My eyes open, greeted by the bluish green glow of the LCD numbers on my alarm clock. The music won’t start playing for another six minutes. Should I close my eyes and hope to catch a few more winks or rise up to greet the day? I decide to get out of bed and head toward the kitchen where I pushed the start button on the already prepared coffee maker. Next I headed for the shower to clear the cobwebs out from a hard night’s sleep.

After my shower and half way through my first cup of coffee I leaned over the bed an gently shake my wife awake. This is usually where I kiss her good-bye and she wishes me luck, but today is different. She will be heading to the field with us in search of the antelope of the grasslands. I continued to get my self together as Denny, his lady friend Joni and her sixteen year old son Ryan pulled into the drive. In another vehicle are Dave Sr. And his son Dave Jr.. We made quick work of loading the supplies for the day into the truck and head off to pick up Don.

We arrived at Don’s about 5:15 and found him ready and willing. He has his truck loaded and Dorié and I joined him for the ride out to the Pawnee.

We arrived just as dawn starts to lighten the eastern sky. We stopped inside the gate of the section of the ranch we have been instructed to hunt. The area was surveyed by all and we drove towards the middle of the section near a fenced area. It was barely legal light and a couple of antelope were spotted off a good way in the distance towards the South West. Denny pulled out his rifle, extended the bipods and rings out a shot into the hillside. A clear miss. The antelope decided to get further out of range and he shot again; another miss. We all gave him credit for trying and we realize the hunt is under way.

As the sun comes up we saw that the area is already under surveillance. Orange spots began to show on the rim of the hills all around us. Most everyone stayed in the area around the fence while Don got in his truck and headed for the East fence to walk around. I decided from my successful experience in the same section last year to head out towards the middle. There is a wetland feeling to the middle. No real pond, but it is marshy like with some areas of crutch tip sucking mud. The area has some tall weeds and slightly rolling hills, perfect cover from any antelope that wander in at ground level.

We watched the area and saw many antelope off to the West, way out of range. After a few hours some members wanted to go to the area where we started last year. That particular section borders the Western edge of the Pawnee National Grasslands. We headed off to the ranch house to ask permission to change areas. After being granted permission we find our way to the windmill in the new section. After riding around the section a seeing many head of antelope on the South side of the fence on the someone else’s property I decided to get out and go site high on a hill on the Eastern side of the section half way between the North and South fences. There were no antelope in site save for those three quarters of a mile away to the South. I took this opportunity to seek out a better vantage point and set up for a couple of hours. Every once in a while a shot echoed in the distance and I thought that there is about half of the amount of shooting this years as last. I relaxed, took out my binoculars and scanned the area looking for tan and white hides of the prey or perhaps a coyote in the great expanse before me.

After a few hours of watching Denny’s and Don’s trucks following the two track along the fence line they stopped to the North behind a few rolling hills. I thought it best to take the time to join up with them for lunch and some fresh water. It was in the upper seventies on the plains, but the steady breeze made it feel a little cooler. As I crested a hill I found myself face to face with a nice doe about seventy five yards away. I dropped to the ground and peeked my head up and she was still there. At this point I knew I needed to belly crawl to the top of the hill to get a shot.

I took my rifle scabbard from my shoulders and began the tedious process of moving my crutches ahead, crawling awhile grabbing my rifle in moving it ahead crawling some more, pulling my crutches ahead and crawling some more. This took what seemed like a very long time. When I reached to top of the hill I ever so slowly and cautiously peeked through the scarce six inch high weeds. She had disappeared, vanished. I slung my arms through the slings of the scabbard, picked up my crutches and headed on toward the rest of the hunting party. I was a little more alert to the fact that the ghosts of the plains can appear at anytime.

I joined the everyone in the North east corner of the section for lunch and to listen to the chatter of the morning hunt. After gobbling down a sandwich and quenching my thirst it was time to once again hit the hills. It was getting to the hot part of the day and there is absolutely no shade to be found. I thought how good that breeze felt on the hill overlooking the West. The East half of the section is much higher than the Western half and you can see the forever. I was getting a little sleepy and though it might be a good place for an early afternoon nap. Don drove me along the East side of the property line and I got out and hike in about three hundred yards to where I was before lunch.

I scoped out the area and could see only one doe about six hundred yards away. She was grazing and minding her own business.

The Shot
September 25, 1999 3:25 p.m.

I had been napping on and off for an hour and a half in the midday heat. It was a relaxing slumber on top of a ridge overlooking an obvious trail the antelope used for a North/South path. It started about 200 yards in front of me and was about 500 yards wide. There was a prevalent wind coming out of the South that cooled things off a bit in the upper 70 degree heat of the afternoon. Every so often I would awaken and scan the horizon in front of me to notice a doe or two had moved within sight, but out of range for a clear and accurate shot for my 30.06.

I was joined by Ryan, the sixteen year old son of Joni. While I lay prone and continued to nap, he sat upright in front of me keeping an eye out for a dumb one. I asked him to sit behind me because his sitting upright made for an easy sighting by the wary prey. Besides he was sitting between me and the most probable area that I would be shooting in. I explained about being down range from a loaded gun and he slid behind me without protest.

From the section South East of our perch we heard a volley of gun fire. We could see the corner of the fence where it connected to the section. It was a good half a mile a way. Suddenly we saw four antelope running in a state of panic out of the hot area. They were soon followed by a fifth. They were headed straight North along the two track which followed the fence line. By now I was up in a sitting position glassing their swift movement along the fence. I looked behind me to the east and saw that Denny’s white GMC was parked in their path. As I spun around to face the South I told Ryan that they would be making a sharp left when they spotted the pickup. I didn’t know how close they would be when they made their turn and headed West.

As they disappeared behind the hills I got prepared for their fast approaching entrance into the theater of my field of view. As I slipped my left arm between my sling and rifle my Marine Corps training came to mind. I continued to wrap the sling around my arm and grab the stock of my rifle firmly and wait.

The wait was not long. The first antelope shot out from behind the hill as if from a cannon. Following close behind were three others then the last one. The excitement in the air was electrifying. I took a quick look through my scope, looking for the tell tale cheek patches that would signify a buck. I saw no patches on any animals and knew my doe tag would be good.

They started to slow down and caught sight of us and turned on the after burners. Dust was kicking up from their hooves as they pounded the ground. I aimed at the middle one in the group of three and squeezed off a round. There was a tremendous ball of dust that flew up over their backs and behind them. The ball of dust was about four feet and diameter.. Without thinking, I pulled the bolt back on my Savage and chambered another round. The group had started to run to the South West. In the excitement I pulled the trigger again, this time the ball of dust told me I was short and still somewhat behind my target. Again I sent another round into the chamber and looked the bolt into place. The antelope began to turn toward the North and head toward their familiar path way. The next shot went high and a little bit behind. The group was now almost directly to the west. I had time for one more shot.

As I chambered my last round I estimated them to be out a little over two hundred yards running as fast as I have ever seen anything run. They were completely broadside to us, but not for long. They were fast approaching a slope in the hillside that would cause them to turn and offer only a quarter shot.

I was unprepared for the excitement of shooting at prey with this speed. They are as fast as you have heard. I took a deep, put my right eye up to my scope, reviewed the past three shots, estimated the speed of the animals, the distance at about two hundred and twenty five yards, the strong steady breeze from the South, and said a prayer “God, please guide my bullet for a swift and humane kill”. I put the cross hairs level with her heart and two feet in front of her. The pressure of my finger on the trigger increased, slowly and evenly. I felt the sling around my arm tighten and I felt as one with my rifle. Out of the barrel shot flame and the 150 grain bullet. I kept my sight on her through the scope and she dropped without taking another step. The was a cloud of dust behind her and my first thought was that she tripped and I missed. My hand instinctively unchambered the round and it flew through the air in slow motion. I grabbed the empty casing and put it in my pocket.