Perseverance...

This was my dream hunt. Since I was a kid, I can remember my dad telling me stories of how he and his buddies would stalk through the prairie to hunt Antelope. I always enjoyed driving across South Dakota seeing these four-legged, white, and tan animals in the open spaces. In my high school years I was considered a non-resident and never drew a tag. After I became a full-time student at SDSU and gained residency, I knew my preference point storehouse would give me really good odds. I got the email from SD GFP notifying me of my successful draw result, and I couldn't wait to travel west to see what opportunities awaited.

While shuffling through my gear, I decided I was going to bring my trusted Bergara- B14 6.5 Creedmoor. Throughout the spring and summer months, I made a load development for this rifle. This load consisted of a combination that seemed to provide good groups, low standard deviation, and low extreme spread. I was confident in the load and thought to myself, "Now I just need to find them". I made an OnX folder for the hunt, which helped me organize my thoughts. I spent time researching the area, the antelope species, and their habitat. This helped me know what to look for while scouting, so I could eliminate some options and choose the terrain I would focus on.

I made it to my unit two days before season opener, so I could have one full day to see if my e-scouting for public land was reliable. My solo mission started out exciting when 100 yards from my camping spot stood a bull elk. It watched me park my pickup and unload all my tent and supplies before walking off. There's a relaxing yet eerie feeling you get tent camping alone. I listened to the stillness of the night and enjoyed the coyotes howling in the distance as I made a route plan for the next day.

The next day's scouting was successful. I saw a handful of bucks that I would be more than happy to hunt, and harvested a Sharp-tailed Grouse for lunch. It was tough to decide which buck I wanted to pursue in the morning. I was trying to gather as much data as I could including wind direction, terrain, and accessibility to other hunters to help me decide which route to choose. I made my decision and got some rest.

I got to my shooting knob early and was happy to see I was the only one around... or so I thought. When opening light broke, I spotted my target buck almost 900 yards away. I broke down my position and started to maneuver closer, when all of the sudden I see another hunter come running at me. He insisted that he was here earlier than I was, and told me to get lost. I knew of other bucks in the area. Right, wrong, or indifferent I left and went to my next spot.

Right away, I see a buck standing 405 yards away. I got into position and took my shot. Clean miss... Disappointed and confused, I traveled to a different area hoping to find another buck. He was nowhere to be found. On the way back to my pickup I crossed this tall barb wire fence. When I swung my leg over, the steel pipe I had my foot on broke. My full bodyweight plus gear fell straight down on the barbs, just missing the important parts. The third buck I used the the river bed to get close. It was an amazing stalk. I missed him twice. Once around 250 yards and then another at 330 yards. I laid my face down on my cheek rest in complete despair wondering what I did wrong. Did an action screw get loose on my rifle? Did I do my reloads incorrectly? Did my zero get bumped? I headed back to the pickup to call my fiancé and tell her I was coming home from this hunt I had waited so long for.

On my way to the hill I notice this herd of Antelope on a parcel of accessible Walk-In ground. I parked my pickup, took a breath and said to myself, "One more chance...". I took my reloads out of my rifle and loaded factory ammo of a similar combination. I crawled my way in to close the distance and took a shot that felt just like the previous ones. The herd scattered and headed down into a draw. I noticed the buck didn't make it out on the other side with the rest of the herd! I was ecstatic!

After four failed attempts, I was ready to quit. Giving up on a tag I had waited to long for would have been heart breaking. Thankfully, a glimmer of hope pushed me to persevere and I was able to end my dream hunt with a filled tag. A hunt I will never forget. And the funny thing?This same exact rifle and reloading combination killed a great Mule Deer buck later that year. The reason for the misses? We'll never know.