By Chad Waligura

On my latest quest to New Mexico to go after a really big antelope, I got set up with two guides that I really loved because they were as enthusiastic as I was about goat hunting.

I would be hunting during the special mobility impaired season that New Mexico offers and had been getting dangerously close to getting my trophy goat every year for the previous 6 years. Well, on the eve before my hunt, as we were scouting, right near last light before we were going to leave the area and head back to town, I spotted a doe about 400 yards out and stopped Roger (he and his fiance', Audrey, were my new guides) so I could get one last look. As I did, Roger saw this monster buck grazing 40 yards to her left. He was an amazing goat and we were speechless as we watched him.

The next morning, we were back at the same spot, of course, but he was nowhere to be seen. there was a nice 15 inch goat there but no way was I shooting. A mile away waited the giant buck that I called "Stovepipe" for obvious reasons, and we drove up on him about 5 minutes later.

He took off when he saw us following 2 does down a long fenceline. Unbelieveably, we kept following him slowly and got around him so he was between us and the fenceline that the does had gone under. He couldn't follow though, his rack was too big to get under the fence, and he didn't want to jump it. I got my shot and took it. It was the biggest thrill of my life to roll up on this magnificent animal. What a special trophy.

Species: Antelope Location of Hunt: New Mexico Outfitter: Trophy Ridge Outfitters Weapon: Ruger 6 mm Equipment: Steiner 12 X 42 binoculars, Alpen 15 X 45 spotting scope