Pronghorn Hunting Locations??
08-23-2006, 11:32 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,395
RE: Pronghorn Hunting Locations??
I would look at Wyoming & Montana. Do a search in both states for public land & draw odds? There are tons of antelope on public land. Save the money you would spend on an outfitter. You just don't need an outfitter to hunt antelope.
08-24-2006, 08:02 AM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 6,357
RE: Pronghorn Hunting Locations??
Wyoming has the most pronghorn. In many cases outfitters lease the land with the best chances of producing trophy quality antelope. It is also quite likely that trophy quality antelope are in units with low draw probabilities.
If you are NOT a trophy hunter, you should consider a do-it-yourself hunt. A successful do-it-yourself hunt is readily achievable by even a first time pronghorn hunter. When selecting a unit to apply for you will want to consider the odds of getting drawn, the abundance of pronghorn, and the access to hunting ground in the subject unit. Unit 23 near Gillette has an abundance of pronghorn, has high drawing probabilities (100% in 2004), and has good access to hunting ground. You can hunt on the large Thunderbasin National Grassland SE of Gillette or you can arrange to pay a modest trespass fee to a rancher to hunt on his ranch. Contact the Buffalo field office of the Wyoming department of fish and game to get a list of ranchers who accept trespass fees. The horns in unit 23 are NOT trophy sized, generally.
Success ratios for pronghorn hunts in Wyoming are about 90%, so you will almost certainly bag an animal. Have a plan ready in advance for caring for your meat. Many people recommend getting the animal field dressed, skinned, and cut-up very quickly. I have heard some suggest carrying a couple of bags of ice in an ice chest and then stuffing the ice into the open body cavity of the pronghorn to do a quick cool down as you transport the carcass to either the processors or some place where you will cut up the meat.
Use good binoculars to locate the animals. Unlike deer and elk, the pronghorn stand right out in the open. No need to be there at the crack of dawn. Mosy out about 9:30 AM after a leisurly breakfast: the pronghorn will be there in the open when you get there. Find the animal you want and approach it by stealth. Just about any flat shooting rifle will do the trick -- .243, .25-06, .270, 7 mm Remington Magnum, .30-06, .300 Winchester Magnum, and others.
If you are NOT a trophy hunter, you should consider a do-it-yourself hunt. A successful do-it-yourself hunt is readily achievable by even a first time pronghorn hunter. When selecting a unit to apply for you will want to consider the odds of getting drawn, the abundance of pronghorn, and the access to hunting ground in the subject unit. Unit 23 near Gillette has an abundance of pronghorn, has high drawing probabilities (100% in 2004), and has good access to hunting ground. You can hunt on the large Thunderbasin National Grassland SE of Gillette or you can arrange to pay a modest trespass fee to a rancher to hunt on his ranch. Contact the Buffalo field office of the Wyoming department of fish and game to get a list of ranchers who accept trespass fees. The horns in unit 23 are NOT trophy sized, generally.
Success ratios for pronghorn hunts in Wyoming are about 90%, so you will almost certainly bag an animal. Have a plan ready in advance for caring for your meat. Many people recommend getting the animal field dressed, skinned, and cut-up very quickly. I have heard some suggest carrying a couple of bags of ice in an ice chest and then stuffing the ice into the open body cavity of the pronghorn to do a quick cool down as you transport the carcass to either the processors or some place where you will cut up the meat.
Use good binoculars to locate the animals. Unlike deer and elk, the pronghorn stand right out in the open. No need to be there at the crack of dawn. Mosy out about 9:30 AM after a leisurly breakfast: the pronghorn will be there in the open when you get there. Find the animal you want and approach it by stealth. Just about any flat shooting rifle will do the trick -- .243, .25-06, .270, 7 mm Remington Magnum, .30-06, .300 Winchester Magnum, and others.
08-24-2006, 11:40 AM
#4
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,429
RE: Pronghorn Hunting Locations??
Alastian gave you good advice. I'm doing that very thing this oct though I'm in unit 30. check back with me towards the end of oct. and I will give you the details and our results. If you want a trophy sized goat then we're talking a whole other ballgame. Your best chance at a trophy is in either New Mexico or Arizona but draw odds are very low.
08-24-2006, 03:22 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Spicer, MN
Posts: 128
RE: Pronghorn Hunting Locations??
i am going out to western north dakota next week to some bowhunting for antelope. we are hunting some private land in central dakota and about five to ten miles from montana. there are six of us going out there and we are hoping to have some good luck hunting out of blinds over the water holes. i dont know if you are a bowhunter or not, but i will post my results when i get back.
08-24-2006, 04:22 PM
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 3,465
RE: Pronghorn Hunting Locations??
I don't know if this is smart or not...but i was originally planning on killing a good sized buck that would make a fine mount, doesn't have to be huge, just respectable. Any tips on where my best odds would be on bagging a buck like this? Thanks for all the input
08-24-2006, 04:58 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: WV
Posts: 4,485
RE: Pronghorn Hunting Locations??
you can find good, respectable, (beautiful) bucks on public land (or very easily accessed private land) in both MT and WY. The farther you get back from the crowds (may require some shoe leather as opposed to just riding around) the better the bucks are generally.
