The Week on Backwoods Life – Colorado Backwoods Bonds
OutdoorHub 12.05.13
Arriving in Colorado for the opening of the 2012 Pronghorn Antelope season we were ready for a change of pace. Hard at bow hunting whitetails for several weeks in warm temperatures we were excited to get out West and meet some colder weather.
Our good friend Shane Tucker of Stand Alone Taxidermy in Fort Morgan, Colorado invited our entire crew out for the rifle opener in early October. Shane had done a great deal of scouting and had some great spots for us to hunt as well as opened his home up to us all. The one thing we didn’t plan on was snow!
We awoke opening morning to a couple inches of snow on the ground and 30+ mile per hour winds. We really like cold weather for hunting, but in the plains of Colorado this can be rough. With almost white out conditions we loaded up the trucks and hit the trails. The first few stalks were really rough as the snow pretty much kicked our butts blowing so hard at times you couldn’t open your eyes. After a few hundred yard stalk, you were covered with ice and had to get in the truck to thaw for the next try.
Finally later in the afternoon, the snow slowed and we were able to start “normal” stalks without ice in our face. We had only a couple of days to fill three tags and with the weather now cooperating and Shane being a great guide and having some great areas lined up, we were able to fill all of our tags and have some great memories made while battling the elements.
Antelope are very smart and weary animals, trying to take them on their terms can be very challenging and present long range shots to be successful. Mental and physical preparations are a must when having to scale the flat lands of the West to fill a tag. With little to no cover to help, you must rely on these things to be successful as well as a great guide that has done some homework.
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