Unit 29 Antelope Scouting

muleybeast · Jul 2, 2022

I was able to get out and do a little scouting for my August Unit 29 Muzzy Antelope hunt. Beautiful day and even more beautiful country. Saw 25 Pronghorn and 18 of those were bucks. Got a few pics. Two real studs. Hope you enjoy.

Servehim · Jul 4, 2022

You got my tag !!!! Have a blast, make memories.

nmhntr · Jul 4, 2022

Nice job! Did you happen to see any deer? I have a leftover archery deer hunt in 29

twdjr · Jul 4, 2022

Nice looking antelope’s.

muleybeast · Jul 4, 2022

nmhntr said:
Nice job! Did you happen to see any deer? I have a leftover archery deer hunt in 29

I didn’t see any deer. I was mostly in super flat antelope country. Most of the deer are near the benches and broken country closer to escarpment and even Alamo mountain.

I’ll be back out next week. If I see any I’ll keep you posted.

NMPaul · Jul 5, 2022

They are few and far between out there, but, there are some slammers.

SWHunter · Jul 8, 2022

A guy I know used to talk about the big herds of mule deer and antelope out in the desert along 506. He claims they have dwindled to rare sightings.....what gives? ?

NMPaul · Jul 8, 2022

There have been some pretty lean years out there, lots of tags, coyotes, etc...

TXraider · May 26, 2024

Drew the unit 29 muzzleloader tag, which is in september now. How was your hunt? not looking for honey holes but its a huge unit, maybe some pointers or a success story/photo? Your scouting photos make it seem like a great unit

yotebuster17 · May 26, 2024

TXraider said:
Drew the unit 29 muzzleloader tag, which is in september now. How was your hunt? not looking for honey holes but its a huge unit, maybe some pointers or a success story/photo? Your scouting photos make it seem like a great unit

I think 29 is one of the best units in the country for big antelope. No real trick or honey hole for antelope other then knowing what a big one looks like and more importantly what a big one doesn’t look like.

SWHunter · May 27, 2024

TXraider said:
Drew the unit 29 muzzleloader tag, which is in september now. How was your hunt? not looking for honey holes but its a huge unit, maybe some pointers or a success story/photo? Your scouting photos make it seem like a great unit

We always seemed to run into the antelope while riding around after morning deer hunts. Cover enough country and you’ll find a group. Send a pm if you want to talk specifics.

Treefiddy · May 27, 2024

I pass just south of there on highway 62 in TX twice a month and I see good groups of antelope very often. I had thought about putting in for that tag for that reason but I don't even have a muzzleloader. I imagine it's probably hard to hunt those with a bow?

muleybeast · May 27, 2024

There a ton of really nice bucks in there. I really like the south eastern portion that easier to access from El Paso

We have gotten into many bucks every time we hunt it. It is the best Antelope hunt in my humble opinion. You will see 20-30 really nice bucks in a day b

TXraider · Jun 18, 2024

thanks for all the messages guys. Gotten lucky with a unit 33 rifle antelope and now this tag. Paid for it with no elk draws in 4 years. Should get down and do some scouting in august and hopefully successful in september

kraymondf · Sep 17, 2024

TXraider said:
thanks for all the messages guys. Gotten lucky with a unit 33 rifle antelope and now this tag. Paid for it with no elk draws in 4 years. Should get down and do some scouting in august and hopefully successful in september

How did the hunt go? My son has a deer tag coming up down there. You see any bucks? He isn't picky, would be his first deer.

TXraider · Sep 17, 2024

kraymondf said:
How did the hunt go? My son has a deer tag coming up down there. You see any bucks? He isn't picky, would be his first deer.

ive hunted 33 for mule deer twice, once with archery in sep and one rifle in november. Though I have yet to kill a buck I have seen them.

Not going to blow out any spots but heres some general advice

Scout at least 1 day prior if not two. The bucks get pressured from the road hunters very quickly, saw 4 decent bucks a day before season then didnt see any of those during season. All the bucks I saw except one were with does, which generally get up and move sooner and stay moving longer. Biggest buck I saw was solo.

Not a huge amount of overlap between antelope and mule deer country in the unit but that might also be because antelope are easier to see, mule deer are very hard to spot in this environment, even with moving deer. Look for changes in elevation but they can also be out in the flats. I rarely found a bedded deer in this unit, especially when it starts heating up the mirage off the rocks becomes very hard to spot. Setup early and try and follow one to its bed, and either try to wait for it to get up in the general area you think its in, they will bed in very thick cover where they are impossible to see.

Basically the more scouting, more hiking away from roads, and more willing you are to glass with the wind in you face all day will increase your odds. Having two people would be great, I was solo, so having someone to watch a deer while i get closer would have increased my odds. Heat keeps em down, cold gets em moving, wish i had drawn this unit again. good luck, definitely let me know how it goes