Had no luck opening day, but daughter #1 came along, so it was a good day. We walked across a pivot field, got rained on, saw coyotes and mule deer and even some antelope, but they stayed on ground we didn't have access to so no joy. Then we drove and glassed but didn't spot anything. Worn out, we headed home. She decided not to come along the next morning in favor of sleeping in.
Second day was a little different. My friends wanted to hunt a different spot where they had seen antelope right at dark the night before, so we walked about a mile and a half into a little basin before shooting light. We set up on a little rise overlooking the drainage and waited for our noses to become accustomed to the 5000 hogs the rancher is raising for a cash crop this year - upwind of where we sat. Phew! Between three of us we had 4 tags; I drew an either sex and a doe/fawn tag, while my friends each had doe/fawns.
Shooting light revealed no antelope in the basin at all, so I climbed up the rise to look over the fields behind us. After about 20 feet I could see the field so I sort of just put the binoculars up to my eyes and literally found antelope in my view. CRAP! I left my rifle down the hill! I dropped down and hustled back to my gear, slapped John on the shoulder, "They're behind us!", grabbed my stuff and headed back up. John told Pat and followed me up. When we got back to the crest, we found three antelope standing about 335 yards out. All three were watching something off to our right - a coyote who was watching us.
John got set up and I tried to but was looking through stubble and having a hard time controlling my breathing and I just wasn't ready. Couldn't get the crosshairs to settle down. Pat was hanging back, he's taken more antelope than I ever will so he was just enjoying himself. John's 260 barked and I saw the hit - one down! The other two trotted off a couple of yards and stopped. I STILL couldn't get steadied down, so I gave up on prone, extended the bipod legs and got into sitting. There, that's better! Figure 350, crosshairs on the spine, my 6mm went off and I saw her drop. Ok, where's the other one?
She trotted off about 30 yards and stopped. "Pat, you want this one?" "Naw, I'm good." Ok. Same sight picture, same wind, I touched the trigger and she bolted out of the scope as it recoiled. "Crap, I think I missed!" John was watching through his scope, "No, I see blood, she's circling, she's down."
John's ended up being this year's buck fawn. My two were both does. Three shots, three hits, back to the trucks by 10:30 and at the processor's by noon. Looking forward to burger and sausage.
Second day was a little different. My friends wanted to hunt a different spot where they had seen antelope right at dark the night before, so we walked about a mile and a half into a little basin before shooting light. We set up on a little rise overlooking the drainage and waited for our noses to become accustomed to the 5000 hogs the rancher is raising for a cash crop this year - upwind of where we sat. Phew! Between three of us we had 4 tags; I drew an either sex and a doe/fawn tag, while my friends each had doe/fawns.
Shooting light revealed no antelope in the basin at all, so I climbed up the rise to look over the fields behind us. After about 20 feet I could see the field so I sort of just put the binoculars up to my eyes and literally found antelope in my view. CRAP! I left my rifle down the hill! I dropped down and hustled back to my gear, slapped John on the shoulder, "They're behind us!", grabbed my stuff and headed back up. John told Pat and followed me up. When we got back to the crest, we found three antelope standing about 335 yards out. All three were watching something off to our right - a coyote who was watching us.
John got set up and I tried to but was looking through stubble and having a hard time controlling my breathing and I just wasn't ready. Couldn't get the crosshairs to settle down. Pat was hanging back, he's taken more antelope than I ever will so he was just enjoying himself. John's 260 barked and I saw the hit - one down! The other two trotted off a couple of yards and stopped. I STILL couldn't get steadied down, so I gave up on prone, extended the bipod legs and got into sitting. There, that's better! Figure 350, crosshairs on the spine, my 6mm went off and I saw her drop. Ok, where's the other one?
She trotted off about 30 yards and stopped. "Pat, you want this one?" "Naw, I'm good." Ok. Same sight picture, same wind, I touched the trigger and she bolted out of the scope as it recoiled. "Crap, I think I missed!" John was watching through his scope, "No, I see blood, she's circling, she's down."
John's ended up being this year's buck fawn. My two were both does. Three shots, three hits, back to the trucks by 10:30 and at the processor's by noon. Looking forward to burger and sausage.
