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MT Antelope Hunt - A family affair |
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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Posted: October/22/2009 at 10:56 |
The 2009 rifle season is off to a good start. I took my 5 year old son out on his second hunt (The 2008 antelope hunt was his first). This was the first day of our hunt north of Fort Benton, MT. This country is some of the flattest in MT. The wind blows angry and often. Shots are looooong. We had been watching herds of goats break and run at 1000+ yards. This buck was with a group of 12. We spotted them at about 2000 yards. I put the Diascope on them and recognized immediately one of the two bucks was a shooter. We did our best to look like wheat farmers while we drove up to a grain bin. We were still 1200 yards away and I knew if I made any attempt to stalk from there, the jig was up. So we risked it and drove towards one of the few topographical dips between us and the goats. The antelope were still standing there when we disappeared down the dip. Now about 900 yards away, I got out and started the long, slow belly crawl towards the goats. My son stayed at the truck with his godfather. They crawled in the pickup bed, which allowed them just enough elevation to look over the topography and see both me and the goat.
I made it to where there was absolutely nothing between me and the buck. I could crawl no further. I pulled out my Elite 1500 and got an immediate range on his white side hair: 507 yards. Yikes, that is a long ways. I got two more ranges, still 507. I had been practicing a lot with this rifle. I had the Rapid Z fine-tuned for the 140 grain accubond coming out of my 7-08 at 2690 fps. I had verified the 500 yard crosshair on targets many times. The wind wasn't too bad. I popped on the bipod, cradled the stock, and settled the 500 yard crosshair.
The trigger broke clean and I heard the WHOP come back from the hit. The buck kicked up, ran 20 yards, and hit the dirt. My boy told me it was the biggest buck that ever lived. Sharing experiences like that is what hunting is really about.
Equipment:
Rem Model 7 7mm-08, Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40 Rapid Z 600
Stoney Point Rapid Pivot (prone model) bipod
Zen Ray ZEN ED 10X42
Zeiss Diascope 65FL w/ ZOOM
Bushnell Elite 1500 (non-ARC) rangefinder
Here we are:
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-Matt
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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Matt,
Nice account and a great shot. Your practice and hunting technique really paid off. That's one happy looking kid there. I'm going to take my 5-year-old along deer hunting the first weekend of November. |
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Reaction time is a factor...
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Dogger
Optics Jedi Master Joined: January/02/2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Status: Offline Points: 8902 |
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Looks like your son had as much fun as you, well done Matt.
.............and undoubtedly the biggest buck that ever walked!
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God save the Empire!
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mike650
Optics God Joined: May/14/2006 Location: West of Rockies Status: Offline Points: 14569 |
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“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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ckk1106
Optics Master Joined: December/14/2007 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 1439 |
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Excellent. I've also had good results with the 140 grain accubond.
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cheaptrick
MODERATOR Joined: September/27/2004 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 20844 |
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Terrific story! Appreciate you sharing that with us!
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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Thanks guys! We had a great time.
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-Matt
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Terry Lamb
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/19/2009 Location: Sagle, Idaho Status: Offline Points: 150 |
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That boy will be the greatest thing that has ever happened to your hunting. I am an old Montanan, (Glasgow) but now live for my days afield with my grandson. Those smiles in the photo tell it all! Good Hunting.
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Terry Lamb
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SD Dog
Optics Master Extraordinaire OT Scratching Post Joined: February/28/2008 Status: Offline Points: 4177 |
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Great story. Thanks for sharing.
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If nobody ever said anything unless he knew what he was talking about, a ghastly hush would descend upon the earth. AP Herbert
Stupidity & ignorance have been the foundation for many certainties. |
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cheaptrick
MODERATOR Joined: September/27/2004 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 20844 |
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Some of my fondest memories of my Dad are spent kicking up pheasants on snow covered, Iowa fence rows......
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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Great story, BB! Those are priceless moments that your son will remember fondly for the rest of his life! |
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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RONK
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: April/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3199 |
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Great photo and story, and that is a very nice heavy-horned, and big-bodied buck!
Antelope are so cool! I just love hunting them.
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Texas
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/11/2008 Location: Texas, USA Status: Offline Points: 211 |
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Great story! It is always great to see young men learning the hunting traditions of the fathers. I could never seem to get my three daughters interested in shooting sports, they always seemed to like hunting clothes at the mall better. But now I have two grandsons!
I took Gage, the oldest, my 9-year-old grandson, down to our Sonora whitetail lease last weekend for the first time (his momma my daughter would never let him go before). That youngster had a blast hunting rabbits, rocks and prickly pear with the 17HMR Henry I got him for Christmas last year... I can't wait until he gets to hunt whitetail with me during his Christmas break from school. Gage is actually pretty darn accurate with my 700 Classic 220 Swift. I sure do look forward to "painting" him up and high-fiving with him after he takes his first deer, hopefully this season. Those times make memories young men never forget.
Good Hunting!
Tom Edited by Texas - October/25/2009 at 10:42 |
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"There are some things which cannot be learned quickly and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest things..." Ernest Hemingway
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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Thanks Ron,
Antelope are a great time, and a great introduction to hunting for kids. A warm pickup is never far away.
Interesting how you noticed the body size of that buck. I've killed antelope that I could field dress and throw over my shoulder. Not so with this guy. He was a big one.
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-Matt
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JF4545
Optics Master Joined: March/31/2009 Location: Washington Status: Offline Points: 2753 |
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Great Story! I read it twice
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