A New Hunter's Adventure for Antelope

The first week of October is my favorite time to be on the high plains of central Wyoming. The cottonwoods in the creek bottoms have turned a sunny yellow, a few low shrubs are showing their fall colors, and the weather is generally beautiful. Best of all, though, are the hundreds of antelope (in Wyoming, you don’t call them pronghorn) spread out across the sagebrush-dotted landscape. This time of year, the big bucks are jealously guarding their harems of does. When you spot the towering horns and black cheek patches of a mature buck in your binoculars, you know that this is what you came for.

As my friend Kristie and I stood on a rimrock cliff overlooking a magnificent swath of Wyoming ranchland, I could see by her expression that she appreciated the experience of being in this landscape as much as I did—perhaps even more so, since this was her first antelope hunt. Kristie didn’t grow up hunting, but she caught the bug in her early twenties and began actively seeking mentors and advice. The two of us are fishing buddies who have spent lots of time together on our favorite rivers in northern Colorado, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to help her realize her newest outdoor passion. Like me, Kristie has a strong interest in knowing where her food comes from and in taking the responsibility of acquiring meat from its most natural source.

The first order of business was finding her a rifle. During our initial trip to the range, I realized that at 5’2”, Kristie has a hard time shooting most standard rifles because the stocks are too long, and she struggles to get into a comfortable shooting position. But when I had her try my Savage Lady Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor, it was love at first shot. The shorter, high-combed stock fit her perfectly, and soon she was shooting impressive groups off the bench at 100 yards. I let her borrow the rifle for a mentored mule deer hunt with Colorado Parks and Wildlife that fall, and she used it to bring down her very first buck.

This year, Kristie expressed a desire to go antelope hunting, which happens to be one of my favorite things. I booked us an October hunt with SNS Outfitter and Guides, based in Casper, Wyoming, one of the country’s most antelope-rich regions. At that point, Kristie realized she needed a rifle of her own. There was no doubt it would be a Lady Hunter—but what caliber? Because elk are on her eventual hunting wish list, she decided on .308 Winchester—a great do-it-all caliber for big game in the West.

After her rifle arrived, we spent many evenings at the range getting it dialed in. Despite a high-pressure job and a demanding travel schedule, Kristie prioritized her hunting preparations, dry-firing her new rifle at home and testing several different loads at the range. We found a 168-grain factory load shooting Berger Classic Hunter bullets that her new rifle loved, and on our final range trip before the hunt, Kristie shot a one-inch group at 200 yards. She was ready.

On the first morning of our hunt, we explored the large ranch, spotting an impressive number of antelope. Our guide, Marc, patiently showed us numerous bucks and helped us get a feel for the lay of the land. When we spotted a nice buck hanging out with a single doe on the far side of a small rise, he parked the truck on the ranch road and asked Kristie if she was ready to stalk an antelope. She grinned and nodded.

We hiked several hundred yards through the sagebrush, taking advantage of the rolling terrain to screen us from the antelope. As we got closer, we dropped to hands and knees and I handed Kristie my leather gloves, a necessity for crawling pain-free through the abundant prickly pear. She and Marc belly-crawled to the top of a small rise and glassed the buck, which was bedded below them. Marc set up the shooting sticks and Kristie rested her .308. The antelope stood, and Kristie wisely waited for it to turn broadside before squeezing off her shot.

The first shot landed a bit too high, but Kristie remained remarkably calm on the follow-up and executed a perfect second shot, her practice paying off as she dropped her antelope at 230 yards. As the adrenaline rush subsided, all three of us overflowed with excitement as we walked up to her buck and admired its striking tan-and-white coat and impressive horns. Kristie had just taken a giant step on her journey as a new hunter, a journey that promises a lifetime of unforgettable experiences in nature, the sustenance provided by wild meat, and the joy of being a provider--rewards that only a hunter knows.