Since i did not fill my tag, I figured I might as well go back. Abby and I took two days of vacation. We hopped in the truck and just went. I thought I would just drive out there and pop one the first night. Not the case!
Wednesday after work we started driving, stayed in Sioux falls, SD
Thursday finished driving and was hunting by 3:30 PM while abby checked into our cabin. I thought the hunt would be pretty easy but I suddenly realized there were guys driving jeeps on every two track on the BLM land. Vast areas that were filled with antelope earlier in the year when we were bowhunting were now empty due to a ton of hunting pressure. I had abby come pick me up and we quick glassed a foot access only area before dark. Couldn’t see any antelope in a valley that was full of them in august.
Friday morning I went to the biggest walk-in access only area in the unit which I had bowhunted in August. By 8am I had a very nice antelope buck in my scope but he was about 100 yards onto private land. I watched him for about a half hour and it didn’t look too promising that he would wander my way. I left him and started walking towards the furthest area away from the two parking lots, which I knew would have antelope since it butted up to some private irrigated fields. I walked 3.5 miles before I spotted the first antelope on public land. Another mile of stalking and I was finally in a group of 5 does and this buck. By that time I was not too picky and shot the small buck! He was standing about 500 yards out in the valley. I skinned, and quartered right at the kill site, put in game bags, strapped to a frame pack and carried all the meat and head out on my back three miles back to the parking lot. I was physically exhausted. I got dry ice at the meat packing place in town and put everything in a cooler. Abby and I went out and had beer and dinner by 5pm
Red circle is where I shot from!
Saturday we drove around in the Bighorn mountains and saw the sights. Took some pictures, saw some moose, went to a fishery, fire watch tower and then went out to dinner again. Started driving back that night, stayed in Chamberlain, SD and then got back home by 3pm Sunday!
