2025 Wyoming Vet Hunt

[SJB358]

Well, I will try to catch as much detail as I can, but I am sure I will miss some stuff. This year our group was aligned with the Sheepdog Coalition which helps vets out with about any problem you can think of. The old Colonel and myself sit on the Recreation part of the board. We added a few more vets to our camp. Three of them were old friends and former teamates and an Army SF fella who was a last minute add on. My little brother always goes along to hunt with us older guys and to be honest, having a 25 year old back in camp is always welcome!

We took off from Northern NY and rotated thru driving duty till we got into Cheyenne for some antelope hunting.

We pulled into Wyoming around 1300 and by 1500 we were hunting antelope.

The fellas and I got on a goat fairly quick and me being an antelope new guy, I took him. He and a doe ran out and made a quick stop at 350 yards. I planted him with my JOC M70 270 Win and 130 SGK. This year was my salute to Bob since it is the 100th anniversary of the 270, I figured it was a good salute to him. I picked the JOC awhile back and a Kimber Mt Ascent with a thought of making it my 7x57, but it was just sitting there and it is light, so both of them got some play time.

Had a fairly short drag to the ice chest after cleaning him.

We dropped him off at the meat locker that night.

Next day we went to another unit for my old buddy Al.

Brother used a Kimber 280 with 150 Swift Sciroccos and Al used a Ruger 30Hate with 175 Federal TA's.

Didn't take a whole lot of time to get my brother and Al on a couple of goats. You big time antelope killers keep to yourself about the size of these lil fellas and the doe. We were on a mission to collect meat and get outta town to get elk camp set up on the western side of the state.

 

[SJB358]

After we got all of the goats in the locker, we headed west again to get camp set up.

As we got into are area, the other fellas started flowing in. A few wanted to check zeros and stuff like that, so we set up a small range and got everyone squared away.

Folks came from all over, Washington, Colorado, California, Mass, NY, WV..

Anyhow, camp went up easy and we all struck off for different grid squares for our 1st day on the mountain.

On our little spot we got on a small herd about 1200-1400 yards away on the far ridge, Al and my brother stayed in place while Bill and I made an hour movement to get near where they went into the timber. Around 1600 they all started to stir, heard a few bugles. Bill had a cow tag and I had a General so he was gracious enough to hold off knocking a cow down when one started slipping out of the timber after the bugling began. My hats off to him for holding fire, cause I wouldn't have been mad if he rolled her!

Anyhow, the bull bugled a few more, popped into an opening at the edge of the timber and I smacked him in the ribs with a 150 AB, he locked up, and I drilled him a second time on the legs putting him down for keeps.

I did grab a pic for SLM with the Ingram at work mid skinning.

Anyhow, we skinned him and quartered him and got about half of it off the mountain that night.

 

[SJB358]

Next few days we had some proper elk hunting weather show up. My brother got in on a spike in the evening. He was with Al and the old Colonel. He flopped down over the pack and put a picture perfect shot on the ribs of him quartering away. He ended up finding the bullet in the far side when he cleaned it. Pretty cool night as we were all back in camp getting dinner together. Those fellas were covered with snow, after enduring the rain all day.. They had to the full effect of Wyoming mountain weather.

Anyhow, those fellas got about all of the elk off the mountain that night. Pretty good day/night for them!

 

[SJB358]

So around the 3rd day, CD got a call his Mother in Law passed. His wife was okay with him staying but he was feeling a little guilty about not being home with his family which everyone understood. Anyhow, him and Ben hadn't seen an elk to that point and were getting a little discouraged, they were first time elk hunters and sometimes it takes a bit just to learn to see them big SOB's out at distance. So, the evening before CD was going to pull out of camp, myself and Al put a small herd to bed on the back of the mountain, with hopes they'd come back out for a bite in the morning. Anyhow, that night I asked CD to stay another day and head up in the mountain with me and my brother. Ben, Craig (old Colonel) and Bill were going to move around the mountain in a good ambush position to catch them if they rolled out to feed at the top of the hill. Anyhow, soon as our two groups broke off from one another we hadn't gone 100 yards when I spotted 3 bulls bedded under the darned tree we were going to sit at that day, around 400 yards in front of us. Try as I may, I couldn't get CD a good position to take a shot. The little bulls hadn't spooked off hard, but they didn't like what was going on either and just moved off the mountain. By the time we got up to where we wanted to be, the herd I'd put to sleep were just getting into the timber, too far to shoot anyhow. So We found a good spot to set to watch for the day and dug into our mountain hide.

Well, we sat all day, had deer moving around us, but hadn't seen or heard an elk. As it was wrapping up towards the end of the day, I was kinda daydreaming about some chow back at camp and was honestly thinking about calling it, it had been a good day, we'd been on elk, so it wasn't a wash. Well, about that time I saw a bull, put the glasses up and thought it was a spike which was A-OK, no one was picky up on the hill when we were hungry! Luckily he came out level with us and kept feeding down the mountain which was putting him closer to us.

CD and I snuck down the mountain and tried to find a decent flat spot he could get proned out. The shot would likely be in the 600 yard range if it happened. CD and I went over his dope, the bull disappeared for a spell on us when he went into a patch of timber. My brother reacquired the bull and we got CD settled down and ready. I sat on the glass coaching him through his body angle such. CD is/was a Marine sniper and one of the best I'd ever seen in a fight with a long gun or as an assaulter. One of the fellas that makes stuff look easy. I asked him how his position was, he said rock solid. Well, the bull turned quartering away slightly, I said aim for the opposite front leg when he stops. Well, soon as that bull paused, CD sent a 200 grain Terminal Ascent down range. The bull got knocked flat, then proceeded to roll down the hill, into a patch of timber on the sidehill, out of sight to us. We got all of our stuff together and moved back around. It was probably about a mile movement, but man, spirits were high.

I can't describe how cool it is for me, the first time someone gets on an elk. Anyhow, I was the first one down to the bull and man, we paid the price for killing him, he was jammed into the trees at such an angle... Anyhow, we got to work. Oh, and the spike ended up being a decent 5x5 which to me I couldn't have been happier if he had been a 350 inch bull!

My brother taught CD how to skin and quarter. The rest of us helped keep the elk on the hill as best we could!

Anyhow, we got it carved up and in packs. We managed to get the whole elk out between our 4 packs. The pack out what was I call emotional. The ground was frozen in the morning. After a day of sun on the trails they were a sticky, muddy, bear to climb. We got back to camp at midnight, with alot of hugs and congrats.

 

[SJB358]

Some general other thoughts, the Colonel missed a shot on a good bull around day 1 or 2, can't remember, but him and the oldest member of our camp, and the senior elk hunter had got on in another area. It is a heartbreaker to miss, but the opportunity was there!

If you ever have the chance to hunt with former teamates or veterans who did the same sorta thing you did, take the opportunity. Kinda life changing.

Thanks alot to the Wyoming Residents that donate tags to the veteran orgs. It means alot to me and my group and really means alot to new and old hunters alike. Not sure if other states do the same, but it really is an amazing gift to our people!

The old Colonel and I

Dropping some protein off at the processors

Pick Up

We all took down camp and got the rig packed up for the trip home

I sent the guys a baby picture, just to show them how I looked around 6 months

We did see a couple young grizzlies on our way out of Jackson just about in the middle of Shoshone NF which made the drive home!

All in all, that's about all I can think of right now! Carry on with the Plan of the Day!

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Congratulations Scotty and crew. Enjoyed the pictures and recap of the hunts. Dan.

 

[RL338]

Well documented hunt , congrats to all those involved.

 

[DrMike]

An exceptional account of a prio hunt. Thanks, Scotty for taking us along with you on the hunt. A grand adventure for all of us!

 

[NYDAN]

Sounds like a great adventure with friends. Congratulations to all concerned. Thanks for sharing.

 

[sako2]

Thank's for sharing the hunt with us Scotty. Sounds like you Guy's had a great time. And Thank's to you fella's for your service.

 

[JD338]

Great hunt. Congratulations to you and your crew on another successful hunt.

JD338

 

[Slimfinn]

Sounds like an amazing time, good hunt with good friends!

 

[IdahoCTD]

You didnt mention if Bill filled his cow tag? Sounds like an amazing hunt though.

 

[AFG270]

Wow, great write up Scotty!
Congratulations to all, well done!

 

[Firebird24]

Great write up-thanks for taking the time to post the stories and pictures-congratulations!

 

[Gun nut]

Congratulations, a memorable experience. Thanks for sharing. Well done.

 

[Hunter26]

Sounds like y'all had an awesome time! Great pics and story.