Seated around that fire were two hunters—Harold Evans of Lander, Wyoming and Hank Dahl of Golden, Colorado. The two men, along with their companions, had finished a hard day of hunting and were letting their dinners settle before turning in for the night. As much western talk goes, the conversation finally came around to the pioneers, who crossed this wild desert and mountain country a century bef
ore. The talk turned to the difficulty of hunting in those early days, with the old muzzle loading rifles, where only one shot was possible before the game would disappear from sight. Thoughts of the Indians, hunting with bow and arrow, conjured a mental picture of the same predicament. Harold Evans and Hank Dahl thus challenged each other to such a hunt, choosing the wily, swift antelope as the game to kill with one bullet. The two men talked more of their idea and when the hunting trip was over, Harold Evans went back to his home in Lander, where he formed a committee, and by the fall of 1940, the Lander One Shot Antelope Hunt became a reality. The first “One Shot Antelope Hunt” took place on Labor Day weekend, 1940, in the Lander area and consisted of only two teams, Wyoming and Colorado. Each team had five members scoring three harvests against the Wyoming team members’ one harvest. In 1941 there were three teams, one team represented Colorado, another Texas, and one for Wyoming. The hunt was suspended from 1942 through 1945 due to World War II, but resumed in 1946 and has been a much anticipated annual event since that time. Since the first hunt in 1940, the One Shot has become world renowned and has been the spawning ground for several other similar events in the both North America and Africa. Hunt rules are basically the same as they were in 1940. Changes enacted by the board of directors are designed to further the basic purpose of the hunt. That purpose is to promote the ideals of good sportsmanship and game conservation. Much emphasis is placed on comradeship, ability in the field and accuracy with a big game rifle. Teams from practically every state in the union have participated at one time or another. Other teams made up of entertainers, diplomats, foreign dignitaries, businessmen, astronauts and cosmonauts have taken part in the event. While it was not the practice in the early days of the hunt, the governors of the respective starts are now required to serve as the captains of their teams. Teams are selected to participate on the basis of challenges issued either to the One Shot Antelope Hunt Club’s board of directors or through the Governor of Wyoming. Three teams are automatic entries in each year’s hunt: a Wyoming team, a Colorado team and a team sponsored by the Past Shooters Club (but not consisting of Past Shooters). Qualifications for challenges may be obtained from the One Shot Antelope Hunt Club.
