Pronghorn hunting?
 

I've never gone bowhunting for pronghorn antelope before but I really want to. I don't have a chance to travel out west this fall but next year I'm hoping to go hunting for them. Does anyone have any tips or anything about bowhunting for pronghorns?

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

I'll definitely be watching this thread because I'm interested in going out west next fall too....I'd be interested in using a outfitter if anyone has any suggestions on one...

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

all I know is that they stink of sage when you gut them, that is about it.

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

You can fix that. I've heard that all you do is before you cook them, you soak them in soda water for a few hours and it takes the sage taste right out of it.

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

I have killed a couple of antelope ( rifle ) and did not find that they "stink ". In fact I found the meat better than most claim. As for Bowhunting them you would need to find a good active watering hole, set up a blind and be prepared for long shots. Stalking them would be a definite challenge with a bow. Not impossible but not exactly easy.

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

The goat I shot last year was as good eatin' as any whitetail I've shot. I'm sure it depends on what they've been eating (and there was plenty of sage around where I shot him), but most of all, how much they've been running from hunters. I shot mine with a rifle, but if I were heading west to bowhunt for pronghorns, I know I'd definitely use a decoy (they even make them with drop down "windows" to shoot through) to draw a rut crazed buck into range. There in lies the tough part...range estimation. A rangefinder is out of the question once a buck comes storming in to run off the "intruder", and in that open country, what appears to be an easy 30 yd gimmee, can easily be a45ydclean miss. It'd sure be exciting, and would beat sitting in the sun by a watering hole in my opinion.

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

The fun part about spot and stalk hunting antelope, is that you're in the game all the time. In other words, the country they live in is wide open, so if you blow a stalk, do some glassing, spot the next target and get after it. You get to see animals from sun up to sun down. It's certainly not easy, but in my case, it was about the only option. A decoy will certainly work, if the rut is in full force. Here in CO., where I hunt, the rut was not really started yet. Several bucks still hanging together, very little chasing, and there was too much water to sit a water hole for days! We also tried fence crossings, which would work, but we needed to get our blinds up early in the season for them to get used to them, BUT we didn't, so they didn't work. Anyways, my buddy and I both scored a day apart. We didn't gut either one, in simply de-boned the antelope shortly after the kill. Antelope are good eating, or at least the ones that I have ate.

This first pic. is mine, notice the knee pads and the white things are my home made elbow/arm/wrist pads. There is cactus about every where, so if you're going to spot and stalk, ya better have protection from cactus.
I got mine from a herd of nine late in the evening as they fed. The second pic. is my buddy's. He got his mid afternoon from a herd of 6 bucks.

It's a blast. You see animals all day. BUT it wasn't/isn't easy. We walked many miles each day! It's usually hot, and the hunt will test ya. I highly recommend trying it though!!

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

Howler....I can appreciate those kneepads/shin guards. I'm sure they cut down on the time it takes to pick out all the cactus thorns after a stalk!

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

Sounds fun. I plan on spot and stalk hunting. I just find stalking game is more interesting than sitting in a blind all day. I don't mind if it's a hard and a challenge. I find the harder the hunt is the better it is because once you do get what you're after it'll be much more relieving. That's why I never hunt big game with a rifle and never hunt turkeys with shotguns or rifles. I use my bow for everything that I can because I just love it when it's more of a challenge. Like my dad always says "Hunting with rifles is as fun as going out and shooting cows". Same goes for me.

RE: Pronghorn hunting?
 

I went west for the first time this year to bowhunt pronghorns. In Montana you can get over the counter tags for archery antelope, you just need to buy it by June 1st ( I think that is the date, if not I am close to it). First let me say I did not get a pronghorn, but I did get to within 50 yards of a buck and I loved my entire time out there. It was a definite learning experience as I have never before done any spot and stalk hunting. The first day I did not get within 400 yards as they kept spotting me, but then you start to learn to use the terrain to your advantage and slow down a bit. I did have a decoy and call with me and once I was about 100 yards from a herd of them and set the decoy and blew on the call, the buck in the group blew right back at me! This continued for about a minute before he rounded up his harem and took off.

You definetely need knee pads and thick heavy gloves for the crawling and you will still get some thorns in you. Without the pads and gloves if would have been impossible. The decoy in my opinion made crawling easier as i just put my bow on top of the decoy and pushed it along as i crawled. You will also need good optics. If you do not bring good binos then do not even bother going, they were essential, it is amazing with all the open country that you would think you could easily spot animals, but you cannot with the naked eye most of the time. Only when you start glassing do you start to see them. Also, bring a lot of water on your stalks. I had to call one off after a couple of hours as I was far from camp and out of water. Good footwear is critical also as you will be walking a long ways.