Most of you know by now that my favorite hunt every year is in Wyoming. The Great State of Wyoming is my second home. I lived there for many years and still have friends and family there. This year’s hunt was exceptional.
Let me start off by naming the bad actors in this story. First up: Chris Denham. Chris is the host of The Western Hunter TV show. He also has the Western Hunter magazine. Chris and I go back more than 20 years. He is partly responsible for me meeting my wife, but that’s a story for another time.
Colton Bagnoli is a law enforcement officer in Montana and an editor for Western Hunter magazine.
Hold your ears for this guy. Josh Cluff is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for HS Precision. Those of you that know Josh know he is the life of the party.
Last but not least: Chuck Paddock. Chuck is the host of Open Season TV and, like all of these, is an all-around good guy.
We all met in Glenrock, WY, in late October to chase antelope and a Whitetail.
The Tillard Ranch hunt never lets me down. They continually produce good antelope. This year was a good year for antelope, but it was the best year I’ve ever had there for weather. Wyoming’s Indian summer was incredible. It made up for all of the troubles with COVID travel. To be able to make this trip this year and experience it with good friends was a blessing.
I believe the order of the hunt was as follows: Colton was up first with great antelope, followed up by Josh, Chris and Chuck. Everyone made great shots using 6.5 PRC except Chuck. He was using a .300 Win. After the hunt, Casey Tillard (aka Rip in Part 2) took us to a long distance shooting range on his property. We had the opportunity to shoot out to 1700 yards on steel targets. This is an incredible way to hone your shooting skills for those close hunting shots.
Part 2 next month will include my Wyoming hunt with Casey and the group.