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Trophy
Ridge Outfitters
Hunting New Mexico has never been better! Guided
Elk hunts, Deer hunts, Antelope hunts, and Oryx hunts. Trophy Ridge
Outfitters has both private land hunts and wilderness hunts. If
you've never hunted New Mexico, you are in for the hunt of a lifetime.
This is Chad's story about his record
book antelope. We hope all our readers enjoy. Congratulations
Chad on your great success!
On the trail of a record book antelope...
August
3th 2005, and we were just finding our way into Clayton, New
Mexico at around midnight after 17 long hours on the road. In 2
days antelope season would open for disabled hunters, and I was
lucky enough to draw a tag for the 3rd time in 7 years. I was as
excited as ever, even though I knew I wouldn't be hunting in country
that produced the really big bucks that New Mexico is known for. But
that's not what I was going for anyway. I just love to get out
there in that beautifully vast open country, making new friends
and finding a good buck to try to get close to. Needless to say, I did all three
again this year.
August 4th - After a full day of scouting with
my dad and our friend Bert, we located 3 or 4 nice goats that I wanted
my guides to look at the
next day when they came in. Since I haven't been around antelope
that much, I don't know how to judge them that well (yet).
This was my first time scouting on my own and I loved it. It really
does teach you a lot about the animals you're going after and
how to be a better hunter. With antelope, the scenery is spectacular.
August 5th - We scouted in the morning near Clayton so we could
come in for lunch and hook up with my guides Audrey and Roger
of
Trophy Ridge Outfitting.
They were great and as soon as I met them I knew we were going
to have a ball chasing these goats around in the morning.
That afternoon we (Audrey,
Roger & I) spotted 3 bucks that
were really nice. Ones that we would go for tomorrow. That's
when it happened. Just before leaving the area, I stopped roger so I could glass
this goat
that I saw about 500 yards off. It was a lonely old doe, but
not 100 yards from her stood a monster goat. Roger found him and was amazed at
his size. "There's your book buck," he leaned over and said, which
sent chills down my bones. I wasn't expecting to hear that on
this year's hunt.
August 6th - 7:00 a.m. - We arrived at the same place we last
left the giant goat. All 5 of us were in one truck and all 5 were gazing out
across 5 miles of grassland looking for the same thing, a bright orange body.
But he
wasn't there. It was partly cloudy and clear and the dawning
sun
cast an orangey glow on everything we could see. Suddenly there were 8 antelope
down the road in 2 little groups. All
bucks, but all little bucks save for 1. There was a nice goat in
the herd that I put my scope on to get a better look. He had
about
15" horns, high cutters, and was a beautiful goat. Of course there was
no way I was going to shoot him. I'd seen way to much for that. I mainly wanted
to get my gun up and get a feel for the shot I might have to
take
later. 10 minutes later we found a little 2 track road about a mile
from where he was when we left him. We eased over
and there he stood big & proud down in the valley. What a magnificent
goat. He was 300 yards and I could've taken a crack at him right
there. The 2 doe's he was with took off down the fence and he fell in right
behind. We drove down to the gap below and got through it as fast as we could.
Meanwhile the does and buck stopped 400 yards off when they reached the fence.
Both girls went under and took off to our left, but the big boy
couldn't get his rack under the bottom wire, and antelope do not like to jump
fences. Roger slowly mashed the gas pedal and we rolled up along-side
of him in what seemed like excruciating minutes. Luckily, he tried to cross again,
and in a spot where we could get him between the road and the fence. By the grace
of God and a smart guide, we would have him cut off in a few seconds. Just then,
he turned to head back to look back to where he'd come from (the great wide open).
I had a shot. Roger pushed the brake and turned a little so I could shoot. Instantly,
the monster goat wheeled and started down the fence to get away.
I lined him up in the scope and saw nothing but butt and hooves running away.
I tried to get lucky and pulled off at his head. The shot rang out and dusted
up the ground in front of him. And as I looked down to make sure I got another
shell in the gun, what I saw next is still hard for me to believe. The monster
goat was slowing down and stopped dead broadside at 150 yards away, pretty as
a picture. Trying not to panic, I dropped my cross hairs deep into his shoulder
and pulled again. And just like that, it was over. I had my first book buck.
Words will never capture what it was like to spot, stalk and take
this
tremendous animal. I'd always imagined what it would be like to roll
up on a record-book trophy and it's a feeling i'll remember forever.
He green scores 93, gross. The world record antelope stands at 95
by: Chad Waligura
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