10 months ago I put together a "budget" hunt and it was to be my first trip out of state hunting and my first trip out west. The first thing I learned about budget hunts is, you'll probably blow the budget unless you have everything you need and you buy a lot of stuff you won't need.

Tim, Kevin and I set out from Michigan on a 20 something hour drive to Wyoming to chase Antelope we had public land to hunt and one ranch to try. When doing a 20 hour drive you learn everything gets more funny the farther into the trip you get, and South Dakota has to be the LONGEST state to drive through!! But we made it with no issues and soon found ourselves on a ranch with quite the "colorful" rancher. Kevin managed to put down a great Antelope on the first day and we saw more animals than we thought was possible.

Antelope seem almost out of place like something that belong in Africa, but you soon get use to them and stop slamming on the brakes every 20 yards with binos and cameras hanging out the truck windows. I can't say the same for Mulie bucks though, I'd gladly get yelled at for holding up traffic to glass them.   :D  

I learned quite a bit about wind and arrow flight, as I missed one antelope buck due to a 30-40mph "breeze". I also had one hit that was terrible due to the antelope either catching me moving or just jumping the string it seemed to me they are much more skittish in the wind then a whitetail or mulie. I watched as I wounded a nice buck, which after looking for a full day went unrecovered. (Much thanks to Tim and Kevin, who hiked their butts off helping me look) I spent some time in camp shooting and getting in tune with the wind.

The next day I managed to get a clean 17 yard shot at a nice Antelope as he came through a gate. Quartering away my 51# Selway Lil Magnum pushed a CE150 with a Abowyer "bonehead" through him entering behind the ribs taking out his liver and everything in it's path, upon exit it sliced the front leg bone almost in half! My buck expired in a few second and 58 yards from the spot I shot him.
I was a little nervous shooting a single bevel broadhead and not getting a decent blood trail but my fear was put at ease with the path I had!

I spend a few days hiking public land, found a nice mulie shed (a prize to me!) almost had a shot at a mulie doe, and throughly enjoyed learning to spot and stalk in areas with almost no cover.  

I can't thank my buds enough for putting up with me that long, and those that helped and gave advice!

Wyoming is a beautiful state, and I think those Mulies got in my blood and I'll be back!



KME sharpened Abowyer Bonehead did the job!


Wandering in the Bighorns, at least at the elevations my lungs and legs could handle.   :eek:  

That's awesome!  Congrats and nice pictures.

Man what a riot it was spending time with great friends hunting out of state.  Like Drew this was my first out of state and hunt my first time west of Chicago.  It is like a whole nother world out there and one that I will be back to visit as soon as I can.  

I was the only one of the 3 of us that came home empty handed.  But the company and the experience more than made up for that.  I took more pictures while out there then I ever thought possible.  My first night in the blind when I had a animal working my way I reached for the camera instead of the bow.  I learned the hard way that an antelope at 60 yards can hear the shutter on my camera!!  But I would not have changed a thing.  

I will try and make work of getting some of my pictures loaded and posted here.  Thanks again Drew and Kevin for the awesome company for the week.  I dont think I could have had better guys to spend the week with.  I am looking forward to deer camp in a little more than a week.  Also thanks to Pat Estes for the help with the area and everybody else I bounced questions off of for the last few months.

Fantastic.  I'm trying to set up my first western hunt (probably to Wyoming) for 2010 and I really appreciate these threads and your thoughts.

awesome stuff man.

Good stuff!!! I love huntin those dudes!!!!

Great stuff guys, looking forward to the pics.  Would've been sweeter to hear that you scored Tim    
You'll have a couple of months to get it done on a whitetail....

Ah you know how it goes Dave.  Just couldnt get in the right spot at the right time!!

Sweet pics Drew,, Nice buck too.. Congrats buddy,,JB

JB- yup Tim is a good photographer he had to almost eat alfalfa to get the hero pic!

ganggreen, get some great optics you'll need them!

Anything for you Drew!!  

Great picture...Congratulations that's a great buck!

Beautiful pics!  Congratulations on the buck Drew - antelope are hands down the most beautiful animals in North America!  
Sounds like you fellows had a heck of a great trip  

Hey Drew and Tim,
A lot of those pictures look pretty familiar! Glad you guys had a good time. Come back and spend some more of that Michigan money in Wyoming!

Wow...awesome pictures and stories. I'm trying to line up some hunt ideas for next year. Was planning antelope again for 2011 cause I hope to have a special bow by then but now your wetting my appetite.

Pat, thanks again for all of your help with the area.  Sorry we didnt get to spend more time with you while we were out there.  I will be back out there hopefully sooner than later.  Take care and go get that elk!!  

WOW Fantastic guys...

Those are fantastic photos and sounds like a great hunt.. Next year I'll be thumbing along in MN, Pick me up...

Sounds like you three amigos had a ball...