We started hunting today, & by this evening we have three down & seven to go. Everyone is having a great time, the food is great, & the fellowship is wonderful. More tomorrow.

Thanks for the report. Glad everyone is having a good time. We expect some more!

Four more antelope today, one at 450 yards. Three to go. More later.

Got any pix you'd like to share?

Always nice to see. Ups the "boy, I wish I was there" factor.

Best


GWB

go get em frank - wish i could be there with you

We finished the hunt today; everyone got their antelope. It was a great time. We are going to do this again next year if anyone is interested. Some of those from this year have already requested a repeat hunt next year. Others will post about their hunt when they get home.

Cost of hunt? Other hunt info?

I'll let Tom Kessel - owner of Hiland Outfitters - address this question, but I think next year's hunt will still cost $1350. plus the fee for your antelope tag. We charged each hunter a $100. additional charge for the food, & my wife Joyce did all the cooking. The hunt is close to Medicine Bow, Wyoming, & we can accommodate eleven hunters.
Tom, please post more information for those interested.

I had a great time! Can't wait to do it again next year.

I'll post some pics once I get back home.

Here are a couple photos of the Antelope hunt, I had to post the picture with the Artic wildman, he is the younger guy, I am the older fellow, My antelope was taken at 275 yards with a 30-06 185 Berger VLD.
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There is a scenery picture to give you an idea of the high plateau desert, flat land with nothing to hide behind. These antelope spot anything out of the ordinary they will put a mile between you in a heart beat, unfortunate for them there are a lot
of hills to sneak up on them, bad for us the land is full of very small cactus to make you pay when you are crawling up on them, I believe I will be picking needles for quite a while,
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The facility was quite nice, it was a Wyoming style mobile home so to speak so you can chase the migrating antelope in comfort
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Just kidding the house was actually relocated about 25 miles from a paved road. The hunt was a good time with a bunch of interesting members with a host of great stories. Tom Kessel put together a fantastic hunt with a couple of knowledgeable guides Tracy And Captain Andy. Just hope that Frank's wife Joyce will be your host, how she was able to put up with 13 men I will never know, God bless her

I've been invited to hunt whitetail in the USA a few times, but never accepted such an invitation. Couldn't afford it and in any case I never really got the hot desire for sitting in a stand and waiting, and waiting, ,,,.

But this Wyoming antelope hunt sounds very much like springbok hunting here in the Free State's nothing-to-hide-behind-grassveld! Wish I was there!

Frank is it true? Tom Kessel said you ran your antelope down with the truck!!!!

You have to come to the Vintagers chec out the double rifle forum for pics.

Mike

It was a very enjoyable time. I met some very nice people and everyone got along well. Accommodations and the food were pleasant. I took some big walks after I got my prairie goat, taking in the surroundings and having fun examining interesting stones that glaciers had deposited everywhere.

Great hunt, fun group of A.R. guys, excellent meals (prepared by Joyce, Frank's lovely wife) and most of all an outstanding outfitter, Tom Kessel (Hiland Outfitters).
8 out of 10 hunters successful on day 1 or 2 of the 4 day hunt. Frank and I finished it up on the third day.
Can't say enough good things about Tom Kessel and his two guides, Tracy and Andy. They went out of their way to make everyone in this large group happy.

Steve Thomas

Like others who participated in the antelope hunt, we began with a marathon drive - from Dallas to Medicine Bow. Perhaps not as far as from Oregon or Connecticut, but far enough for us! Several months of anticipation made the drive go quickly as my son Jeremy, son-in-law James, and I looked forward to the experience of chasing pronghorns in Wyoming and visiting with other Accurate Reloading junkies.

The boys were new to antelope hunting, and I had only hunted them on one other occasion. We went with a “go with the flow and make the most of it” attitude - which really fit the low key, laid back feeling of the entire experience.

Jeremy was first up and Tom Kessel managed to guide him to a nice buck to break the ice. They made several long stalks across the undulating terrain while James, Steve (Megsdad), and I watched. It was interesting to follow the hunter’s progress and see the reaction of the numerous pronghorns in the area. The animals weren’t too skittish since it was the first of the season – something that changed noticeably over the course of the next couple of days. After several long hikes, Jeremy managed to bag his buck with a 310 yard shot from his left-handed Ruger Model 77 .30-06. His 150 grain handloads did the job well and we got our first close-up look at our speedy quarry.


The hunt was a first for James. He married into our decidedly hunting oriented family, and has gradually incorporated the activity into his busy schedule. Santa brought him a left-handed Remington 700 .30-06 last year, which catalyzed the transformation. The AR Antelope Hunt seemed a perfect opportunity to introduce him to big game hunting, and he spent several range sessions over the summer poking holes in targets up to 300 yards. James worked up his own 150 grain handloads in preparation for the hunt.

Once Jeremy’s buck was hanging on the skinning rack, we headed out in search of a buck for James. The first afternoon consisted of several long stalks with Tom, and no meat to show for it. After a good meal and a night’s sleep we were back at it the next day. Several long stalks later, we (Jeremy, Steve & I) watched James settle into a prone position with Tom seated beside him – and heard the rifle’s report followed by the sound of bullet meeting (meating?) antelope. They were far enough away that we couldn’t see the animal, and could only guess about the outcome of the shot. We saw James shoot again, and soon saw the pair dragging a heavy horned goat to the nearest 2-track. Talk about beginner’s luck! He bagged a really nice buck – at 346 yards!


Steve rigged a coin toss, so I was next up. We cruised around the ranch for a short while and managed to locate a really nice buck that we had seen the previous day. Tom and I made a short stalk and managed to close the distance to 200 yards, but the little herd saw us and took off. As happened on several occasions, we encountered another buck almost immediately, and I blew an easy shot. A rain storm was approaching, and we headed back to the camp for lunch.

The rain passed quickly and we headed back out at about 3:30. One of the other guides had passed on information to Tom about a location where he had spotted a herd bedded down earlier, so we made our way to that spot. We had barely left the truck and peeked over the ridge when we spotted the buck. I dropped down and began crawling towards the rim. I eased into position and estimated the range at just over 300 yards and settled the crosshairs on the buck’s back. He remained motionless for several minutes – allowing my heart rate and breathing to return to normal. Tom ranged the buck at 352 yards, and I squeezed the trigger. The buck took about 4 steps and collapsed.


I have nothing but compliments for the way the hunt was conducted, the quality of the animals, the great food (THANKS JOYCE!), the knowledge and professionalism of the outfitter and staff, the vehicles, and the miles and miles of Wyoming scenery. Meeting others from the AR forum was a bonus.

Yes, sharing a bunkroom with 7 other snorers was a concern – but the one benefit of a lifetime of shooting is I’m so deaf I couldn’t hear it! I was told that I added more than my fair share!

I took some liberties in leaving out a few misses here and there, and some blown stalks that probably added a few gray hairs to Tom. Forgive us, we are novices – but we had a good time

BIG CONGRATS!!!

My son and I hope to hunt with Tom Kessel HiLand Outfitters in the near future too!

I like hearing the positive responses!

Happy for you all

Hi All
That was a great hunt got a nice Antelope met some real nice AR guys, nice to put a face to a name.Tom and the guides Tracy and Andy did a great job.
Thanks to Frank for organizing it and his lovely wife Joyce for the great food and spoiling us.
Hope to do it again. Bill

Artic, where are the pictures?????

Steve Thomas

Looks like you all had fun....... so specifics for next year? Hope to have enough money left over after my muskox hunt to go south for a goat.

Well done guys!!!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I have decided to do this hunt again next year. I am giving all the hunters from this year first option for next. Frank and Joyce have agreed to come back and cook next year.
We are finishing up our year, and I will post all of next years hunt info on the Outfitters page in the few days.

Once again thank all of you who made the hunt, we couldnt of asked for a better group of hunters.

Any chance at a Boone & Crockett on the ranch?

Sounds like fun! I hunt just west of Medecine Bow all the time.

Wow, what a great time with a bunch of great guys. Joyce was an outstanding cook and if you went hungry it was your own fault. She made you feel like you were at home and absoulutely went out of her way to make sure you were well fed. Great home cooked meals. If you are looking for a hunt to do at your own pace this is it. The area is very scenic as you can see in the pictures (I hope). Durimg my off time I went hiking around the camp looking for relics of a time long past. I took home about 5 lbs of rocks from the area as most are already polished from years of weathering. If you are lucky you might even find an arrowhead. The sunrises and sunsets are second to none. I took my antelope on Day 2. The shots can be long and I highly recommend a bipod. My shot was somewhere around 325 yds and the buck didn't know what hit him. Dropped like luggage at the airport. LOL! I can't say enough about Tom and his guides. All were very professional and adept at their jobs. Tom is offering the hunt again and the offer can't be beat. Feel free to PM me if you have questions. Shoot straight. Bob

I forgot to mention Frank. Frank is quite the character and I enjoyed our conversations about Guns. Frank is a very lucky man to have such a great wife that allows him to hunt the world. Somewhere there is a Holland & Holland rifle with your name on it. LOL! Perhaps Santa will bring one for Christmas, still trying for you buddy. Take care and thanks again for organizing the hunt. Bob.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunter54:
Any chance at a Boone & Crockett on the ranch?

Hunter 54

There is always a good chance at a B&C Buck. We have shot a few off this ranch in the past. Last years drought did effect the Antelope. We are always praying for moisture in Wyoming.

Hope to have you in camp.