Quick Little Antelope Hunt

I was fortunate enough to get a landowners tag for antelope last weekend and went to eastern Colorado for a quick little antelope hunt. It turns out I got my antelope in the first hour of opening day and it was the classic epitome of a great hunt: perfect crisp fall weather weather, a successful stalk and outdoor time with my best hunting buddy- my husband.

We headed out to our hunting unit in the cool fall morning and we immediately spotted our first antelope (1 buck and three doe) just a half mile away. We stopped and looked at the ram chasing his girls as we plotted my hunt strategy. I decided to try to sneak up on them because there was a water tank between me and them and the antelope were in a low spot which would make it possible for me to get pretty close with out the antelope spotting me. Beside that, the ram was so twitter-patted chasing the does he did even realize we were there! It was a classic stalk – me crawling on my hands and knees through cow pies and stickers! Thank goodness the frost the night before had slowed down all the ground creepy-crawlies! When I got to the water tank I eased up high enough to see that the antelope were still oblivious to me. I looked for a good rest for my rifle, hoped to rest on the water tank – too short. There was a single fence post – too tall. I decided I would have to shoot off hand which proved futile. The antelope were over 100 yards away and I missed which sent them running. But low and behold they just ran in one huge circle and I got a second shot. I had enough time to find a good rest for my rifle and all I had to do was wait for a doe to come in for a drink! Didn’t take long. A doe eased cautiously towards me and the water tank and when she was with in 50 yards I took a shot and had her down. This was a first for me, getting my animal during the first hour on opening day. What a great way to start the Fall hunting season!