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Successful Hunters 2011

Brett’s 2011 Silvies Antelope Hunt

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Brett's Lope back from the Taxidermist Oct-2011 - Love the Turn!

Brett and I have been emailing back and forth since the spring of 2009 and the Silvies Unit in Oregon.   He had enough points to get drawn in 2009 I thought but he did not get drawn.  So expecting him to draw in 2010 and forgot.  Anyway in 2011 after hearing he got his tag and learning about the mapping software, which Brett bought, the hunt was on.  Great they he took this hunt so serious and spent the time in the field.   Brett wrote a great story that all of you are now reading!

 
 

Brett's 2011 Silvies Lope - 250 Yard Shot

In June 2011, I finally drew my Silvies #2 Antelope tag.  I thought I was going to get it in 2009, and forgot to put in for it in 2010.   Now the work begins.  I took my first scouting trip the last weekend in June.  I saw several billies, ones that I would’ve shot, had it been in season.  There was lots of water this spring, and the creeks were high.  When the dry lakes aren’t dry it seems like it keeps the antelope further out in the desert, and not as close to agricultural lands.

On July 17th, I got back out to do some more scouting.  This time I was able to get into the areas that Frank sent me, and there were antelope exactly where Frank’s way points were.  I ended up spraining my ankle pretty badly on this trip and had to cut short, but I saw several antelope and a couple more shooters.  Unfortunately, I was unable to do any more scouting before the season started. 

 
 
 
 

Brett is one proud Lope Hunter!

 

On August 24th , I set up camp on Nicoll creek.  Once I was situated, I headed out on the desert to hunt.  I only had the chance to scout one of the areas Frank gave me for about an hour. That afternoon, I decided to go check out the area where I saw the big billie in June.  There was one billie there, but not big enough, so I decided to pass on it.

On August 25th, I decided to head north to the Paulina area.  I was surprised that I didn’t see anything ,not even on the GI road.  In the afternoon, I headed more towards Burns.  I found another  billie.  It would’ve been an easy shot, however, it didn’t strike my fancy, so I passed.

 
 
 
 

His daughter likes his Lope also!

On the morning of August 26th, I decided to go back and really work the areas Frank gave me. I got up to the Dry Lake around 8:30 and was glad to see no tracks up there other than mine from 2 days before.  As I came out onto a big flat, I spotted some antelope about 400 to 500 yards out.  I got out my  binoculars and I saw a billie and some nannies.  They were definitely watching me. There was a small rise ahead of me, so I got on my hands and knees and crawled far enough where I could get a better look.  I saw he wasn’t a monster but I liked his curl and width.  He satisfied me and that’s what mattered. I was still 350 plus yards out and had no rest, so I had to belly crawl another 100 or so yards across the desert, to a couple of trees which gave me a make shift rest and a good view.  I was resting against the tree, watching the billie.  He was out about 250 yards but had nannies all around him. I had to wait for what seemed like eternity (but in reality, was probably 10 to 15 minutes) until he was finally clear.  He didn’t give me the best angle.  I made the shot, and hit him.  He ran about 100 yards and went down. 

 
 
 
 

The Lope Country that Brett found his buck!

Frank was right on the money with his locations.  He really helped make my hunt a success. When I went to the places I was thinking of going on my own, I had very little success but every time I went where Frank said the animals were, they were there!

Successful Hunters 2009

Silvies 2009 Oregon Antelope Hunt – Bates

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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!

Successful Hunters Previous

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.

Successful Hunters Previous

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