Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 840 yard Prairie Goat

Bought a tag on a FANTASTIC ranch in northern New Mexico just east of De Moines; the Triangle Cattle Ranch. 35,000 acres of long range heaven.

Many opportunities including right out of the truck 15 minutes into the hunt the first evening. Probably the biggest one I saw, but I just couldn't do it. Never saw a bigger 'lope until today. Fog set in in the morning and made things difficult. It would break now and then and allow me to glass.

Saw a really nice buck at at least 1 1/2 miles and immediately got out of the truck and geared up for a stalk. Really tough flat ground here with little terrain to use as cover. Straight up a mountain. Prone shots were tough to find with the grass so high a bipod was marginal. Ranging animals was tough. The Geovids had a tough time getting readings with the flat terrain. Broke out the Vectronix Terrapin and was glad to have it.

Stalked as close as possible. It was 822 yards according to the range finder. Found a spot to go prone, dialed and held wind. Saw big time mirage even though the wind felt light. Figured full value and held a tad less which was 3/4 mil.

Missed

I'm sure I held too much and had a complete miss. Thought I may have misranged them but The goats really weren't spooked but slowly moved over the hill. Pursued them and bumped them 3 more times even though I got within 400 yards. Couldn't get a rest worth [bleep] and they'd move off. I gave up after I pushed them out of the country.

Decided to work back toward the truck and saw a little guy come over the mountain. Cut him off and watched him from the top of a ridge at 200 yards for some time. Glassed everything beneath me and around.

Target-rich environment

Decided to try moving in on a bedded buck about a mile away. Walked to a fence line by a windmill and dirt tank. Figured I could at least set up prone on the dirt tank up out of the weeds for a shot. Got there and did so.

Glassed him. He was about the size we'd been seeing.

Ranged him at 840. He was facing me and not broadside. Got a really nice rest. Ignored the slight wind, which you can do if you shoot the 230 Berger OTM out of your Win Mag.

He folded




See the windmill? Shot him from there....





Great hunt with more pictures to come.