{"id":116938,"date":"2020-08-30T13:06:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-30T17:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=116938"},"modified":"2025-12-29T05:47:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T11:47:29","slug":"hunt365-true-grit-hunters-2019-pronghorn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-true-grit-hunters-2019-pronghorn\/","title":{"rendered":"True Grit: Hunter’s 2019 Pronghorn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It wasn\u2019t great news, but it wasn\u2019t horrible. The crack ran horizontally along the head of the femur. Surgery would have to be done, but Dr. McNair was confident a trio of screws would do the trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is way better than it being a ligament or tendon,\u201d McNair told my fourteen-year-old son Hunter. \u201cFootball is out for sure as is basketball, but I\u2019m good at what I do, and I will have you ready for baseball. Crutches will be mandatory after surgery for three months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could see the tears well up in his eyes. Hunter is a tough kid but no football \u2014 his favorite sport in life \u2014 was a little hard for him to swallow. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he sat on the examining table staring blankly at the x-ray and MRI images as McNair explained the surgery. It would be scheduled for early August, which meant he would be on crutches for his first big game hunt of the season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGuess we have to sit in a ground blind and shoot my pronghorn that way,\u201d Hunter mumbled as he limped his way toward the parking lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunter hates ground blinds. Hunter hates to sit still. I didn\u2019t reply. I simply patted him on the back and helped him into the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The author’s son prepares for knee surgery. Three screws would be placed into the head of the femur to repair a horizontal crack in the bone. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Fast Healer<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can almost straighten the leg fully and the swelling has resided almost completely,\u201d McNair said during our two-week post-op appointment. \u201cThat\u2019s pretty damn good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love Dr. McNair. He is honest and confident in his abilities. He explained Hunter would still have to be on crutches for three months, but told him at eight weeks he would be 50 percent weight bearing on the leg. He also let him know he could start swimming and lifting his upper body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After just two weeks, Hunter’s swelling had gone down considerably and he was able to almost completely straighten his right leg.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hunter had a little pep in his step when we left the office that day. It was mid-August and the boy simply started hammering the second we got home. Side of lifting weights, which he loves to do, he started swimming with my wife three times a week. He was getting stronger and was able to move on his crutches at a much faster pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying True<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When McNair told Hunter at his six-week appointment that he could put 50 percent of his weight on his leg, I knew the ground blind was out. He was going to spot and stalk. I suggested he shoot my .270 Win.<\/a> Short Mag. to increase his effective range. He simply said, \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years ago, he\u2019d saved his pennies and purchased a Savage .243<\/a> Model 11. The gun came as a combo and was topped with a simple Nikon 3×9 variable scope. That year he killed his first pronghorn. The following season he dumped a pronghorn at 323 yards with the rifle as well as a beautiful eight-point whitetail at 264 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDad,\u201d he said with confidence in his voice. \u201cThis is my rifle and I want to kill my buck with it. We just need to spend some extra time at the range. I know the gun will perform at 400 yards, and I really believe even on crutches we can get that close. I just need to shoot more at longer distances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we did. For the next four weeks, Hunter sent lots of lead downrange. He kept his original sight-in \u2014 two inches high at 100 yards \u2014 but shot lots of rounds at 300 and 400 yards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"True
Leading up to the hunt, Hunter spent a lot of time on the bench. Knowing his mobility would be limited, he wanted to be able to reach out and touch some hair if he needed to. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Steady now! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Lofty Goal<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Days before the season, Hunter came to me after dinner with a goal he had set. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDad, I want to kill the booner,\u201d he told me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me back up a bit. We don\u2019t have many Boone & Crockett bucks that roam our little slice of the prairie. We knew of one. He was a giant I\u2019d glassed up during archery season but simply couldn\u2019t get on. I probably should\u2019ve hunted the buck harder, as he was the biggest buck I\u2019d ever seen in the area, but when a respectable buck watered 20 yards from my ground blind, I triggered my release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I explained to Hunter how lofty his goal was. I explained that we might not even find the buck. He didn\u2019t care. He simply said, \u201cWell, I\u2019ve worked really hard, and it\u2019s him or nothing at all. I will be just fine if I don\u2019t kill a buck. I just want to hunt him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it was a proud dad moment, but deep in my heart, I knew the chances of even finding the buck were slim. I hadn\u2019t seen him in weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holy Cow!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019d spent four hours driving and glassing. Quality optics are a must when hunting<\/a> the open prairies. We\u2019d park and pick areas apart slowly with our 12-power binos, then I\u2019d set up my spotting scope and comb each locale again. We found plenty of bucks, but not the one Hunter wanted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were talking about stopping and making lunch when I spied a lone doe in the distance. An all-alone-doe is rare during early October, so I pulled out the Nikon spotter and went to work. I turned up 18 more does \u2014 all bedded in the shade of tall sagebrush \u2014 then my glass locked on horns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was him. There was no doubt. His ebony tower looked too big for his body. The buck and his does were over three-quarters of a mile away and the cover between us and them was sparse. Our best plan was to stay patient behind our glass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of the next two hours, the buck ran his does hard. In addition to keeping an eye on the rutting activity, I also kept an eye on the outside temperature. It was hot. Knowing where the closest water was, I told Hunter our best plan of attack was to get between the herd and the water source. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The approach was long \u2014 two miles to be exact \u2014 but a deep drainage provided good cover. Occasionally, I would crawl to the top of the drainage and glass the herd. Other than the buck chasing does in a large circle, they didn’t move much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"True
Hunter covered two-miles on his crutches to earn a shot at his Colorado Boone & Crockett pronghorn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was just after 5 p.m. when I got Hunter settled on a small rise. We could see the herd over 600 yards away, but we\u2019d made a great move and put ourselves in a position to be successful. Hunter was tired but didn\u2019t complain once, even when we had to crawl a few hundred yards to reach his shooting perch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"True
Prone and ready, Hunter waits for the right opportunity to squeeze the trigger. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I got him prone, which I always recommend if possible, and used my backpack to support the rifle. He was dead steady. At 6:20 p.m., the buck started pushing his does right at us. It was clear they were headed to water. A few mouths were wide open, and the gate of the entire herd was steady. At 464 yards they veered off course a little. Hunter wanted to take a shot, but I advised him to stay patient. We\u2019d played every move perfectly. There was no reason to do something stupid now. Our patience paid off once again. The does turned and resumed their march in our direction. The buck stopped broadside at 223 yards and the rifle thundered. The wallop<\/em> of the bullet exploding the heart was clear, and after taking a few steps the giant tumbled to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"True
This Colorado buck unofficially scores an impressive 85-inches B&C.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hunter is usually pretty calm. Not this time. He sat up and fell into my arms yelling, \u201cDad, Dad, I love you so much. Thanks so much for taking me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a special moment to be sure, and one neither of us will ever forget. As a dad, I couldn\u2019t have been prouder. Hunter had overcome a lot and worked very, very hard. Not only on the hunt but in the weeks leading up to the hunt. It was a labor of love cleaning that buck and packing it off the prairie for my son. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"True
The sun had long traded places with the stars when the author and his son go their load of meat and horns back to the truck.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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There\u2019s nothing like spending time outdoors with your kids. If you remember nothing else from this story, that\u2019s fine with me, so long as you remember this last paragraph. Have a great season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional Photos<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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