hi I'm Mike in ranching and farming there are tons of traditions ask any
farmer or Rancher why they do something the way that they do it and you might
just get the answer because that's the way my dad or my granddad did it today
we take a look at one of the greatest traditions that we have here on the
ranch and that's having fun and enjoying what we have on our wyoming life
October is here and that means hunting season on the ranch pronghorn antelope
are up for grabs as we have invited about 20 different hunters to visit
throughout the entire month and try their hand at hunting them it's not
overly difficult although they can be elusive as Ron will tell you a honey
antelope can be a challenge whether its opening day or the fourth or
fifth day into the hunt I would say that the first couple days however it's a
little bit easier especially hunting on actual opening day the antelope aren't
too wise as to what we're doing out there for example this year we were able
to fill six tags on the first day at 4:00 on the second and as each day goes
on it gets a little more challenging they become wise to why we're out there
what we're doing and so we actually hunt instead of shoot but we are able to fill
our tags and enjoy ourselves at the same time as well as the challenge of the
hunt Ron is a part of our group of friends that we've met through ranching
from Sacramento California for the past few years they've been out
here to hunt but also to have fun
Here’s a story Of a couple ranchers
Who had a @##%load of antelope They need to get rid of them Before they eat the house and home
Heres a story Of some Californians Who really wanted somewhere to hunt
Looking for all the pronghorn Especially a trophy buck
So one day the hunters called the ranchers And now they seem to have found a home
And this group, became a family That’s the way we all became the hunter bunch
The hunter bunch The hunter bunch That’s the way we all became the hunter bunch
yeah you can go on YouTube right now and search for videos about hunting
pronghorn antelope and you'll find hundreds there are a lot of them but
very few will show the relationships that hunters build with ranchers just
like Aaron and I over the years of having some of the same hunters here on
the ranch we become like family and although we only spend a few days with
them when they arrive we feel like they're home and when they leave we miss
them when they're gone so we make the best of it and some days while they're
out hunting we're back home scheming all of my good friends know that we laugh we
joke and we have fun we rib on each other and if you give it you'd better be
able to take it to the first few days these guys were here I received a few
phone calls one saying that Justin fell in a hole and couldn't climb out of it
and the other advising me that we'd better call the game warden both pretty
good pranks fact they had me for a minute but not as good as what I have
planned hopefully this antelope decoy is used to
catch poachers it's on loan to me and we're gonna use it to catch the hunters
in what might be the most elaborately planned prank I've ever attempted
what makes this decoy great is that it's animatronic with a remote I can move its
head from side to side and that lands just a little bit of realism to the
whole thing my plan is to put it in the barn tie it
off to a stall and come up with some explanation for why I caught it and see
what their reaction is and what they think we should do with it
luckily it's a bit dark in here which might help them fall for it but not
right now because they're heading out hunting and they won't be back for a bit
so we get here it's ready to get ready to go we got a mount up on our quads and
then truck and everything and we go on out and we look around trying to find
where the antelope are out there and when we find them
then we'll maneuver ourselves around in a way that they're not too wise to us be
in there but we can get close enough that we can actually go for it and start
shooting once they do arrive back for the day it's time to start the story so
somebody might have to go get another buck tag not huge but stupid we know
that one right here in the barn in the barn he walked a peek at him okay you
can see him down there in that stall isn't that crazy
just wandered in no I guarantee you that's that stupid one well it's closed
now because I closed it was I closed it once he got in and then there's a rope
around his neck he's he really I roped him and he's John him he's tied off to
that fence there I'm surprised he hasn't like killed himself yet he doesn't yet
anybody want to go to town and get a buck tag and go and take him
and once the prank has pretty much run its course
then they can all meet their new mascot
that one question for you do you want us to come back next year what yes or no
yeah that's a good answer and when the hunters head out the next morning it's
on to our next activity winter is just around the corner
this week were forecast for 8 to 12 inches of snow and with both erin and i
rushing around to get ready for winter there's one more tradition a brand new
one that can't be ignored and that is the burning of the summer hat signifying
the return of winter and another season behind us now last year we burned it
this year let's step it up a notch with the help of our neighbor and friend Nick
this year it's gonna be Tanner right that disposes of the hat detonated by a
bullet this stuff is normally used to make long distance targets explode today
it's gonna take out a pumpkin and welcome winter here on the ranch
alright guys time for a moment of truth summer hat say goodbye to it as we
switch over to winter time here in Wyoming
if the Hat stays on the pumpkin it's a good way to bring on the snow one last
summer the last
there we go that is done for blackouts on and winters here soon all the fun is
over and it's time to break out the story yeah the third day and well that
was probably the funnest day of hunting I've ever had and didn't bag a damn
thing yeah I knew we work our butts off that day man it was that was done with
some exciting stuff tracking that that group of that's run out for three or
four hours hey we saw him walking down through the center of the field and
Justin kind of wrapped around and then we went up to the top of the hill yep
and he kind of wandered right towards us but he was a little too far for us well
he was infer pianist and that plan worked out because we wanted to cut him
off if we got in front of him and send him that way the work person we were
doing this to the fog and the snow strong strong winds man we had some
difficult show we have all four seasons Yoshii systems 82 degrees on the Tuesday
and one day we're in snow and works leaves in the next day were you know
Arctic parkas I mean it's Rinku and snowing if one might suggest it if we
blow they blow the Hat up with with some tannerite it was like oh this is going
to be so much fun
it's like yeah baby we get to have us some fun hair but he's got the time off
we're all set and then BAM it's here we get to see Aaron and Mike
and the kids are Wyoming family and then just like that it's gone but not forever
another year is just around the corner and our Wyoming life moves on tradition
comes in many forms maybe we sell cows and calves where we
do because that's where Gilbert always sold them we put up our own hay because
that's the way it's always been done around here but we also create our own
traditions too looking forward to continuing those traditions is what
helps keep me going the ranch itself is a big one and that's why I wouldn't
change it for the world can we make things better always but the
underlying message is still there and that's what matters
now last year when we burn the Hat we had a ton of comments asking why we did
it and I hope that now this makes it just a little bit clearer and for those
who thought that I should have given it away well I have a special treat for you
this hat which I bought before I went to Dallas is a carbon copy of the Hat that
we just blow up which is right here this one's in much better shape I would love
to be able to send this hat to you all you have to do is enter to win it check
out the description below for a link to get yourself in the running for this
practically brand-new Stetson straw hat the size is seven and a quarter if that
matters to you and I hope that you can wear it and get as much done in it as I
have the black hat is back on for winter and that means a
whole new season here on the ranch we're gonna be selling camp soon the one
paycheck per year soon we'll also be checking to see who
is pregnant and who's not and as winter continues we're gonna
begin feeding hay all that hay that we had to buy this year this cycle
continues and I hope you subscribe and continue to follow along with us as we
explore the ranch life and escape the ordinary join us on Tuesday as we
prepped Akal the project list once again this time probably in the snow that's
gonna be a lot of fun until next time have a great week and thanks for joining
us in our Wyoming life we want to question from him hi I'm ranching and
farming there are lots of you don't get this at home
Oh something alright you can keep that let's break it off