Another .280 Remington story.

Bazzaloo · February 2021

There were too few trees. By that I am referring to Wyoming's Thunder Basin National Grasslands where I once hunted antelope. I was planning to go to Ogallala, Nebraska to hunt on a ranch but the owner said he had only recently purchased it and didn’t want the prairie chickens shot or the pheasants, quail etc. His reason being that for many years the locals from the nearby town had been over hunting the property and he wanted to give the game some respite from the hunting pressure.

That's fair enough I thought So I opted not to go instead I went to Wyoming and this is where the lack of trees in. I personally do not like field dressing game on the ground so in Ca., I used a small block and tackle to hoist any deer I shot up in a handy nearby tree. However, that was the problem, there are very few trees in Wyoming on the Thunder Basin Grasslands where we’d be hunting so I took along my own tree.

Well, not really, by that I mean I took along a 2x4” 7 feet long on which I put and eye bolt at one end. My hunting buddy Dave’s big Dodge van had a ladder on the right side back door and a spare tire bracket on the left rear door. I had tested and found that I could shove the 2x4 down in behind the spare tire bracket and behind the ladder where it poked out and away from the van on at a sharp angle and that's where I connected my block and tackle. Whalla! My make shift portable tree.

That allowed us both to field dress our animals comfortably standing up while not having to bend over and do the job in the dirt. Not only that, but after we’d gotten the skin off and entrails out etc. we could leave the carcass hang out there with a cheese cloth on it swinging in the breeze as we drove slowly back to our campsite thereby cooling the meat faster than having it lay on the floor of the van on a sheet of plastic.

And that is the story of my taking along my own tree...............Bazzaloo.

Bazzaloo · February 2021

OOps! I forgot to add in my long story that I shot both my antelope with my .280 Remington with a 140gr Hornaday handload..............Bazzaloo

JerryBobCo · February 2021

For years, the only way I knew to field dress an animal was on the ground, where it dropped. I'd rather drag or haul a field dressed animal than a undressed one. Those guts are heavy.

I hunted prairie goats with Linefinder and Mosseybuck a few times. One of those times they both make outstanding shots and got 2 does. They preferred to hang and gut, so we did.

GunNut · February 2021

Would have never thought a 2x4 would have been strong enough to hang an antelope.

Zee · February 2021

Antelope are rather light critters.

JerryBobCo · February 2021

Speaking of antelope, since I moved to Texas I've been asked by several how big antelope are. Some seem to think they're rather large, and are surprised when I tell them they're about the size of a Texas whitetail.

One that weighs 100 lbs. on the hoof is a big one. Like Zee said, they're light critters.

GunNut · February 2021

JerryBobCo said:

Speaking of antelope, since I moved to Texas I've been asked by several how big antelope are. Some seem to think they're rather large, and are surprised when I tell them they're about the size of a Texas whitetail.

One that weighs 100 lbs. on the hoof is a big one. Like Zee said, they're light critters.

Interesting, I’ve never seen one up close and personal. Well that clears that up. Thanks,

JerryBobCo · February 2021

GunNut said:

JerryBobCo said:

Speaking of antelope, since I moved to Texas I've been asked by several how big antelope are. Some seem to think they're rather large, and are surprised when I tell them they're about the size of a Texas whitetail.

One that weighs 100 lbs. on the hoof is a big one. Like Zee said, they're light critters.

Interesting, I’ve never seen one up close and personal. Well that clears that up. Thanks,

Something else that surprised me is their fur. I envisioned it as soft, much like a deer. It's very brittle.

Linefinder · February 2021

Antelope are fairly small critters, A southern white tail is large in comparison, a Northern white tail dwarfs it. An elk makes it look like a squirrel. Jerry is right about the fur. Hollow and very brittle. Doesn't reflect laser much past 300 yards.

If you want to save the hide...don't drag it on the ground.

They also smell "different". Not bad, but you'll never smell anything else like it.

Mike

Zee · February 2021

I absolutely love their unique smell. Coolest thing that is totally “out west”.

My favorite thing to hunt are mountain muley and my second favorite are Pronghorn.

earlyagain · February 2021

My Dad was partial to hanging the meat after retrieving the carcass. The two of us only ever got one elk back to camp whole. But we'd hang the quarters. He told of a few he got out whole before I took up the pursuit with him. We always did initial processing on the ground. Big job. Be hard to hang a whole one where it fell.

As time went on we adopted a method of speedy transport to the nearest processor in town. That seemed the best, and I did likewise when hunting alone. I'd just cover the bagged quarters and backstraps with blankets and or tarps in the truck if I had to wait till morning to haul it into town.

Had some pieces on the ground in the shade once. Covered by blankets. A temporary expedient well I packed the rest back to camp. The blankets actually delayed a bear from getting any till my reappearance scared it off. True story.

GunNut · February 2021

I've always fired dressed on the ground and then hanged the carcass (skin on/body cavity open after removing the tenderloins) to age a few days, cold weather allowing.

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