Holy Goats!!

[Mike Walerak]

Over the weekend I had the chance to get out hunting with one of my good friends and was able to make a few new ones. It was my my first hunting trip West River and obviously my first antelope hunt.

It all started on Friday when we were scouting with limited success. So we did what anyone would do if they get a little tired of bouncing down ranch trails. We decided to go grouse hunting. Grouse and huns were willing to test their flight skills and most of them won

A few made it to the dinner table though.

Here is another of a my buddy Steve and his grandson Stephan with some of Fridays birds.

Saturday morning we hunted a pasture that was crawling with antelope. After thinking the hilltop I was sitting on might not be the one to harvest my first antelope I spotted some old corroded, empty shell casings sitting next to me. I knew then my chances of harvesting a goat might be in my favor. Morning was passing quickly as I watched approximatly 30 antelope off in the distance when I spotted a buck. He was about 200 yds away and coming down a draw and headed for me. He came to about 75 yds. and started to gather interest in a doe off in the distance. I knew it was my time. A shot put him down and a second finished the deal. It is a good thing I was by myself because I don't think anyone would have been able to understand a word I was saying I was shaking so bad. I could not get to him quick enough to see my first antelope. A 12.5 inch buck!

I was picked up a short time later only to find out that another person in our party, Nathan Wilbourn, of Rapid City SD., had also harvested a dandy buck. This one was a 15.5 inch buck. It was a young buck but he had the horns!

We finished off the day spotting and stalking and harvesting 3 more - 2 does and a small buck. Sorry no pictures of them.

Sunday morning we went to a ridge to see if we could spot the monster buck that was missed the day prior by my buddy Steve (Sorry Steve I had to tell). We did not see the big one but we did see a few other very respectable bucks. We hunted back to the farm and got ready for one last hurrah with the grouse. We walked some bottom with thickets and finished off the trip with a couple more grouse and a partridge. A perfect end to a perfect trip.

I would like to thank the Schuchhardt family for giving me the opportunity to hunt their ranch and enjoy their family hunt with them.

mw

[Tyler Holm]

MW,

Glad to see you found success with those fast flying cubbies and hopping goats. I've never taken a goat, but I do enjoy going west River for some grouse and huns.

The first bird of my life was a partridge and I've been hooked ever since. I had a cubby of 10 or so get up and my 2 flock shots produced 1 dead hun. That was over 13 years ago.

[rundrave]

congrats, great post and awesome pics, thanks for sharing!

[Reef Runner]

WOW!

Looks like fun Mike.

Congrats on the great hunt.

Do you know who I am?

[Mike Walerak]

I feel like I should know you, I can't put a face on the name. Send me an e-mail

mw

[Rost]

Way to go Mike! That is awesome.

What next? Walleye time or geese?