Simply fun

Usually about 16 handgun hunters attend this hunt. In 18 years, all but five hunters have filled their tags. Normally one buck and one or two does are taken by each hunter, and a hunter can anticipate harvesting a buck in the 14" category.

This year the first morning Jane and I hunted was dreary, with low clouds and misting rain. About 20 minutes into the hunt a (large for the) area buck gave me all the time I needed to look him over and decide he was in his prime of life, pushing 16". My Leica rangefinding binoculars showed he was a mere 155 yards away and completely unaware of our presence--an easy shot for the .280 JDJ Encore I was using. I decided to pass, it was simply too early in the hunt. Someone else might get him and have a buck that would probably make the record book.

Hunting the ranch is a real pleasure, and good access roads do exist. Everything from large open valleys to some pretty sharp hills provide habitat for a lot of antelope, and proof they can disappear when they want to. Herds of up to around 200 animals were sighted. I would estimate I saw in excess of 2,000 antelope in two and a half days hunting. Not too bad, I'd say.

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group