Columnist Barb Henderson: Memories at the end of the rainbow

Barb Henderson

Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 | 8:57 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

Nevada hunters realize how difficult it can be to draw a Pronghorn Antelope tag. If you're successful in the draw for a rifle antelope tag, you will not be eligible to even apply for another antelope tag for five years.

Native to Nevada, antelope are unique critters. Both the male (buck) and female (doe) have horns. The buck has a black patch on each side of the neck and horns extend beyond the tips of the ears. An average weight for a buck would be 100-120 pounds, and the doe would average around 80-100 pounds.

These animals reach approximately three feet at the shoulder and have strong legs. They have a very large lung, heart, kidney and liver, which helps them run fast. They take in large amounts of air and can sustain high speeds for long distances. Extremely fast, antelope are able to reach speeds of 45 mph for long distances and in a burst of speed they can exceed that.

After many years of filling out a Nevada hunt application for an antelope tag, I was finally successful in 1999.

The experience started prior to the season, with several trips to the gun range to sight in my rifle. I wanted to be satisfied with my marksmanship skills. After several nice groups on the target and having spent several days out in the field scouting my hunt area, I felt mentally and physically ready.

Prior to opening day, my husband and I set up camp. Our canvas tent would be home for an entire week. I don't remember sleeping at all that first night. I found myself gazing out the window of the tent and occasionally glancing at my watch as time slowly crept by. The starlit sky made for the perfect atmosphere for waiting on opening day.

During the early morning hours, while it was still dark, we drove toward the location where I wanted to be come daybreak. My heart seem to beat harder and faster and I can remember wondering if I would survive until the break of dawn.

I guess you could say I had come down with a good ol' case of buck fever.

As daybreak lit the mountain peak, I used binoculars and spotted antelope way out in the flats. Later, another group of antelope ran through some trees at very close range. They offered an opportunity to try for a legal buck but I chose to wait -- after all, it was only the first day.

To make this long story short: Driving down dirt roads, stopping to glass, stocking and glassing some more were the routine for the next several days. I tried several attempts to stock a few nice bucks without results. During this time, I kept spotting one buck hanging around heavy sagebrush with some doe.

Toward the end of the final day, we headed back to where this buck had been and started glassing. I really can't remember when I had viewed so much sagebrush. Time was running out. After searching the area closely, the buck finally appeared in my lens.

This was it. I needed to make sure that I did everything right. There would be no room for error. Meanwhile, a severe thunderstorm had quickly moved into the area. With lightning snapping and thunder pounding (I'm still not sure if it was thunder or just my heart pounding) a beautiful double rainbow formed directly above.

Before we started making our way through the heavy sagebrush toward the buck, my husband calmly reminded me, "Take a deep breath and when you're ready, take your best shot.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to take a deep breath when you're hyperventilating?

My hunt had come to its end. I had harvested my first antelope buck.

Every time I go hunting, I gain more field experience, have more appreciation for our hunting heritage and collect lasting memories. The memories of that spectacular rainbow at the end of this particular hunt will remain with me forever.

I had found a pot of golden memories at the end of the rainbow.

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Until next week, enjoy the Great Outdoors.