In early October, I returned to northeast Wyoming to hunt pronghorn with Trophy Ridge Outfitters. After a great trip in 2014, I was thrilled to be back for another exciting spot-and-stalk hunt with my hosts, Ralph and Lenora Dampman, who offer guided hunts for antelope, elk, whitetail and mule deer, and Merriam turkey.
Pronghorn, known in North America as pronghorn antelope or just antelope, are an exhilarating and affordable introduction to western hunting. While spot-and-stalk hunting can be difficult, you almost always have animals in play, providing nearly non-stop action. Wyoming has the highest pronghorn numbers in North America and antelope is some of the best wild game I’ve tasted on the grill.
Wyoming’s lottery tag system offers nearly 100% tag success rate in the units I’ve hunted, but public land is limited. Hooking up with an outfitter allowed me to both draw a tag and gain access to some choice hunting grounds.
From my home in Thunder Bay, the lodge is a 16-hour, three-state road trip away. Trophy Ridge Outfitters is off the beaten path, nestled in the hills above the plains country that borders Interstate 90. The lodge sits on a spectacular ranch, with rolling meadows, scattered pines, and rocky gullies.
As I pulled into the driveway, deer scattered and a flock of Merriam turkeys fed near the horse corral.
I connected with Dampman, sorted out my gear and licences, and sighted in rifles at the onsite range. The mule range and antelope season had just opened, and I chatted with several groups of hunters who were there to hunt both species.
The road from the interstate to the lodge passes through 30 kilometres of prime country: mature timber scattered amongst plains and farmland, and massive tracts of grassland and sagebrush. You can see for miles, with rolling hills, rock formations, draws and river bottoms offering hiding places for animals, and great opportunities for spot-and-stalk hunting. During an evening drive, I saw hundreds of deer and several groups of pronghorn within a half-hour drive of the lodge.
Next morning, my guide, Mark Kallen, met at the main lodge as the sun began to show. Trophy Ridge has exclusive hunting access to about 300,000 acres, so we had plenty of land to ourselves. We jumped into his side-by-side and headed out amongst grazing cattle. Oilfield pumps were scattered around the ranch, and their perpetual motion reminded me of a slow, methodical dance.
We stopped atop a ridge to glass, and immediately spotted the silhouette of several antelope on an adjoining ridge 600 yards away.
The spot-and-stalk hunt involves driving and walking this extensive landscape searching for animals.
You might come across a lone buck or a group of 50 or more animals. When glassing from high ground, there could be five different groups in view, often a kilometre or more out. That’s when it’s time to close the distance for a further inspection of a prospective buck, or perhaps a shot.
The first group of antelopes grew to 30, as more appeared out of a draw. We crept up to the rise, belly crawling the last hundred yards, careful to avoid putting a hand in one of many small cactus plants mixed amongst the sage. Eventually we looked up to see about a hundred antelope on a freshly cut field, but it was clear they had us pegged.
Once antelope spook, they run with determination, and cover ground fast. These animals crested a rise 800 yards from us with no sign of slowing down. Time to find another group.
After several more failed stalks and passing on animals that didn’t make the grade, we happened upon a quality buck all on his own. It was in an ideal spot, and we watched him cross a fencerow before passing behind one of the few patches of brush offering cover on this vast open plain.
We snuck along the fencerow and watched the buck cruise through the sage.
He stopped at 200 yards, nearly fully quartered away. I settled the crosshairs on him, waiting for him to turn. Instead, he trotted off and slowly worked his way over a distant ridge, never stopping. With these small animals — an average buck is about 120-140 pounds — a standing broadside shot is a must.
We set up on this animal twice more without success. At one point he was stopped broadside, but before I could pull the trigger he disappeared from view, bedding onto the sage. We picked up and found a new vantage point, then spotted him 20 yards from a herd of mule deer. He was in a flat, low area, and with no cover for 500-plus yards, this was as close as we were going to get.
I was using my guide’s rifle, a Remington 700 in 7mm RUM with a 5-20 custom scope. It was made for open country and most guides have a similar set-up. Ranging the antelope at 495 yards, I adjusted the turret and settled in.
I sat with my bipod extended and a shooting stick under the rear of the gun for stability. The buck stood patiently as I calmed my nerves, settled the crosshairs on the crease of his shoulder, exhaled, and touched off the trigger. He shuddered with the impact, took one leap, and collapsed.
After confirming he was down, and some rather excited celebrations, we headed across the sage to lay hands on my trophy.
The trip: A guided hunt in Wyoming for pronghorn antelope
Cost: Three-day guided hunt with lodging and meals is $1,995 U.S., plus $300 for your licence.
Getting there: Trophy Ridge is in the northeastern corner of Wyoming, an hour from the South Dakota border, 32 kilometres off Interstate 90 via Hwy. 14.
Accommodations: Hunters sleep in log bunkhouses and gather for meals and socializing in the two-room main lodge, decorated with taxidermy from around the world.
Contact:
Trophy Ridge Outfitters
www.trophyridgeoutfitters.com
trophy@rtconnect.net
307-756-9776
To learn more about antelope hunting in Wyoming, visit:
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Hunting/Hunt-Planner/Antelope-Hunting
Originally published in the Jan.-Feb. 2018 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS
Contact Information
PO Box 2800 / 4601 Guthrie Dr.
Peterborough, Ontario Canada K9J 8L5
Phone: 705-748-OFAH (6324)
Fax: 705-748-9577
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