Dakota Dude
Lil-Rokslider
I decided to cash in my 7 antelope points this year with the sole purpose of taking my 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son on their first real hunt. I have taken them on hikes on various occassions to hang tree stands and cameras, but I have never taken them on a real big game hunt because of how difficult the mountains and hunts can be. I thought antelope hunting would be a great first opportunity and I was right.
The plan was to camp in the hunting area but long and intense rain storms starting Friday night derailed those plans, so we stayed at a local hotel. That was the first win. It rained starting Friday night until Saturday afternoon. Keeping them in a tent that long would have been disasterous.
Friday night we went scouting and found several small bucks right away. We had a great time glassing antelope and made a game out of finding them. Each time they spotted an antelope they got a Skittle. It was a great way to keep them engaged and entertained.
After some pizza and a quick swim at the pool on Friday night, we woke up Saturday morning. I surprised by giving them their own first set of decent binoculars, an orange hunting vest, and ear plugs they could wear around their neck. We got dressed and headed out in the rain.
Hunting pressure was pretty heavy and several of the bucks we saw the night before already had multiple hunters parked around them waiting for shooting light. We decided to push on. We continued driving and saw multiple bucks on public and private land. We chose not to make any stalks because of a very larger storm that was moving in. We watched the lightening and heard thunder as we were glassing different bucks. I waypointed two bucks that we could make a move on after the storm passed. Instead of pursuing and possibly filling my tag in the drizzling rain (which would have included cleaning an aminal as the large storm hit the area) we opted to head back to town for a bite to eat. The storm was supposed to pass at 2:00 p.m.
After refueling with chicken fingers and a burger, we headed back to the hunting area. It seemed the other hunters had the same idea during the storm. The roads were packed and hunters were pursuing the same two bucks I had planned to chase. No big deal. I wanted the right scenario for the kids. Nothing too arduous or competitive.
We continued down the road to a spot I had seen antelope on private earlier that morning, that were right next to public. When we returned they had moved further up a ridge and were about 10 yards from the boundary line on the wrong side. As I was intensely studying Onx to determine whether we could go after them, a CPW officer drove up and checked my tag. We had a great conversation and debated together whether the antelope were on public or private. After determining they were barely on private, he continued on and we went the other direction to continue our search.
After checking on one more spot, we turned around and went back the way we came. The CPW officer was waiting for us on top of a hill and flagged us down. He suggested that we peak over our shoulders. The antelope I had told him about earlier that were on private, had moved well into the public. We turned around and two bucks and six does were laying under a cedar tree. The bucks were enjoying playing a game of chase. After one of the bucks got pushed out, he went into a drainage and gave us a chance to hike to the top of a hill to see if we could get a shot.
We got out of the truck and got ready. We hiked up the hill about three quarters of a mile. My sons legs were tired so I picked him up. I had my gun strapped to my backpack and my daughter was still going strong. As we crested the hill, a different and larger buck popped out to our right and was only about 60 yards away. I put my son down, got my rifle, instructed my hunting partners to put in their ear plugs, and took a standing shot. He fell and we jumped up and down yelling and celebrating. It was incredible to see their smiles and excitement. We did it. An enourmous amount of stress and pressure that I refused to acknowledged lifted off my shoulders. What an amazing moment I will never forget. Neither will they.
After pictures, a truck drove through the drainage as we were getting our tools and supplies to start cleaning our new trophy. Three hunters approached and said they watched the whole thing, including me holding my hunting partners hands as we walked up the hill. They offered to drag it to their truck with me and give us a ride to my truck. I gladly accepted, and we jumped in their bed. We had a great conversation, said thanks, and drove to some BLM where we could do the dirty work in a relatevily flat place.
As we were cleaning the buck, the CPW officer returned for high fives and congratulations. He was the one that tipped us off in the first place. It turns out, the three hunters that gave us the ride were his wife and inlaws who were trying to fill their own tags. What incredible people.
We finished the job, returned to the hotel and jumped into the pool to continue the celebration. My hunting partners couldn't wait to show their mother and future hunting partner (their 2 year old brother) their acheivment.
I'm one proud dad and my two kids are hooked!
The plan was to camp in the hunting area but long and intense rain storms starting Friday night derailed those plans, so we stayed at a local hotel. That was the first win. It rained starting Friday night until Saturday afternoon. Keeping them in a tent that long would have been disasterous.
Friday night we went scouting and found several small bucks right away. We had a great time glassing antelope and made a game out of finding them. Each time they spotted an antelope they got a Skittle. It was a great way to keep them engaged and entertained.
After some pizza and a quick swim at the pool on Friday night, we woke up Saturday morning. I surprised by giving them their own first set of decent binoculars, an orange hunting vest, and ear plugs they could wear around their neck. We got dressed and headed out in the rain.
Hunting pressure was pretty heavy and several of the bucks we saw the night before already had multiple hunters parked around them waiting for shooting light. We decided to push on. We continued driving and saw multiple bucks on public and private land. We chose not to make any stalks because of a very larger storm that was moving in. We watched the lightening and heard thunder as we were glassing different bucks. I waypointed two bucks that we could make a move on after the storm passed. Instead of pursuing and possibly filling my tag in the drizzling rain (which would have included cleaning an aminal as the large storm hit the area) we opted to head back to town for a bite to eat. The storm was supposed to pass at 2:00 p.m.
After refueling with chicken fingers and a burger, we headed back to the hunting area. It seemed the other hunters had the same idea during the storm. The roads were packed and hunters were pursuing the same two bucks I had planned to chase. No big deal. I wanted the right scenario for the kids. Nothing too arduous or competitive.
We continued down the road to a spot I had seen antelope on private earlier that morning, that were right next to public. When we returned they had moved further up a ridge and were about 10 yards from the boundary line on the wrong side. As I was intensely studying Onx to determine whether we could go after them, a CPW officer drove up and checked my tag. We had a great conversation and debated together whether the antelope were on public or private. After determining they were barely on private, he continued on and we went the other direction to continue our search.
After checking on one more spot, we turned around and went back the way we came. The CPW officer was waiting for us on top of a hill and flagged us down. He suggested that we peak over our shoulders. The antelope I had told him about earlier that were on private, had moved well into the public. We turned around and two bucks and six does were laying under a cedar tree. The bucks were enjoying playing a game of chase. After one of the bucks got pushed out, he went into a drainage and gave us a chance to hike to the top of a hill to see if we could get a shot.
We got out of the truck and got ready. We hiked up the hill about three quarters of a mile. My sons legs were tired so I picked him up. I had my gun strapped to my backpack and my daughter was still going strong. As we crested the hill, a different and larger buck popped out to our right and was only about 60 yards away. I put my son down, got my rifle, instructed my hunting partners to put in their ear plugs, and took a standing shot. He fell and we jumped up and down yelling and celebrating. It was incredible to see their smiles and excitement. We did it. An enourmous amount of stress and pressure that I refused to acknowledged lifted off my shoulders. What an amazing moment I will never forget. Neither will they.
After pictures, a truck drove through the drainage as we were getting our tools and supplies to start cleaning our new trophy. Three hunters approached and said they watched the whole thing, including me holding my hunting partners hands as we walked up the hill. They offered to drag it to their truck with me and give us a ride to my truck. I gladly accepted, and we jumped in their bed. We had a great conversation, said thanks, and drove to some BLM where we could do the dirty work in a relatevily flat place.
As we were cleaning the buck, the CPW officer returned for high fives and congratulations. He was the one that tipped us off in the first place. It turns out, the three hunters that gave us the ride were his wife and inlaws who were trying to fill their own tags. What incredible people.
We finished the job, returned to the hotel and jumped into the pool to continue the celebration. My hunting partners couldn't wait to show their mother and future hunting partner (their 2 year old brother) their acheivment.
I'm one proud dad and my two kids are hooked!
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