!
Philip got a hold of me prior to the season on anything I could come up with on the Warner Unit for Lopes. Philip had a buddy that knew area, plus he spent a great deal of time talking with the Area Biologist. Funny the biologist told him he would not have a problem in the Warner Unit harvesting an Antelope. Recently I talked with Garrett at Artistic Taxidermy and he told the average buck coming was about 14 1/2″. Philip’s buck is a really dandy and I am sure when he has it on the wall in the trophy room he will be glad he decided to have the trophy mounted.
Philip E. & his 2011 Warner Unit Pronghorn
HI Frank, Here’s my story from the Warner unit. We ended up hunting an area that my buddy had previously hunted which also happened to be near one of the waypoints you gave me. Thanks for all of your help.
I began preparing for my first ever antelope hunt shortly my hunting buddy and I were drawn. My buddy loaded several rounds of 130 grain Nosler ballistic tips for my .270 until we finally settled on a load that produced a muzzle velocity of roughly 3,050 fps. We shot several times at the practice range until I felt relatively comfortable out to 300 yards. I had my gun zeroed at 200 yards with a 6 inch drop at 300 yards. I purchased some Stoney Point shooting sticks, open country Camo shirts, knee pads from Salvation Army, and some leather gloves in case I needed to crawl.
The day for our departure finally arrived, and we got up early the Sunday morning before the Wednesday opener, loaded up my truck with all of our gear including a spare ice chest loaded with block ice and hit the road. We made it to the first area that we wanted to scout and did some evening scouting. For the next two days, we scouted some areas that were recommended to us, as well as, an area my buddy had hunted previously.
Philip must have had a great feeling to walking up on this buck?
On opening day, we ended up settling on the area that my buddy had previously hunted. We got up early on opening day and decided to split up and set up in a couple of areas that we had seen antelope the day before. I had several does come down off a ridge along with one nice buck. I was set up on the other side of a Juniper tree because of the sun direction and could not get a decent shot at about 250 yds. They started to head away on the other side of small depressions. I tried to put a quick sneak on them by using Juniper trees as cover but got busted. No other opportunities on opening day.
That evening I walked several ridges and plateaus to get to know the area better. I saw several antelope. The next day I set up in a different spot. I tried to put the sneak on a nice buck with 8 does. I made a big loop to get around where they were loafing. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to where they were by using Junipers as cover, they had moved and decided to mosey to another area and was now out of range and heading away from me. I spotted another large group about a ¾ of a mile away and began another sneak. For some reason, they spooked when I was well over 1,000 yards away. I thought this was strange as I was being very careful to hide behind Junipers.
Great photo op! Great horn symmetry! Great Prongs
I decided to continue on anyway to see if there were any others left in the area. I got set up and was glassing and noticed another hunter hiding under another Juniper about 150 yds. Away (he probably spooked the antelope that I was trying to put the sneak on). I waved to him and left to go back to the truck as it was now about 12:30. My buddy radioed me on the GPS that he was ready to come in and head back to camp for a break. He said there was a nice buck bedded down between him and the truck. He said if I could position myself between him and the truck he would try to “push” the antelope towards me. I thought what the heck, we might get lucky so I positioned myself under a Juniper in the shadows and set up my shooting sticks. After about 20 minutes I saw my buddy on the top of the ridge about a half mile away. He headed down and about 10 minutes later I saw a nice buck headed my way about 800 yards out. I was amazed that he kept on heading for my position. I glassed him at about 400 yards and he looked pretty nice. I decided that I would take him if the opportunity presented itself. He kept on walking briskly towards me. I finally ranged him at 248 yards and knew he was in “the zone”. There was a very brisk wind so I waited as long as I could for him to come broadside and almost dead down wind. He stopped for a brief moment. I swung my rifle from left to right through him just like a duck. I centered on his front shoulder and moved it back an inch or two. I sensed he was about to step forward and pulled the trigger. He folded like a sack of potatoes at 227 yds.
We played cat and mouse with the antelope for the next three days until we finally got my buddy a nice buck on day 5. We had a great steak dinner at the Adel store on Saturday night and hit the hot springs on Hart Mt. in the afternoon after my buddy got his antelope.
The folks at the Adel Store are super friendly (Al and Marcie Prom, Debbie, and Ben). They let hunters use their walk in cooler to store the antelope. We purchased ice, gas, and had refreshing cold tap beers for $2 after we brought in my antelope. They were exceptionally friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, Al and Marcie have their store and home up for sale so who knows how the set up will be in the future. For now, I would encourage anyone to patronize them if they are in the area. Based on my conversation with the taxidermist who was stationed at the Adel store, I decided to have my antelope mounted. He measured one side at 15 3/8, but did not measure the other side. The only downside to the trip was that we saw more hunters than we anticipated for the first three days of the season. After the third day however, all but one of the hunting camps had left and on the fourth day we had the area to ourselves Unfortunately, several of the hunters on days 1-3 were hunting like the cavalry out of ATV’s, jeeps, etc. and spooking every antelope in sight. I don’t mind people using ATV’s to retrieve their game, but in my opinion, too many people hunt out of them and screw up the hunting for others in the process. All in all it was a great trip. We saw many antelope, sage grouse, mule deer and some wonderful scenery. I look forward to the next time in another 10 years or so when I will be the ripe old age of 59.
Not much cover! That is Lope Hunting country for sure!
Steve passed up this buck the first part of the season!
Sometimes even I get to see something different! In all of my years of harvesting Lopes and chasing them, I have never seen a buck that looks like this great buck with sweeping forward horns. Truly a trophy buck that everyone would love to have hanging on their wall! Steve had contacted me earlier before the hunt and gave him some landmarks. Steve was able to find a place to hunt that he found this monster buck on. For the future if anyone has a friend or hunter that draws the Murderers Creek Antelope Tag, we can get you the information on the ranch!
Steve's Monster Lope - Murderers Creek Unit
Hello Bwana,
Here are the pictures from my antelope hunt as promised.
I was hunting the Murderers Creek unit and near Seneca, Oregon. I saw this guy on opening morning pushing some does but at about 300 yards and moving.
16" Long Forward Sweeping Lope
It wasn’t a great shot and it was the first day so I passed. It was tough hunting as these antelope see you coming from far off and run away. I walked miles in pursuit only to have them spot me again and run half a mile or more. There isn’t much to hide behind for stalking in closer. I was within 600 yards on many occasions but couldn’t close the deal. I had been in the field every morning by 5:30 but on Tuesday I was out at 4:30 and headed to a lone tree where I had jumped them twice before. It was about 8:00 when I first saw him at 800 yards and coming my way. He was all alone this time and I had been told the big bucks will frequently be seen that way. At about 275 yards I realized he wasn’t going to get any closer so I dropped him.
This is my first antelope so I’m not an expert but I think he’s pretty good. (Great Buck! Bwana) I had trouble judging him due to his odd horn configuration; note the forward slant of his horns.
Look at the width of the horns - Awsome Display!
This was part of the reason I passed that first day. I have not had him scored but the length is about 16″s. I am anxious to have a pro measure him. Let me know what you think.
We had a great time and stayed at a perfect campsite with a nice creek and fire pit close by.
