As our flight from Pittsburgh touched down at the Denver International, the weather did not look good for our Wyoming antelope hunt. It was thirty degrees and snowing. Dick Blauser, Steve Gingery and I would be driving north to Buffalo, Wyoming to hunt with Larry Brannian of Rafter B. Outfitters. This adventure had come about over dinner at the Greater Pittsburgh Sportsman Show in March of 2004. We all are on the Horton Crossbow pro staff and were discussing hunting out west. Steve and Dick had hunted with Rafter B. a few years earlier and had a great time. I have known Larry Brannian for several years and he is one of a kind. We talked to Larry the next day and he suggested that we book for the week of September 20. The rut should be in full swing. The Wyoming archery season begins in August and runs through late September. Wyoming is a crossbow friendly state. Anyone can use it during any archery season. By the time we had driven north the weather had cleared and the temperature has risen to the seventies.

Rafter B. Outfitters is located north of the small town of Buffalo and at the base of the Big Horn Mountains. Larry hunts thousands of acres of private ranch land for antelope, mule deer, whitetail deer, turkey and elk. Larry’s bunk house is a very nice three bedroom, two bath houses with a large kitchen and dining area. What a beautiful view of the antelope and snow-covered mountains. As the sun set over the Big Horns it was something to see.

Larry’s cook Buck served up a great breakfast the next morning. You will not lose any weight on this hunt. We loaded up our bows and camera gear and headed out to a ranch east of town. Being from back east the west is a treat. The wide-open vista, game visible for miles sure is different from the hardwood ridges back in Ohio. Larry dropped Steve and me off at a water hole. It was a typical pop up blind set on the edge of a stock tank. I would film Steve for the Horton Crossbow Video. Dick would be hunting on the same ranch a couple of miles away.

The Old Buck Stood Back And Watched

Steve and I had just got settled in the blind when the parade started. Two mule deer doe’s with their fawns showed up. We took pictures and filmed them as the fed on the green grass around the water. The tank was about thirty yards wide and fifty yards long. We used our range finder to mark spots at the edge of the water within 30 yards. Next four small mule deer bucks showed up. Then a couple of fork horns, a three point western count, and a four by four. They waded right into the water and splashed around like kids. We were enjoying the show when a small herd of antelope topped the dam. They stood and stared at the water, the blind and the mule deer for several minutes before coming to water. There were several doe’s and small bucks. Steve was looking for a better buck. A blue heron flew in, the antelope spooked. The day was starting to heat up when Steve whispered he saw antelope coming from the right of the blind. Eleven doe’s followed by a great buck were coming to water. The doe’s came straight in, but the old buck stood back and watched. Once he decided all was ok, he ran to the tank. He was about twenty-five yards away with his head down drinking when Steve made his shot. His Horton Hunter Max bow delivered his arrow right behind the shoulder. The buck didn’t go far. Steve had his record book buck.

Day two started with another great meal and the ride out to the ranch. We crossed several small streams on the way that were lined with trees. We saw turkeys along most of the streams. We decided that we will be back to hunt turkeys. Dick’s blind over looked a large hay field. We could see for miles. The view reminded me of the plains of Africa, with herds of antelope everywhere. The rut was going strong, bucks chasing doe’s, bucks fighting bucks. Dick had hunted this blind the day before and had seen herds with smaller bucks. He had held out for a bigger buck. The same herds came and went at the water hole, we got great film. After several hours five doe’s and a nice buck made their way to the water. The buck kept the doe’s between him and our blind for several minutes. The buck moved around the tank and gave Dick a perfect twenty five yard shot. The arrow kicked up dust on the far side of the buck. He fell within forty yards; Dick had shot his record book antelope.

Now We Have A Bigger Problem

Day three was my day to hunt, but it started on the wrong foot. I had caught a bug that our friend Bill Troubridge from Excaliber Crossbows had brought from Canada. I didn’t get far from bed that day. The morning of day four, I still did not feel like hunting. Around noon Dick discovered he had left his quiver in the blind when he shot his antelope. We borrowed Larry’s truck to drive out to pick it up. As we were leaving, I threw my Horton Legend and the camera in the truck just in case. When we pulled up the ranch road to Dick’s blind about a mile out a lone buck was running to the water hole. Steve grabbed the camera and I grabbed by bow and one arrow. Dick drove off a short distance to watch the show. What a show it was! By the time we got in the blind, the buck was about one hundred yards out and still coming. I cocked the bow and loaded the arrow. Steve had the camera going. The buck drops his head to drink. I shot and the arrow misses the buck by a good foot over his back. He bolts out twenty yards and comes back to drink. Now we have a bigger problem, I had only taken one arrow to the blind. The buck puts his head in the tank and starts drinking. Steve remembered Dick’s quiver is in the blind. I find it, cock the bow, load the arrow, remove the arrow because it has a judo point, the second arrow has a filed point; the final arrow has a broad head. The buck is still drinking broadside at twenty yards. The shot was true. He fell within sight. Sometimes good things happen in spite of my screw up. My buck scored 776/8 inch the largest shot with a crossbow to this date.

Rafter B will not send you home when you fill your tags! Larry took us on a horse back ride into the Big Horns to fish for brook trout. What a day! We easily caught more than one hundred. This alone was worth the trip. Larry’s cook Buck, a true cowboy, also took us to the Little Big Horn battle field.

If you are looking for a great hunt, I highly recommend Rafter B. We are going back and taking friends.

You can contact Rafter B Outfitters at:
P.O. Box 99 Buffalo, WY  82834 
(307) 684-2793 or visit them on the web at: www.rafterbhunt.com