YORKTON - It was a night of awards for the Uhryn family as the Yorkton branch of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation handed out its annual hardware Friday.
An antelope scoring 80 0/8” taken during black powder season, earned Laura Uhryn a quartet of honours -- Ladies Big Game, Antelope, Black Powder and Overall Big Game, all with antelope measuring 80 0/8”.
The antelope would be in top-10 overall for antelope taken by a woman in the Henry Kelsey records, and among antelope taken by a woman with a muzzleloader it would be tied for fifth overall provincially.
Uhryn said the antelope hunt was sort of a dream outing, explaining the season for the species was actually closed for a few years because of concerns over the population.
In 2022 a season was held and Uhryn said, “it was lucky to pull an antelope tag.
With the much-coveted license in-hand Uhryn was ready to find an antelope.
“We went down to the southwest corner of Saskatchewan (Consul),” she said, adding she went during a time antelope were looking to mate making it easier to identify bucks as they were away from the herds.
Looking back Uhryn recognizes her antelope as pretty special.
“I wouldn’t say it was a dream hunt (that would be an Alaskan moose), but everybody wants to shoot one of everything,” she said, adding since antelope tags are sort of rare “it will be one of those once in a lifetime sort of things.”
The antelope was also sort of the icing on the cake in terms of a very good 2022 hunting season for Uhryn who also took a moose in the Rhein district, a mule deer from the Consul area and a whitetail deer she said she more or less shot “in my backyard.”
And then there was the success fishing too.
Uhryn took a 20-pound, three-ounce northern pike in Northern Manitoba. The big fish taken on a five of diamonds lure earned yet another SWF award.
Daughter Emily, age five, got in on the trophy haul capturing the Junior Walleye Award taken at Theodore Dam. The fish weight three pounds, six ounces.
Husband Jason Uhryn took home the Adult Walleye Award for a six pound, four ounce fish again taken in Northern Manitoba.
Laura Uhryn said as a family they love to be in the outdoors.
“If we can we’re either fishing, or hunting if the seasons allows,” she said.
