Hunting Antelope on the High Plains of Colorado
There's something uniquely exhilarating about hunting the high plains of Colorado. The vast expanse of open land, rolling hills, and endless skies create the perfect backdrop for a pursuit that is considered by many a hunter to be the epitome of hunting out west. My recent hunt for pronghorn antelope was no exception.
Limon and the surrounding area are known for its wide-open spaces, where the horizon stretches endlessly, and the sparse vegetation offers little in the way of cover. The high plains provide a perfect environment for pronghorn. Hot, dry and windy pretty much sum it up.
The morning had been eventful. Guide Cody Arnold and I had glassed up numerous small groups and a few lone bucks at varying distances. This was my first antelope hunt, and I wanted to take a decent mature buck, so we passed on what we had seen. Around 9am we glassed a coyote chasing a group of about 12 to 15 speed goats about 2000 yards out. Between them and us was a large depression. Cody suggested we hike to the crest of the knoll and see if there were any other groups that possibly hadn’t been spooked by the yote.
Crawling up to the crest, so as not to be sky lined, we immediately put glass a small group at around the 1200-yard mark. There were two bucks jostling the doe’s for their attention. It was warming up fast and the mirage made them difficult to judge, but the one buck looked substantially larger and needed a closer look. Closing the distance would be a real challenge. The terrain offered little to hide behind without being spotted, so we stayed put to see what they would do. Luckily, they changed direction and slowly started working towards us. Around 30 minutes later they had closed the distance to 700 yards and began milling around and feeding. At this distance we could judge the bigger buck and after a short conversation the decision was made that this would be one to take.
I ranged the buck at 702 yards, a long shot with a crosswind, even for the flat-shooting 6.5 PRC. While trying to get in a comfortable shooting position the doe’s suddenly started bedding down. The buck soon followed suit 50 yards to their left. Once they had settled totally, we took the opportunity to slowly leopard crawl closer to 585 yards undetected. I set up prone and got comfortable. We would just have to wait it out. A little over two hours later the first doe stood and stretched, the others soon followed. They started feeding off to the right, prompting the buck to eventually stand and turn broadside, giving me a perfect target. I steadied myself, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
The shot rang out across the plains, I watched the antelope collapse through the Leopold Scope. Cody shouted, “smoked him” and slapped me on the shoulder. A sense of satisfaction washed over me as I knelt and we high fived.
Every hunt teaches you something new, and this one was no different. The importance of patience, staying calm and trusting your equipment were all reinforced on this day. There’s a sense of satisfaction, not only in the success of the kill, but also in the process that leads up to it.
As I held his unique horns and smelt the musty sage associated with these somewhat odd-looking creatures, I took a moment to appreciate where I was and what had just taken place. Colorado’s high plains offer a unique challenge, and on that day, it all came together
CANIS Gear
Pamir Insulation Jacket
Tahr Merino Hooded HZ
Alpine Pant
Alpine Glove
Tahr Merino Neck Gaiter
Summit Merino Socks - Mid Boot
Tahr Merino Brief
Gunner Mesh Back
General Gear
Custom 6.5 PRC by Randy Smith
Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44
Hornady 143gr ELD-X Precision Hunter Ammunition
Swarovski NL Pure 12x42
Leica Rangemaster 2400-R
Marsupial Gear Bino Harness
Jim Green African Ranger Boots
Kanjera Pack
Blaze Orange Vest