
Brotherhood Outdoors Videographer Hunts Antelope in South Dakota
by Kurt Beckstrom
It was hot mid-September day in 2021 when, somewhere within the 2.3 million acres of rolling hills and natural prairie that make up the Standing Rock Indian Reservation spanning the North and South Dakota borders, hunter Jamieson Crast fulfilled a long-held dream to harvest his first pronghorn.
Crast, owner of Reckoning Studios and a new resident of Gillette, Wyoming, is the long-time videographer for the Union Sportsman’s Alliance’s popular Brotherhood Outdoors series and typically remains behind the camera. On this trip, the tables were turned as Crast became the featured hunter for an episode.
“What impressed me right away was the sheer number of animals there,” he said. “Pronghorns and deer were everywhere, and small game and non-game species were plentiful.”
Crast and guide Luke Lopez of Black Horse Outfitters cruise and glass, looking for a suitable buck during the peak of the rut. “They were laser focused on tending their does and running off other bucks. It was awesome,” said Crast.
“You feel kind of like a kid in a candy store trying to figure out which buck to take; then when you do, it’s a lot harder than you’d think,” he continued. “The terrain is very flat with just a little bit of sage brush to use to cover your stalk. Getting to within 400 yards of an animal is a challenge.”
When they find a trophy buck, a half-mile stalk puts Crast within range. “My first shot was a hit,” he said, “but it wasn’t good enough to knock him down.” Which meant they had to regroup and try again.
“Luckily, that buck had four or five does and just wouldn’t leave them,” the hunter explained “and that allowed us to make another move on him.”
Using a shallow draw for cover, Crast hiked another half-mile to close the distance to just more than 400 yards. A second shot from the 6.5-.284 Norma—custom built for long-range shooting—wrapped up Crast’s “Goat Ropin’” adventure.
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Presented by ULLICO, Brotherhood Outdoors is also sponsored by the following unions, contractors and corporate partners: Carhartt; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; National Electrical Contractors Association; Thorogood; and United Association/International Training Fund’s Veterans in Piping Program.