Falling Antelope

Barnacle Brad · August 15, 2014, 04:21 PM

Watched a guy - or guys, drop two goats this afternoon. Pretty good shootin I guess. One fell dead and then I heard the report, then another one tipped over and no report was heard!

I am going back to see about a buck that was still alive when I left. Was getting ready to put a stalk on and realized my orange was at home. Early seasons are great for making a guy get all his gear ready. Even if it takes a trip or two...hahahahaaa...

Barnacle Brad · August 16, 2014, 12:24 AM

I predict tenderloin....

huntinaz · August 16, 2014, 03:56 AM

Get 'im

Barnacle Brad · August 16, 2014, 10:41 AM

We had a great opening day...4 hours, two goats.

tahunua001 · August 16, 2014, 12:03 PM

those are some nice goats... man I miss antelope meat. tough as heck but with a little bit of tenderizing and country fried just right....yum.

Crankylove · August 17, 2014, 01:10 PM

I'm jealous.

Haven't drawn a goat tag in 3 years now

cornbush · August 17, 2014, 06:13 PM

If I had to choose just one animal to hunt it would be antelope, hands down no question.

Nice goats

FrankenMauser · August 17, 2014, 07:53 PM

Quote:

those are some nice goats... man I miss antelope meat. tough as heck but with a little bit of tenderizing and country fried just right....yum.

I've never had a piece of antelope meat that was naturally tough.

I have, however, had plenty of people (myself included) cook it too hot and too fast, which causes it to toughen up and dry out.

But, cook it low and slow.... it's tender and juicy.
One of my wife's favorite ways for me to cook antelope is essentially a butter 'poach'. The butter is heated to just before it starts trying to separate and bubble, and then that temperature is held as little medallions or fillets of goat are nestled in the pan. When the blood in the pan coagulates and holds together (but hasn't darkened), the meat is well-done. If the blood starts to darken or crisp on the edges of the globs, the meat is overcooked and will be tough and dry.

AllenJ · August 18, 2014, 09:10 AM

Great job, congrats on your success.

Barnacle Brad · August 18, 2014, 03:39 PM

Thanks for the nice comments. I have to agree that we have not had any issues with tough meat even from the bucks. That said, we make a lot of burger out of them. Mostly cuz we need a lot of burger. There are many local folks who look down their noses at you if you mention eating antelope, but all I can tell them is that the meat is as delicious as any other venison. I doubt they could pick an antelope steak from deer if I cooked it for them, and if they had a bad experience, to look at the meat cutter or handling of the game. It doesnt take too much to screw up meat, especially when hunting in 80-90 deg weather.

tahunua001 · August 18, 2014, 09:49 PM

hmm, well when I lived in antelope country we did backstrap steaks which were always pretenderized, a few round roasts which weren't tough but were also always slow cooked and the rest was always burger, not much else you can do since they are so small. still miss the taste. I prefer it to elk, now if someone could engineer an elk that tastes like antelope I'd nominate them for the nobel prize!

FrankenMauser · August 18, 2014, 10:34 PM

Quote:

I prefer it to elk, now if someone could engineer an elk that tastes like antelope I'd nominate them for the nobel prize!

Absolutely.
I like Elk, but if you could breed a large cervid that tasted like speedgoat... I'd be all over it.

Unlicensed Dremel · August 19, 2014, 07:31 PM

Congrats! How about some hunt & gear details...distance, setup, stalk, rifle, scope, rest, etc.

BIG P · August 19, 2014, 09:21 PM

Makes My 25-06 get a woody

Barnacle Brad · August 19, 2014, 10:16 PM

Gear:

Shooting stix - hand made
Bushnell 8x42 field glasses with Crooked Ridge harness
K98 sporterized Mauser in 25-06
Sightron SII 3-9x40 scope
Hornady Interlock 100gr sp over 42gr Varget

Setup:

We spotted two bucks out near some utility poles from a good ways off. We closed the distance by half or so and observed one buck heading back towards the highway and safety. We lost sight of the other buck and so made the decision to go at the one we were watching. He was hung up on a fence line and from past experience expected he would reverse direction if pushed and head back for the BLM.

Execution:

I got out of the truck behind a rise that obscured my movement, found cover in low ditch with some large sagebrush in it, and deployed my shooting stix. My partner eased the truck around the corner and toward the buck as I kept watch for him to move. Finally I spotted him much further away than I expected and moving away from my position. I lined up a shot on his neck and squeezed one off, but missed (later discovered a nick in his hide below his chin). The shot turned him though and back toward me he came. He was not spooked though and I racked another round in. I knew I had time, so I looked for my empty case, then back at the buck, and back and forth a couple times til I figured I better forget about the casing and put a round through the now broad side buck. I put one behind his shoulder and watched him put on a nice forty yard burst before piling up in a cloud of dust. I think the range was inside 125yds. He fell within 3-400 yds from where my buck from last year fell.

The other buck was sheer luck! We failed to turn on a two track that would have run to the east. We traveled west instead looking for a turn around, then started back to the road we were wanting. Coming down the hill, Tysin spotted a buck heading for the road to our left. I told him to kill it and as he got the truck stopped and out the door, I was shoving the gun to him. He leveled up and shot dropping the buck with a neck shot, just on the edge of the road 30yds ahead of us. An hour had elapsed since we loaded my buck up. I have had worse days fishin....

Unlicensed Dremel · August 21, 2014, 03:42 PM

You "Executed" some innocents? Well that's it - I'm rioting.

Very nice.

August 15, 2014, 04:21 PM	#1
Barnacle Brad Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2009 Location: Greybull, Wyoming Posts: 416	Falling Antelope Watched a guy - or guys, drop two goats this afternoon. Pretty good shootin I guess. One fell dead and then I heard the report, then another one tipped over and no report was heard! I am going back to see about a buck that was still alive when I left. Was getting ready to put a stalk on and realized my orange was at home. Early seasons are great for making a guy get all his gear ready. Even if it takes a trip or two...hahahahaaa... __________________ Brad

August 16, 2014, 12:24 AM	#2
Barnacle Brad Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2009 Location: Greybull, Wyoming Posts: 416	I predict tenderloin.... __________________ Brad

August 16, 2014, 03:56 AM	#3
huntinaz Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2010 Location: az Posts: 1,332	Get 'im __________________ "When there’s lead in the air, there’s hope in the heart”- Hunter’s Proverb "Feed me, or feed me to something. I just want to be part of the food chain." -Al Bundy

August 16, 2014, 12:03 PM	#5
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	those are some nice goats... man I miss antelope meat. tough as heck but with a little bit of tenderizing and country fried just right....yum. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

August 17, 2014, 01:10 PM	#6
Crankylove Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2008 Location: 8B ID Posts: 1,753	I'm jealous. Haven't drawn a goat tag in 3 years now __________________ The answer to 1984 is 1776

August 17, 2014, 06:13 PM	#7
cornbush Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: The retarded place below Idaho Posts: 1,408	If I had to choose just one animal to hunt it would be antelope, hands down no question. Nice goats __________________ The best shot I ever made was an accident

August 18, 2014, 09:10 AM	#9
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,766	Great job, congrats on your success.

August 18, 2014, 03:39 PM	#10
Barnacle Brad Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2009 Location: Greybull, Wyoming Posts: 416	Thanks for the nice comments. I have to agree that we have not had any issues with tough meat even from the bucks. That said, we make a lot of burger out of them. Mostly cuz we need a lot of burger. There are many local folks who look down their noses at you if you mention eating antelope, but all I can tell them is that the meat is as delicious as any other venison. I doubt they could pick an antelope steak from deer if I cooked it for them, and if they had a bad experience, to look at the meat cutter or handling of the game. It doesnt take too much to screw up meat, especially when hunting in 80-90 deg weather. __________________ Brad

August 18, 2014, 09:49 PM	#11
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	hmm, well when I lived in antelope country we did backstrap steaks which were always pretenderized, a few round roasts which weren't tough but were also always slow cooked and the rest was always burger, not much else you can do since they are so small. still miss the taste. I prefer it to elk, now if someone could engineer an elk that tastes like antelope I'd nominate them for the nobel prize! __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

August 19, 2014, 07:31 PM	#13
Unlicensed Dremel Junior member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Location: Flathead Valley, MT Posts: 2,187	Congrats! How about some hunt & gear details...distance, setup, stalk, rifle, scope, rest, etc.

August 19, 2014, 09:21 PM	#14
BIG P Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2010 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,679	Makes My 25-06 get a woody

August 19, 2014, 10:16 PM	#15
Barnacle Brad Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2009 Location: Greybull, Wyoming Posts: 416	Gear: Shooting stix - hand made Bushnell 8x42 field glasses with Crooked Ridge harness K98 sporterized Mauser in 25-06 Sightron SII 3-9x40 scope Hornady Interlock 100gr sp over 42gr Varget Setup: We spotted two bucks out near some utility poles from a good ways off. We closed the distance by half or so and observed one buck heading back towards the highway and safety. We lost sight of the other buck and so made the decision to go at the one we were watching. He was hung up on a fence line and from past experience expected he would reverse direction if pushed and head back for the BLM. Execution: I got out of the truck behind a rise that obscured my movement, found cover in low ditch with some large sagebrush in it, and deployed my shooting stix. My partner eased the truck around the corner and toward the buck as I kept watch for him to move. Finally I spotted him much further away than I expected and moving away from my position. I lined up a shot on his neck and squeezed one off, but missed (later discovered a nick in his hide below his chin). The shot turned him though and back toward me he came. He was not spooked though and I racked another round in. I knew I had time, so I looked for my empty case, then back at the buck, and back and forth a couple times til I figured I better forget about the casing and put a round through the now broad side buck. I put one behind his shoulder and watched him put on a nice forty yard burst before piling up in a cloud of dust. I think the range was inside 125yds. He fell within 3-400 yds from where my buck from last year fell. The other buck was sheer luck! We failed to turn on a two track that would have run to the east. We traveled west instead looking for a turn around, then started back to the road we were wanting. Coming down the hill, Tysin spotted a buck heading for the road to our left. I told him to kill it and as he got the truck stopped and out the door, I was shoving the gun to him. He leveled up and shot dropping the buck with a neck shot, just on the edge of the road 30yds ahead of us. An hour had elapsed since we loaded my buck up. I have had worse days fishin.... __________________ Brad

August 21, 2014, 03:42 PM	#16
Unlicensed Dremel Junior member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Location: Flathead Valley, MT Posts: 2,187	You "Executed" some innocents? Well that's it - I'm rioting. Very nice.