Jim MonteleoneLightning Strikes Again

The old adage that lightning never strikes twice in the same place might be true in most cases, but not so in Wyoming. The latest event in the odyssey of adventures for the Monteleone brothers is another story for the books.

   The season of 2007 was eventful in most ways because of the success we found in New Mexico. I tagged an enormous 5X5 bull and my brother executed a terrific shot (almost fifty yards) on a big 6X6 bull. I went on the take a Texas buck that qualified for the “Big Buck Club”. With a freezer full of elk and many fresh memories our minds turned to the next steps in fulfilling our outdoor quests in 2008. You read recently about our trip into the Selway Bitterroot region of Idaho. That trip culminated with two true trophy black bears being taken in the last hours of the last day of the hunt . The drama of that outing  would only set the stage for the next trip which takes us into the eastern third of the great state of Wyoming.

    I got a call from Cody’s Hunting Adventures and Bobby Wieczorek. He landed hunting rights on a ranch that was sixty thousand acres of prime mule deer and pronghorn antelope territory. I had met both Bobby and Andre Galenda, a well respected guide and taxidermist, at some of the outdoor shows and events that I attended. To say that he was “excited” about the potential for the taking of trophy animals is an understatement. Wyoming is the absolute epicenter of pronghorn hunting. The mule deer hunting can be, in some areas, as good as any part of the Western United States. I made a quick call to my brother and as always his response was, “I am up for anything you want to do!” This all came about with less than two months before the hunt.

   The countdown began and Monty started his planning by researching his purchase of a rifle that would satisfy the long distance shooting and knockdown power needed for our primary target, the mule deer. He settled on a T/C Pro-Hunter like mine in the 300 Winchester Magnum. His passion for ballistics and optimum bullet weights lead him to the Hornady 165 grain ballistic tipped SST Interlock. When the time came for testing the loads with our rifles we found that his recommendations were “right on target”. We ranged both guns in at two inches high at 100 yards. That made 200 yards our zero holdover with a seven inch drop at three hundred yards and twenty one inch drop at 400 yards. Should the opportunity to shoot occur at 500 yards we would face a 42 inch drop. Wind compensation is a factor at any point beyond 200 yards.

   We arrived in Wyoming a half day early and knew of a strong weather front moving in so I called the guides with the intention of starting the hunt that afternoon. Outfitters  Paul and James Cody along with guide Andre Galenda and videographer Brian Dusenbury came to our hotel and we handled the introductions, packed up our gear and headed out. We arrived at the ranch and began the task of glassing the flats, draws, cottonwood bottoms and ridges for signs of deer or antelope. The scenery, for those unfamiliar with this area, is amazing. Vast prairie and grasslands stretch out beyond the horizon and the terrain is broken only by some changes in geographic features. In all my travels I can say the presence of game, primarily antelope, was beyond description. To see herds of twenty to thirty animals or more is the norm. To witness their grace and sheer speed is something special in itself. The excitement and anticipation at seeing this many animals has the first time pronghorn hunter swiveling in his seat. It is the proverbial “kid in the candy store” feeling.

   We drove the trucks to an elevated plateau and spotted a herd of two dozen “goats”. (The pronghorn has numerous nicknames like “prairie goat”, “speed goat”, “prairie rocket” and others). There were two exceptional animals and despite the claim that we should get our mule deer first, these animals could not be ignored. James Cody took my brother and Brian on a stalk that began with a  500 yard sneak. From our position we could see them as they made their way to a small grove of trees midway up a hill. Their set up offered a 350-400 yard shot. The antelope were still in the last stages of the rut with bucks chasing off competitors and trailing does. The chess game went on for 45 minutes before the dominant goat chased off two mature animals and began to herd his harem to a ridge parallel to the hunting parties position. The drama ended with a 175 yard shot that dropped the big antelope literally in his tracks.

   When they arrived at their vehicle we took a couple of minutes for a picture session and headed to another part of the ranch. Within twenty five minutes we watching three small groups of mule deer. The center group which was about three quarters of a mile away and had two very tall racked bucks.  One was a  good 5X5 with solid mass and one was a very wide 4X4. We discussed the possibility of “putting on a stalk”. Despite the doubts about successfully closing the distance on the wary mule deer in open country Paul decided it was worth a try. His statement, which now reverberates in my mind, was “Nothing is impossible”.

   We had to reach the creek bottoms lined with cottonwoods and work our way about 600 yards to a rise overlooking the meadow. James took the lead and followed a pair of game trails that brought us to the edge of the field. He had us go on hands and knees, crawling the last hundred yards to keep a low profile. We stopped in prairie grass that was about twenty inches tall. I laid down in one trail on the right and Monty laid in the other. I lowered the legs on my bi-pod and Monty followed suite. I scanned the hill to see several deer bedded about three quarters of the way up an elevated grassy slope. I locked onto the tall 5X5 mule deer with a good spread and heavy mass. He was broadside and ranged by James at 294 yards. The guides/outfitters had asked us what our effective shooting range was on the ride over. I had responded that I could shoot past three hundred yards if necessary but that a strong cross-wind would decrease the range to less than 300. Monty, a former S.W.A.T. member was lethal to 400 yards.

   The next order of business was to get my brother visually anchored on a good buck from the same group. There was a moderate cross wind and we were laying in the prairie grass which inhibited our view of the field. Brian the video-grapher and James could see the wide 4X4 bedded to the far left. They guided my brothers line of sight to general area where  the other bucks were bedded. With the tall grass and overcast skies it was difficult to orchestrate the shot on a second deer. It was decided that I would take the first shot and then see what might be offered as a follow up shot.

   I knew my ballistics would result in a 6 and 3/4  inch drop at three hundred yards. I steadied the cross hairs just sightly above the back of the buck with the intentions of dropping the round into the lung area. The tough part was the location of the deer with his body partially obscured by the steep rise in the elevation of the field. I could see he was bedded and laying down facing my left. About fifty percent of the deer’s body was visible from my position. I trusted my gun because of the range time we had spent just two days earlier. I made a fist and secured my left arm under the right while resting the stock across my forearm. I held my best prone position and felt confident of my ability to execute the shot. I asked the cameraman if he was “on the deer”. When he said “Yes”, I settled the cross hairs once more slightly over the back of the buck. I remember everything becoming quiet and consciously began the squeezing of the trigger. I heard the blast of the  rifle and just after that the round found it’s mark with an audible “ thud”. The other deer stood and I saw a group of three with the wide buck on the right and said to my brother “He’s on the far right”. He fired and dropped a mulie buck that was obscured from my vision. My buck had dropped into the long grass. It wasn’t until we retold our stories that I realized another buck was bedded to my extreme right. I could not see him from my position and my brother swung on him when I called “Far right” and he dropped him with a well-placed shot at just over 300 yards. 

   The guides were ecstatic that we had made some difficult shots look easy. Many of their clients are not compelled, or in some cases capable of taking shots past 150 yards. Compliments were flowing and the hand shakes were being offered from every direction as we worked up the hill. Just before we reached the first deer a group of about twenty pronghorn raced up to the crest of the hill  from our right. I instinctively raised my rifle and the Paul Cody said,”Shoot the last one if he stops, he’s a good buck”. Like he was on command, the last goat, a mature animal with heavy horns and good “cutters” slowed as they crested the hill. My cross hairs were on him as he slowed and I touched off the round and watched as the “afterburners” propelled him parallel to our position. He drove hard for about forty yards disappeared into the tall grass. After another round of whopping and hollering we walked to the pronghorn and then to our respective mule deer bucks. Once again lightning had struck as we closed the deal with three animals in the space of about four minutes. Under the pewter colored clouds that filled the Wyoming sky, we were witnesses and beneficiaries of my signature closing...

Good Hunting and Great Memories

If you have the desire to hunt the territory that was carved out of the old west and your goals are trophy animals (Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope or Merriam Turkey) contact the outfitters at Cody’s Hunting Adventures. Paul and James Cody are two of the most seasoned and accomplished spotters I have ever seen. I call them the “Human Spotting Scopes”. They saw things with naked eye that I could only detect with 10X power binoculars. They and their guides (Bob, Andre and Brian) all work well in advance of your arrival to find and pattern game animals of the quality that hunters covet. Your hunting money and time are both well spent with Cody’s. You can reach them at the following numbers:

Bob Wieczorek (919) 762-9592

Paul Cody (307) 464-6681 or

Andre Galenda (716) 866-9795

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