2022 antelope success-ish story

[WyomingBen]

Well today I was finally able to harvest my first antelope. I told myself I would be happy with any buck and was not looking for a trophy. Very happy with this feller here.

Unfortunately the shot could have been better. I placed the shot right behind the shoulder but he was quartering towards me more than I realized and the shot exited too far back. It clipped the abdominal cavity. Thankfully he ran less than a hundred yards and died without suffering. All in all mostly a clean kill. I gutted and cleaned him quickly and rinsed the carcass out at a gas station just down the road and I think I was able to avoid losing any significant quantity of meat. I'm new to hunting and don't mind admitting I made some mistakes. But I will learn from them and do better next time. Still very happy.

 

[Rich M]

You done well Ben.

Nothing to be ashamed of. Good clean and fast kill. He’s a pretty buck too. Congratulations!

I been hunting deer for a long time and still have trouble w the angles for shooting. Have to remember to shoot for the exit. Aim so that the exit hole is where you want it. That’s the secret, just need to remember to do it.

 

[OXN939]

Well today I was finally able to harvest my first antelope. I told myself I would be happy with any buck and was not looking for a trophy. Very happy with this feller here.

Unfortunately the shot could have been better. I placed the shot right behind the shoulder but he was quartering towards me more than I realized and the shot exited too far back. It clipped the abdominal cavity. Thankfully he ran less than a hundred yards and died without suffering. All in all mostly a clean kill. I gutted and cleaned him quickly and rinsed the carcass out at a gas station just down the road and I think I was able to avoid losing any significant quantity of meat. I'm new to hunting and don't mind admitting I made some mistakes. But I will learn from them and do better next time. Still very happy.View attachment 461280View attachment 461282View attachment 461283

Hey man. Great work on both notching your tag and doing such a good job taking care of the meat. One thing to research is breaking an animal down via the gutless method... if there is any evidence of the GI tract being punctured, I just do it that way and there are no ill effects.

Also, that tends to be the preferred technique a lot of the time even with a really good shot. I hit one in the pictured location two days ago... still started swelling.

Congrats again!

 

[WyomingBen]

Hey man. Great work on both notching your tag and doing such a good job taking care of the meat. One thing to research is breaking an animal down via the gutless method... if there is any evidence of the GI tract being punctured, I just do it that way and there are no ill effects.

Also, that tends to be the preferred technique a lot of the time even with a really good shot. I hit one in the pictured location two days ago... still started swelling.

Congrats again!

Thanks, I appreciate it. I will look into that. Congrats on your animal too!

 

[OXN939]

Thankfully he ran less than a hundred yards and died without suffering.

I cleaned him quickly and rinsed the carcass out at a gas station just down the road and I think I was able to avoid losing any significant quantity of meat.

No worries. If all hunters had their priorities arranged this way, we'd be much better for it. Feel free to PM if you have any questions. Congrats again.

 

[ognennyy]

Congrats bud. It's a pretty buck.

 

[Munkish]

Congrats! on your first antelope! I'm hoping to get mine next year.

 

[PablitoPescador]

Looks like a perfect shot to me! Doesn't look like much meat loss at all. Better to have an exit further back than to bugger up a whole shoulder in my opinion. Don't be so hard on yourself, you done good

 

[kparrott]

Congrats! My story is very similar to yours, first western hunt, shot a similar sized pronghorn and was very happy. Especially after multiple failed stalks. My shot was through both lungs. Good job getting the buck taken care of in a timely manner.


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[twdjr]

Congrats!

 

[hobbes]

Congrats! 100 yards and down is pretty quick. I've seen double lungs do that.

My son made a similar shot last weekend, back of one lung, liver, exit gut. It was quartering more than he thought. Ugly on one side but animal made it 30 yards, spun a circle and collapsed.

You were successful in my opinion. Congrats again!