Antelope season, you are still missed

I hadn’t hunted antelope in quite a few years and I missed it.

I missed stalking them on the open prairie. I missed eating them. I even missed crawling through cactus to get within range.

So when the antelope tag arrived in the mail last August I was elated. I decided then to take the time off from hunting birds until I filled that tag.

Unfortunately, antelope season and pheasant season open on the same day, and given a choice, I’ll always go with the birds.

After four days chasing roosters, however, I was more than ready to make the switch to bigger game. I took the dog boxes out of the truck, packed a cooler with food and water, gassed up and headed out. I would hunt as many days as it took.

Driving down a two-track into country where I had killed antelope before, I parked on a rise where I could see miles of country, set up the spotting scope and poured myself a cup of coffee.

It was 43 degrees and the wind was howling. I was quite content sitting in the truck.

But as soon as I got the spotting scope set up and focused I began to see the shimmery forms of antelope in the far distance. As indistinct as they were at more than a mile, I could easily discern a mature buck in the bunch.

There would be no dozing off in the comfy truck while waiting for something to appear. Something already had.

It looked -- like it often does -- that there was no cover between me and the distant antelope, but the prairie is deceptive and I’d hunted here before. Grabbing my rifle and pack I dropped into a shallow draw to the east of where I was parked and disappeared from view.

A 20-minute hike brought me to what I hoped would be within range of the antelope if they were still there. Antelope move a lot, and I fully expected them to be gone.

This was, after all, my first day hunting them, and I expected to see a lot of country before I filled my tag.

Antelope hunting, though, seldom meets my expectations.

Crawling to the top of a rise near where I thought they had been, I was surprised to see them grazing undisturbed 100 yards away. Slipping off the safety, I lined up the crosshairs on the buck and squeezed off a shot. He dropped, and just like that, my hunt was over.

I was a bit disappointed that it was over so quickly but he was a fine buck and was skinned and hanging within hours.

Antelope hunting.

I’m already missing it again.

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected]