“Had you and Jeremiah arrived an hour earlier you would have seen Doug and me levitating in the front yard…” said John Eason, as I reached to shake his hand after arriving on the Eason Ranch, just east of Claunch, New Mexico. Before I could inquire farther, Doug Dutschmann stuck out his welcoming hand. I shook Doug’s hand. Doug’s boss on the Hatada Ranch, Trevor Ahlberg, had bought the Eason Ranch pronghorn hunt donated to our 2021 DSC Foundation Gala and Fundraiser. Trevor, knowing Doug had never before hunted or taken a pronghorn, gave the hunt to him. Based on our text exchanges, Doug was pretty excited about the hunt.

Jeremiah Bennett, who was there to film the hunt for Trijicon’s World of Sports Afield produced by Safari Classics, put down his camera, “What happened?”

John laughed. “Doug was on one side of the yard and I was on the other. We were glassing antelope. Doug said something which caused me to take a step towards him and look his direction. When I did, here came a six-foot rattlesnake directly towards me. Her head was nearly a foot off the ground. I jumped backwards, then ran to get a gun, telling Doug to keep an eye on the snake. My 410 pistol in the house wasn’t loaded, so I ran to the pickup and got my 17 Remington rifle. I think Doug thought I would miss, when I aimed at the snake’s head through my scope… I didn’t miss!” With that, he pulled out his phone and produced a picture that confirmed the size of the huge snake!

He continued, “I didn’t know they got so big here. Every other bigger rattlesnake I’ve seen here on the ranch was no longer than about three and a half feet.” Followed by, “I don’t necessarily kill snakes, but this one was in the front yard and there was no doubt had it had the opportunity, she would have bitten me or anyone else that came close. I like going out after dark to look at stars, without having to be concerned about rattlesnakes!”

It was an interesting start to our pronghorn hunt. A few minutes later we were settled into comfortable rooms, then headed to the ranch’s rifle range to make certain Doug’s 300 PRC, based on a Remington Model 700 was properly sighted-in with Hornady 212gr ELD-X, as well as my 280 Remington Model 700 Mountain rifle, topped with a Trijicon Tenmile scope, shooting Hornady 150gr ELD-X Precision Hunter. Both were striking the 200-yard target exactly where they were supposed to, based on the range cards Tim Fallon with the FTW Ranch had prepared for us. We were ready.

My first objective was to get Doug a nice buck, particularly since he had never hunted pronghorns before. After he shot his buck, if time remained, then I would look for one as well. But that said, if there was time, I would be looking for a monster and be perfectly happy going home with my tag un-punched, if I did not find such a buck! I knew Socorro County had produced more Boone & Crockett record book pronghorns than any other county in New Mexico. Too, John had previously shown me photos of a couple tremendously long-horned bucks that had been seen the previous season and just before our hunt as well. I hoped Doug might be able to take one of those two.

After a most delicious meal, great conversations about hunting trips the four of us had done separately in the past, it did not take long to spend the night. Up early in anticipation, John suggested we wait until good shooting and filming light to leave camp. We would start hunting the moment we walked out the door.

We soon spotted a herd of 20 plus pronghorn, mostly does and fawns, squired by a really nice, mature buck. We watched through binos and spotting scopes as the buck kept his harem in order. With all the back and forth running he did to keep his does from wondering away, it is understandable why pronghorn bucks lose considerable weight during the breeding season, which we were in the middle of.

“There’s a good buck. We need to get a closer look!” said John. “Let’s drive about half way, then start our stalk. I’ll take Bessie and Annie with us (referring to his cow and pronghorn umbrella decoys), I’ve had great luck getting close with both in the past.” We loaded into the ATV and headed south.

John parked the rig behind a ridge, a mile from the feeding herd. John, Doug and Jeremiah headed toward the pronghorn. I set up behind a juniper where I would wait for the shot, then bring the Polaris.

Through my spotting scope I watched the trio execute a perfect stalk. From where I sat it appeared they were almost within kissing distance of the buck, but in truth, they got to within 180 yards of the buck, which when he saw “Annie” ran towards the hunters.

I waited for Doug’s shot. None came. Then I saw the pronghorn move away and a little while later saw the trio walking in my direction. I drove towards them.

“That was a good looking buck and I am already regretting I didn’t shoot!” stated Doug, after he was again in the vehicle.

“Not a problem! Let’s go find another! We had numerous bucks on the ranch a few days ago.”

We spent the rest of the morning trying to find other antelope herds. I knew from long past conversations with John, the ranch was home to and frequented by numerous pronghorn herds. However, the rest of the morning we found only a couple of does and one small buck.

During lunch, John visited with neighbors who do not hunt their property for pronghorn. The neighbor to his north said, “We had a really good rain on the ranch just north of us about a week ago. Shortly after the rain several pronghorn herds came from your direction (referring to John) and headed to where it rained. Those herds included at least six good bucks. As with pronghorn, they were headed to where there would be fresh green forage. It’s been a while since they had any rain or green growth!”

The next morning, we again started glassing from the ranch house. We spotted 22 pronghorns, nearly where we had seen them the day before. Before heading their way, we drove a huge circle towards the other side of the spacious ranch to see if any antelope had returned. We spent a fun couple of hours glassing and looking, but only saw one small herd with a wide-horned buck.

Unfortunately, before we could start a stalk, he pushed his does over the hill onto the adjoining ranch, so we headed to where yesterday we had seen the morning herd. They again were back in the broad open plain. Long story short. John, Doug and Jeremiah did an excellent stalk. But this time the herd was considerably warier, and in spite of making a long circuitous stalk to get on their back side, they took off running and crossed out of John’s property and headed to parts unknown.

We spent considerable time trying to find them but could not do so. Midday, the four of us headed to a ridge overlooking a considerable open plain. John had previously seen a big antelope buck in the area, as well as elk and mule deer on the ridge. He too, had found some pottery shards on the ridge as well.

I dearly love looking for ancient artifacts. Once I find them, I photograph the treasures and put them back where they were found. We spent better than an hour walking around on top of the juniper covered ridge. Too, there were many dead pinon trees which according to John had been killed by pine beetles.

I found four pieces of broken pottery, obviously from a time many years ago. Unfortunately, I did not carry my camera with me on our walk. So I picked up the shards, tried to imagine what the people were like which made, used and broke the pottery, then put the shards where I had found them.

On our hunt that afternoon we spotted a broken-horned gemsbok and one with both horns. Obviously they or their ancestors had roamed off from the White Sand Missile Base, where gemsbok had been released numerous years ago. We saw the one with both horns numerous times during the hunt, but none of us had a gemsbok license.

That evening we checked college football scores and learned my alma mater Texas A&M had defeated the number one rated Alabama. I have to admit there was a bit of cheering in our camp that evening.

I went to bed with a prayer the pronghorn which had left the ranch would return by morning’s light, on our third and last day of the hunt.

Both Doug and I were glassing the broad, flat plains as soon as we had sufficient dawn light. “They’re back!” said Doug. Indeed, they were. We headed into the house. Over a cup of coffee, we planned our stalk.

“Our best chance at getting a shot, and it likely will be a relatively long one, is to drive to the back side of the property, then work our way towards them.” Said John, followed by, “Grab your gun, some extra shells and your shooting sticks. We leave in five minutes.”

We were ready to leave in about one minute! We drove to the main road, followed it to the backside of the pasture the antelope were in. There we parked. John, Doug and Jeremiah took a direct path toward the herd, using every bit of cover to their advantage. I headed farther south where I could keep an eye on the hunters and wave to them as well if the antelope got past them and headed my way.

I watched John open his pronghorn umbrella when they topped the last ridge. The trio got behind it and walked single-file towards the herd, which I could not see. They disappeared behind the ridge. A short time later I heard a shot, followed by a second shot. At that point I headed in their direction. Topping the ridge that had blocked my view of the pronghorns, I spotted both our hunters and a slowly departing pronghorn buck, obviously hit hard.

We gave the pronghorn some time, then followed the blood trail headed into a scattering of junipers. A little while later we stood beside Doug’s buck, a really nice mature pronghorn with better than 14-inch-long horns, good mass and prongs. Doug was all smiles, as were John and Jeremiah! “Over 500 yards each shot. Tim Fallon would have been proud.” Said Doug, then continued, “We tried to get closer, but the tallest cover between him and us when I shot was ankle high.”

Doug accepted my congratulatory hand. After photos, finishing the TV work, we retrieved the Polaris, loaded Doug’s buck and headed to camp. There I caped the buck and helped John quarter the meat. I planned to take Doug’s horns and cape to Double Nickle Taxidermy. Jon Wilson and his crew donated a custom mount as part of the auction package. Since they do all my taxidermy work, I knew they would do a fabulous mount.

By the time I got the cape and excellent pronghorn venison properly taken care of it was late afternoon. About an hour of our three-day hunt remained when we headed back into the field.

We spent that hour driving throughout the ranch glassing for antelope. We found only two young bucks, which I passed.

Even though I did not squeeze a trigger, our hunt had been a fabulously successful in many, many ways.

The money raised from the hunt, along with the money made from all the other DSC Foundation auction items will all go to help fund various wildlife conservation and education projects here in North America and throughout the world. Numerous researchers, wildlife and hunting organizations annually send grant requests to the Dallas Safari Club Foundation. These grant requests are thoroughly vetted and money is then provided to those considered most appropriate to help meet the goals and objectives of the Dallas Safari Club. To learn more about the current and past funded projects, please visit the DSC Foundation website.

We are already planning our 2022 DSC Foundation Gala and will again be offering some of the finest and best hunting experiences available to be found anywhere. Whether you plan on being there in person, and we hope you will, or bidding on-line, I know we will have hunts, and other items that will reach out and grab you. There’s no better way to support truly vetted wildlife projects than to buy one or more of these hunts!

Photo credit: Larry Weishuhn Outdoors