2021 Idaho Antelope

Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
408
Location
Idaho
After putting in for moose tags the last several years and coming close to drawing, I decided to switch up my Idaho draw applications for 2021 since I was working in an area with limitless draw hunt opportunities. On the day the Idaho draw results came out, co workers and I were shooting the shit in the office when one of them gets a text that the draw results came out. After checking on my phone, I happened to be one of the lucky resident 3%ers who drew a nearby antelope rifle tag!

After spending a decent amount of time in the antelope area during the spring months working and antler hunting, warmer weather came and the rest of the snow went away up high. Since I had back country fly fishing goals I wanted to accomplish this year, I decided that I’d spend time in the unit only on the one day a month that I devoted to Idaho Falls grocery runs.

Hiking in the valley bottoms to steep timbered draws once a month turned up many of antelope. It was uncommon to see 300 antelope a trip out to the unit. I quickly narrowed down a part of the unit I wanted to focus on after seeing great antelope numbers. What I found out about this unit as there are some areas that are void of antelope and others where there’s plenty of bucks to choose from. After narrowing down part of the unit came marking water sources on OnX which wasn’t hard to do. After doing my homework and talking with co workers about the unit, I get ready for hunting, so September was mainly spent back country bush whacking and tenkara fishing.

Opening day came and I was stuck working which wasn’t a bad thing as it was in the upper 80s and low 90s. After the initial weekend, a front came in with some wind and temperatures with a high of around 55 degrees which in my mind was perfect for hunting, especially midweek. I decided to take 3 days off and made a game plan for the 1st day.

The day started off windier than heck. Going to my plan A spot, I quickly spotted shooter bucks and to my surprise somehow lost them in the flats. I can’t believe how good antelope can disappear in tiny draws. I continued driving down the road and putting some stalks on bucks only to be winded or seen in the lack of cover. Mid day, I decided to go up to a glassing point and take out my spotting scope and have a bite to eat. After lunch, I worked my way up to another draw where I saw some dandy antelope bucks in September and spotted one. I got out of my truck and got ready for a shot, but the antelope was quickly walking away and didn’t stop for a shot. I’m a hunter who waits for big game to stop before shooting, so I didn’t pull the trigger. I quickly found the road that would Intersect where he was going to, and immediately found him again, but knew with it being 2 in the afternoon that my chances of catching up with him would limit the chances on other antelope herds that were not pressured yet. On my way back down the road, I happen to glance over around the corner and saw 16 antelope about 100 yards from a spring, As soon as I got out of my truck, they bolted.

After not having any luck on the antelope so far up to this point, I decided to work my way further up the valley and immediately found more antelope, but as soon as I found a place tall enough sage brush to block their view, they were already gone.

With it being about 5 PM now, I decided to slowly work my way out of the valley over a gravel county road back to the main highway scanning the hills full of mountain mahogany and Doug-Fir in hopes antelope were feeding. At around 6:30 PM I quickly saw a buck through my binos that was a no brainer for me. When he gave me a 300 yard shot, I couldn’t pass him up. The first shot hit and he didn’t go down immediately, I closed my distance to 150 yards and layed down resting my gun on my pack and put him to bed.

I quickly gathered myself, calmed my buck fever down and made my way up the hill to him, punched my 2021 antelope tag.As soon as I walked up to him, I was ecstatic as I shot a really nice buck, especially for my first antelope. I then got to work boning him out as night was coming and I wanted to cool him off fast.

The meat turned out super fantastic and the euro I had done by a co worker who also does taxidermy work turned out well. I kept the majority of the hide, tanned half of it, and have split the rest of the hair with other friends and myself for fly tying.


Here’s a few pictures I snapped of the time I spent in the area this year. I can’t wait to go back one day to hunt it again.

The last pic is a reminder to wear gloves when boning out animals. I forgot the butcher gloves I had in my truck and cut my knuckle. The next day, I was stung by a bee and had to go get a tetanus shot and antibiotics to make my had not hurt and take the swelling away.
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Vikinger

FNG
Joined
Dec 21, 2021
Messages
18
After putting in for moose tags the last several years and coming close to drawing, I decided to switch up my Idaho draw applications for 2021 since I was working in an area with limitless draw hunt opportunities. On the day the Idaho draw results came out, co workers and I were shooting the shit in the office when one of them gets a text that the draw results came out. After checking on my phone, I happened to be one of the lucky resident 3%ers who drew a nearby antelope rifle tag!

After spending a decent amount of time in the antelope area during the spring months working and antler hunting, warmer weather came and the rest of the snow went away up high. Since I had back country fly fishing goals I wanted to accomplish this year, I decided that I’d spend time in the unit only on the one day a month that I devoted to Idaho Falls grocery runs.

Hiking in the valley bottoms to steep timbered draws once a month turned up many of antelope. It was uncommon to see 300 antelope a trip out to the unit. I quickly narrowed down a part of the unit I wanted to focus on after seeing great antelope numbers. What I found out about this unit as there are some areas that are void of antelope and others where there’s plenty of bucks to choose from. After narrowing down part of the unit came marking water sources on OnX which wasn’t hard to do. After doing my homework and talking with co workers about the unit, I get ready for hunting, so September was mainly spent back country bush whacking and tenkara fishing.

Opening day came and I was stuck working which wasn’t a bad thing as it was in the upper 80s and low 90s. After the initial weekend, a front came in with some wind and temperatures with a high of around 55 degrees which in my mind was perfect for hunting, especially midweek. I decided to take 3 days off and made a game plan for the 1st day.

The day started off windier than heck. Going to my plan A spot, I quickly spotted shooter bucks and to my surprise somehow lost them in the flats. I can’t believe how good antelope can disappear in tiny draws. I continued driving down the road and putting some stalks on bucks only to be winded or seen in the lack of cover. Mid day, I decided to go up to a glassing point and take out my spotting scope and have a bite to eat. After lunch, I worked my way up to another draw where I saw some dandy antelope bucks in September and spotted one. I got out of my truck and got ready for a shot, but the antelope was quickly walking away and didn’t stop for a shot. I’m a hunter who waits for big game to stop before shooting, so I didn’t pull the trigger. I quickly found the road that would Intersect where he was going to, and immediately found him again, but knew with it being 2 in the afternoon that my chances of catching up with him would limit the chances on other antelope herds that were not pressured yet. On my way back down the road, I happen to glance over around the corner and saw 16 antelope about 100 yards from a spring, As soon as I got out of my truck, they bolted.

After not having any luck on the antelope so far up to this point, I decided to work my way further up the valley and immediately found more antelope, but as soon as I found a place tall enough sage brush to block their view, they were already gone.

With it being about 5 PM now, I decided to slowly work my way out of the valley over a gravel county road back to the main highway scanning the hills full of mountain mahogany and Doug-Fir in hopes antelope were feeding. At around 6:30 PM I quickly saw a buck through my binos that was a no brainer for me. When he gave me a 300 yard shot, I couldn’t pass him up. The first shot hit and he didn’t go down immediately, I closed my distance to 150 yards and layed down resting my gun on my pack and put him to bed.

I quickly gathered myself, calmed my buck fever down and made my way up the hill to him, punched my 2021 antelope tag.As soon as I walked up to him, I was ecstatic as I shot a really nice buck, especially for my first antelope. I then got to work boning him out as night was coming and I wanted to cool him off fast.

The meat turned out super fantastic and the euro I had done by a co worker who also does taxidermy work turned out well. I kept the majority of the hide, tanned half of it, and have split the rest of the hair with other friends and myself for fly tying.


Here’s a few pictures I snapped of the time I spent in the area this year. I can’t wait to go back one day to hunt it again.

The last pic is a reminder to wear gloves when boning out animals. I forgot the butcher gloves I had in my truck and cut my knuckle. The next day, I was stung by a bee and had to go get a tetanus shot and antibiotics to make my had not hurt and take the swelling away.
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This is so cool
Lived in Twin Falls then Boise for 9 years, now hunt out of Island Park
Love this area
Thanks so much for sharing your Hunt!
Thanks for sharing this Hunt!
 
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