Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Articles
Hunting Preparations That Help Insure Post-Kill Success
Typical hunters spend months in preparation for that moment when a coveted big game animal is in their sights. Many of these same hunters, however, give little thought to what they will need to do after they have killed a dream animal. That's unfortunate, because what happens after the kill can determine whether a hunt becomes a cherished lifetime memory or a recurring nightmare. The list of potential problems that can occur after an animal is down is nearly limitless.
Retrieving Game
Thank goodness for snow and a downhill pull! Effortlessly tugging the rope, my toboggan slid as though it were self-propelled. Ankle-deep, the powdery white stuff was a blessing. Fortuitous indeed, I'd brought my sled and it's a good thing. Not long before, I'd been hiding in my blind. Overcast skies kept things dark for a few minutes longer than usual. As daylight finally illuminated my surroundings I heard the welcome sounds of a buck grunting in the trees nearby. This would be my last deer hunt of the season. I'd decided to take the first deer that presented a shot.
Rut Hunting for Pronghorn Antelope
We watched for several minutes as the buck raked his horns against the bush. He snorted and thrashed and was obviously in full rut mode. He would occasionally step back for a break then walk stiff legged toward the bush again, waving his head back and forth before launching his renewed assault.
When Women Hunt
Sophisticates call them the fairer sex. In so many ways this is truer than most of us guys care to admit. Pride aside, I must concede. Historically dominated by men, hunting is an activity now seeing more women entering the ranks than ever before. Few men will say it, but I've witnessed it firsthand. Many women are more patient, less excitable, and yes, sometimes they even shoot better!
Do You Know Your Tracks?
Every game animal leaves its mark; imprints in soft soil, sand or snow. These calling cards reveal a historical presence. New or old, they can be read like a book. Learn to recognize them and you can glean a great deal about the game you're hunting. With practice we cannot only learn to identify the type, size, and sometimes sex of the animal, but also their direction of travel and how old the track is.
Nonresident's Guide to Western Hunting
A not-so concise look at the opportunities available to those who have decided to come out West for an elk, deer or antelope hunt and don't know where to start. This won't address bighorn sheep, mountain goats, or moose as those are typically once-in-a-lifetime hunts. This is also designed for DIY hunters, not for those looking for private land or outfitted hunts, as there are various other aspects regarding transferable tags that could also be addressed.
How to Accurately Judge Target Distance
A gentle breeze lazily wafted the tall blades of fescue to and fro across my field of view. Muscles tensed and eyes straining to focus on my target, I was confident I could make the shot. What bothered me was my less-than-perfect ability to accurately judge the long-range distances. I was certain the pronghorn was over 200 yards but just how much further was unknown. In my opinion, antelope are one of the most difficult animals to shoot at; not because they're particularly elusive, but due to their size and where they live. Wide open spaces and a relatively small target can make for deceptive shooting.
Field Judging Pronghorns
Pronghorn antelope can be difficult to judge on the hoof. I was reminded of this on a recent antelope hunt in Wyoming. Three younger bucks and one mature buck mingled with the group of a dozen does near a waterhole. My wife, Heather, and I had looked at so many that we were beginning to question our judgement... they were all beginning to look similar. I had to force myself to carefully analyze subtle features.
Judging Distance
Accurately judging distance is the first step toward proper shot placement. Instinctive or calculated, bowhunters rely on it for close range shooting. Gun hunters count on their ability to estimate longer distances. Over time we all learn our own tricks for calculating distance but with the advent of laser rangefinders many of us won't leave home without them. Regardless of how you go about it, determining yardage can make or break your hunt.
Communicating with Big Game
Minutes after climbing into my stand I began my calling and rattling sequence. First grunting, then working the antlers, I stared down at the mock scrape I'd been religiously anointing with doe-estrus scent for the previous two weeks. I hadn't even finished my first round of clashing antlers together when I saw a nice buck run in from the heaviest cover. In a magnificent display of dominance all four feet were planted firmly in the center of my scrape as he swung his head back and forth in defiance! My efforts to communicate had sent this buck a clear message and he responded on cue.
Pronghorn: The Perfect Beginners' Big Game Animal
Imagine you were given the assignment of designing a perfect big game hunt for novice hunters. Your objective would be to make the hunt fun and exciting so the new hunter would come away with a lifelong love of hunting and the outdoors. It would be great if the hunt had some exotic appeal, something a little out of the ordinary so the new hunter wants to keep coming back for more. A high probability of success would be essential. No matter their age, beginning hunters don't want to wait several years to harvest an animal.
Call Them, and They Will Come
Nose to the ground, the buck grunted feverishly. Scouring the woods for a doe in estrus, he was on a mission! Easing the can call from my pocket I gently rolled it over. Emulating a doe bleat, I hoped to attract the giant buck and then halt him long enough for a bow shot. At first it looked like he'd skirt my stand outside of bow range. But then, at the sound of my call, his head snapped to attention and he plodded straight toward me!
The Scoring Game
What is it about antler mass that gets hunters so worked up? I've gotta admit, I too fall victim to the bottom line score now and again. So prominent is the numbers game that it frequently defines our hunting success.
Antelope Hunting - Start to Finish
Pronghorn hunting is something every big game enthusiast should experience. From the wide-open grasslands they call home to their unique defense mechanisms, antelope present hunters with an appealing set of challenges seldom seen with other big game species. From securing a tag to planning your trip, getting out in the field, locating bucks and closing the deal, antelope hunting is an experience unto itself. If you've never tried it before, its time you started planning your own pronghorn adventure.
Planning Your First Western Hunt
The rangefinder read 202 yards. That was far longer than any shot this Kentucky boy had ever taken at an animal, but it was a shot that I had practiced routinely in the weeks leading up to this hunt. I slowly slipped into a sitting position and rested my Sako .308 across the shooting sticks. As I steadied the crosshairs of the Simmons scope just behind the front shoulder, I took a deep breath to settle my nerves. With the bark of the Sako, I watched as my first Wyoming antelope fell in his tracks.
Scent Detection - How Does it Work?
Have you ever experienced sitting absolutely still in the woods when a nice buck starts your way and suddenly he stops, sniffs the air, then stamps his feet and the next thing you see is the white flag bounding at hyper speed in the opposite direction? Alternatively, after miles of hiking and climbing, did you spy a trophy bull elk and after crawling through the briars and bushes for what seemed eternity, to see it simply disappear when you poked your head out of the scrub? What happened?
Welcome to Hell
I felt like a pincushion. Countless grueling stalks on hands and knees over a carpet of cactus, around boulder after crude boulder, and through a spirited tract of unmerciful landscape, had left my body in a state of agony. Two weeks prior I had pursued elk for four days in mountainous terrain – topography only fit for a mountain goat – yet on this day my lungs begged for mercy, my clothes sagged – saturated with perspiration – and my oxygen starved muscles screamed bloody blue murder.
Bowhunting for Prairie Goats
Somewhat vulnerable, I found myself crouching behind the silhouette of a young pronghorn buck. It can be a lonely feeling amid a vast expanse of prairie grassland, knowing full well, you're sticking out like a proverbial sore thumb. Somehow the mind-over-matter trick just doesn't cut it when all 175 lbs. of camo-clad hunter desperately attempts to convince himself he's part of the landscape.
Antelope Hunting: A Practical Primer
Pronghorn hunting presents unique challenges to the big game hunter. A pronghorn antelope can attain speeds of 70 mph and cruise at 30 mph for long distances. Their eyesight is phenomenal and compares to a human using 8X binoculars. In this primer, Judd walks through the basics you need to consider when hunting these speedsters of North America's semi-arid terrains.