The West Virginia Bowhunters Association has an annual awards banquet and bi- annually, they give away a hunt. It’s called the 500 club drawing. Any member who scores 500 at one of our shoots is given a certificate. Five of those certificates will give you one chance in the 500 club bi-annual drawing. I’ve been hording the darn things and had 30 certificates. That gave me six chances in the drawing.

They’ve never offered a hunt that I’d been interested in until this year. A pronghorn hunt on the Robinson Ranch, north of Douglas, WY. It’s four days and five nights with accommodations and guide service.

The banquet was last Saturday. J.W., my oldest son attended this year and at about 8 p.m. my home phone rang; it was J.W. He said, “Dad, you just won a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming.” GOOD FOR ME! Now all I have to do is apply for my license and get there.

It’s been 28 years since I’ve hunted pronghorns. I really enjoyed the few times I’ve hunted them. The country is so different and this eastern hardwoods guy just likes being where pronghorns and mule deer live.

Here's picture of the last one I took in 1989. Gee Whiz! Who is that kid?

Congrats! A fun hunt.

Hooray for you indeed. 8^). Congratulations and enjoy.

Have a great time.

Incredible! You are in for a great time!

Congrats Jim! I hunted them in the same area a few years ago. It was probably the most enjoyable hunt that I've ever been on.

Best of luck!

Awesome! We want a play-by-play report when you go!

Congats, have fun

We hunted that general area 8 years ago and had a blast. Good luck to you.

Good on you!My guess is the guy who heads to Wyoming in 2017 will have a very different outlook and appreciation than they guy who last hunted them 28 years earlier.

Congratulations to you. Enjoy the hunt and take pictures. Gil

Awesome! I am happy for you!

Good for you Jim; I'm sure you will be ready for this hunt. Shick

I love hunting pronghorns. Been to the Dakotas several times and went to Wyoming four years ago.

The hunt in Wyoming was incredible. Our camp went 5 for 5 on good bucks and my brother scored on one that scored 80". It was a draw unit north of Rawlins.

Congrats Jim, I know you'll love it.

My question is will you draw this year?? Shawn

If he doesn't they usually have tags left over and sell em otc.

Enjoy and practice up.

Congrats Jimmy and yes who is that young guy? The last time I hunted them was at the place Tommy White had and JW was there. I hope you grow up to be as good of a hunter as he is. :). Good luck.

tradmt,

The ranch is split between area 26 and 29. The rancher called yesterday, said he'd call me back tomorrow or Monday and let me know which week and what area to apply for.

Dr. J.R.,

Tommy had the leasing rites on the LaBarr Ranch. That pronghorn in the picture was taken on that ranch, several years prior to Tommy leasing it. I paid Georgene LaBarr a $100.00 trespass fee and that was for hunting privileges all season long. Those days are long gone, huh? :^)

This ranch borders LaBarr to the north and west.

Agree with tradmt, the meat is outstanding. Best wild meat I've had, period.

Cool. I haven't been but I'm sure it'll be a great time. JF

Good on you Jim, and good luck!

Congrats & Good Luck !!!!!!!

Couldn't have gone to a nicer feller.

Rick

I know you'll enjoy your hunt. Congrats and best of luck!

Congratulations best of luck on your hunt.

I was on the Labarr in about 1986, not my best experience. Ended up working with Carl Steinle a few miles north - an outstanding man and some great goat hunts for many years. He's retired from it now.

Exciting! Congrats! Great country!

Congratulations on drawing the hunt. I don't think you will have any trouble getting a tag. Bring clothes for any weather. One day I was down to my skivvies sweating like a pig and the next day I had on everything I had curled up on the floor of the popup trying to keep from freezing. Great hunt and beautiful animals.

Got home about 4 p.m. today. Had a great time. Saw a lot of pronghorns.

Had a nice buck coming in at about 8 a.m. on the first morning (Monday), when I heard this strange, loud noise. It turned out to be a Great Blue Heron that flew in, landed on top of my blind and scared the buck off. When the bird set down on my blind he collapsed the top and the metal hub hit me on top of my head--scared the beegeebers out of me. He pitched off the collapsed bind and landed on the dam of the pond. He was getting salamanders in the pond, but when I popped the ceiling back up, he flew off. I wished I'd shot the darn thing. I figured the day was ruined, but I had several more bucks come in. I passed on them as they were all smaller than the one the Heron scared away and I hoped he'd come back in over the next few days.

Well... he did come back in about about 9 a.m. but walked all the way around the blind and ran off back in to the prairie. Several more came in, but again I passed as the bucks were smaller too.

At about 10 a.m. I looked back to see six does coming in from behind me with "my" buck following them. The does went around to my right, while the buck broke and came in the from the left. He stepped up on the dam of the pond, stopped and was looking across the pond at his harem on the other side. He offered me a perfect quartering away shot at about 16 yards. I sent the .400 full length Goldtip Traditional Hunter shaft, tipped a 145 grain Grizzly broadhead his way out of my Hoyt Satori riser and 44# Uukha limbs.

The arrow hit him perfectly and I watched it disappear thru him. He turned and ran toward the prairie and fell about 60 yards from my blind.

Al Smith shot a buck in the early afternoon on Monday. He hit him a little high and only caught the top of one lung. Jim Mann and I helped him put the buck to bed that evening. We watched the buck until dark and went back to camp. After taking Jim to his stand on Tuesday morning, Al and I went back on top to look for the buck. We found him just after first light and the chase was on. Al dogged him for about an hour and the buck just gave up. Al simply walked up to him and finished the task.

We had perfect weather for this waterhole hunt--hot and dry. This ranch is full of pronghorns the size of the ones we shot.

If any of you guys are ever interested in this hunt, you can reach Jay Butler thru his Facebook page at:https://www.facebook.com/Pronghorn.Ranch.WY/

Congratulations on a really nice buck! Beautiful pictures and story. Thanks for taking me along. Sounds like a great place to hunt especially when the weather cooperates. Looks just like the "kid" in 1989. Only the camo has changed!

Wow. Sounds like a great time. I don't know if I could have been as patient as you were. Congratulations and good shot.

Way to go Jim. Congratulations he's a nice one. That's something I'd like to do some day.

Good job Pirates!

That's awesome Jim, thanks for sharing.

That's awesome Jim, thanks for sharing.

Great hunt and good times, Congrats!

Wow, what an incredible hunt with a beautiful trophy to top it off! Congratulations and thanks for sharing your exciting hunt with us! Bernie

Good luck! Does it taste as good as venison? ;-)

Thanks fella's.

tonto59,

As you can see, some folks really like the taste of it. I don't find it anything like venison and don't find it palatable unless it's made into a sausage or salami.

Congrats on a very successful hunt all around .

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