Red Desert Pronghorn 80”+

HornedToad

HornedToad

Active Member
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I got lucky today and found the pronghorn scouted yesterday. He has the biggest body I ever seen on a pronghorn. I field taped him at 15-1/2” length, 6-1/2” prongs, 6-1/2” bases and circumstances of 6-1/2”, 4”, 3”, for a gross of 84”. I’m sure his official score will be less, but I’m confident he’ll be over 80”.
Not bad for and old, do-it-yourself hunter on public land. I was hunting Unit 64 in the Red Desert.
HT

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Very nice looking lope. Way to get it done!!
Is this the same one as pictured posted the other day for scoring? If so, many way underestimate him.
 
Yes, same pronghorn posted yesterday. Kudos to the guy who suggested that a big body might conceal big horns. The fuzzy photo was shot through a scope at 500 yards, by an old man whose eyes don’t focus.
HT
 
Congrats!! That is a pretty buck and yes, Wyoming pronghorn bodies and heads seem to always be bigger and make judging a buck very challenging on an animal that is already very hard to judge correctly.

Way to get it done!!
 
nripepi said:
Congrats on a great goat. Curious how the population seemed in 64?
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This was my first season in 64, so I can’t make comparisons, but there were good numbers. Most all does had fawns, with many having two or three. The buck I took was the largest I saw, but there were a dozen or so that others would likely take.
Chesterwyo said:
If these measurements hold up, there’s 80” bucks every place you look.
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I scouted hard for four days before the season opened, and this was easily the best buck I saw, out of many… so no, I would not say that 80” bucks are “every place you look”, at least in Unit 64.
 
Wapitiwilly said:
Boy you got to have thick skin to post critters on here anymore?
That is a great goat! Congratulations on a well earned trophy.
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Thank you. I appreciate your comment.

When I got home and carefully re-taped him, I came closer to 82”, and remain confident he will net-dry over 80”.

I have two pronghorn on my wall that gross over 85”. Both are in the B&C all-time book. I know what a “book” buck looks like and feels like, and is officially scored. Photos of those bucks were posted in an earlier thread. This current buck is close to being in that class.

In my initial post, I acknowledged that field-enthusiasm may have led to a loose-tape, but stated that I was confident in a final net-dry score over 80”. I remain confident of that.

I am not really that score oriented, but was excited to find a big buck following a harsh winter. He exceeded my expectations. I found him in a remote, overlooked part of Unit 64, and did not see another hunter in that area over my days of scouting and one day of hunting. It was a cool hunting experience.

This will be my final post on this matter, lest I attract more flack from the critics, most of whom probably have never had their hands on a “book” pronghorn.

Thanks again,

HT
 
HornedToad said:
Thank you. I appreciate your comment.

When I got home and carefully re-taped him, I came closer to 82”, and remain confident he will net-dry over 80”.

I have two pronghorn on my wall that gross over 85”. Both are in the B&C all-time book. I know what a “book” buck looks like and feels like, and is officially scored. Photos of those bucks were posted in an earlier thread. This current buck is close to being in that class.

In my initial post, I acknowledged that field-enthusiasm may have led to a loose-tape, but stated that I was confident in a final net-dry score over 80”. I remain confident of that.

I am not really that score oriented, but was excited to find a big buck following a harsh winter. He exceeded my expectations. I found him in a remote, overlooked part of Unit 64, and did not see another hunter in that area over my days of scouting and one day of hunting. It was a cool hunting experience.

This will be my final post on this matter, lest I attract more flack from the critics, most of whom probably have never had their hands on a “book” pronghorn.

Thanks again,

HT
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Don’t let the haters get you down. I’m not really sure what a guy’s motivation is to piss on another’s trophy but whatever. You killed the buck and are obviously very happy with him. That is really all that matters and there are plenty of us here that appreciate you sharing your experience and photos with us!
 
Homer said:
ODD.....not many years with nutrition better than this year
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Had to look up to make sure. pronghorn grow during winter months, mostly done by end of May. Hence, I think the tough winter equals smaller antlers. They also hit peak by age 3 or sooner. Area I hunt saw severe winter kill, good news is big bucks should be there in a year or two. Sources below.

Another unique aspect of pronghorns compared to other game animals is that their horns reach a maximum size at a relatively early age. Studies of pronghorn from Colorado north to Montana and Alberta consistently show pronghorn achieving a plateau in horn size by 2 – 3 years of age. Pronghorn in New Mexico and Arizona may have peak horn size later, perhaps 4-5 years of age. Furthermore, young bucks (less than four years of age) are often half of the top 10 largest pronghorn harvested in a region. The highest scoring Boone and Crockett pronghorn trophies, in which the animals’ ages are known, are three years old or younger! https://www.boone-crockett.org/pronghorn-evolution-and-management

For pronghorn, their primary horn growth timeframe is November to August. A significant portion of the growth takes place during the cold winter months. For their northern range, this means that winter can greatly impact horn growth. https://www.ehuntr.com/pronghorn-ho...r primary horn,can greatly impact horn growth.
 
Okay… one last story. I had located the buck I killed on a scouting trip in early August, and spent a month considering how I would hunt that location. When I returned in mid-September, a group of falconers, preparing for the Sage Grouse opener on September 16th, had set up an RV camp exactly where I had seen the buck. I was stunned. (The falconers later relocated their camp, which is in the attached photo).

I considered where the buck might relocate after being disturbed, and was lucky to find him several miles away in rough country not visible from any road.

After the kill, I met with the Wyoming biologist responsible for 64, and he aged the buck at 4 years. He said the buck was comparable to any of the better bucks to come off the unit in the previous several years.

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Congrats on a great buck on a challenging year! Great to hear of the numbers and look forward to the bounce back to return to Wyoming so my wife can get a great goat!
 
HornedToad said:
Okay… one last story. I had located the buck I killed on a scouting trip in early August, and spent a month considering how I would hunt that location. When I returned in mid-September, a group of falconers, preparing for the Sage Grouse opener on September 16th, had set up an RV camp exactly where I had seen the buck. I was stunned. (The falconers later relocated their camp, which is in the attached photo).

I considered where the buck might relocate after being disturbed, and was lucky to find him several miles away in rough country not visible from any road.

After the kill, I met with the Wyoming biologist responsible for 64, and he aged the buck at 4 years. He said the buck was comparable to any of the better bucks to come off the unit in the previous several years.
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That is truly crazy. Awesome you found him again. 64 is a cool cool unit.
 
HornedToad said:
Thank you. I appreciate your comment.

When I got home and carefully re-taped him, I came closer to 82”, and remain confident he will net-dry over 80”.

I have two pronghorn on my wall that gross over 85”. Both are in the B&C all-time book. I know what a “book” buck looks like and feels like, and is officially scored. Photos of those bucks were posted in an earlier thread. This current buck is close to being in that class.

In my initial post, I acknowledged that field-enthusiasm may have led to a loose-tape, but stated that I was confident in a final net-dry score over 80”. I remain confident of that.

I am not really that score oriented, but was excited to find a big buck following a harsh winter. He exceeded my expectations. I found him in a remote, overlooked part of Unit 64, and did not see another hunter in that area over my days of scouting and one day of hunting. It was a cool hunting experience.

This will be my final post on this matter, lest I attract more flack from the critics, most of whom probably have never had their hands on a “book” pronghorn.

Thanks again,

HT
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I know for a fact the 2 guys commenting have had their hands on a lot of book pronghorn, I have as well.

That's a great buck you took, but you even admit you don't care about the "book" and very rough scored that buck.

I think its pretty lame to assume that the couple guys that are questioning your score have shot multiple pronghorn that exceed 80.

Also, I'll be the first to say that pictures are deceiving, both under and over estimating scores from pictures is pretty easy to do. Really easy to do with pronghorn, I've been dead wrong both ways.

My recommendation, and one that I follow, is to hold off on posting scores that aren't done by someone that either really knows how to score. I mean either you've measured a bunch and/or from an official scorer. Not you, not your buddy, and not your taxidermist.

Finally, lots of hunts are ruined by official scores. The tendency is to wayyyy over-estimate the scores.

But, great buck and sounds like a great experience.
 
goforbroke said:
Had to look up to make sure. pronghorn grow during winter months, mostly done by end of May. Hence, I think the tough winter equals smaller antlers. They also hit peak by age 3 or sooner. Area I hunt saw severe winter kill, good news is big bucks should be there in a year or two. Sources below.

Another unique aspect of pronghorns compared to other game animals is that their horns reach a maximum size at a relatively early age. Studies of pronghorn from Colorado north to Montana and Alberta consistently show pronghorn achieving a plateau in horn size by 2 – 3 years of age. Pronghorn in New Mexico and Arizona may have peak horn size later, perhaps 4-5 years of age. Furthermore, young bucks (less than four years of age) are often half of the top 10 largest pronghorn harvested in a region. The highest scoring Boone and Crockett pronghorn trophies, in which the animals’ ages are known, are three years old or younger! https://www.boone-crockett.org/pronghorn-evolution-and-management

For pronghorn, their primary horn growth timeframe is November to August. A significant portion of the growth takes place during the cold winter months. For their northern range, this means that winter can greatly impact horn growth. https://www.ehuntr.com/pronghorn-horn-growh/#:~:text=For pronghorn, their primary horn,can greatly impact horn growth.
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I don't agree with much of that.

There are some pronghorn in Wyoming that may reach B&C age by 3, I doubt many at all reach that size by 2.

Of the 5 bucks in my house that net over 80, all 5 are at least 4 years old. Without getting them aged by a lab, I would say 3 of the 5 were 5-6 years old judging by the tooth wear. But, no question they were all at least 4. Another guy I know that has, IIRC, 14 entered book pronghorn from Wyoming, all of them are also over 4.

I'll let @jm77 weigh in, but I've talked to him about the ages and IIRC, he thought most all their multiple book pronghorn are also at least 4.

I also don't know how anyone can conclude that a B&C buck killed at 2 or 3 wouldn't be bigger if it had been allowed to live to 4-5-6 years old. You'll never know because they're killed long before you'd every know.

IMO/E, and from the B&C bucks and even most bucks in that 78+ range in general, they're all at least 4 years old. Same thing with all the guys I talk to that really know their stuff that have shot multiple B&C bucks.

I also heard Monteith claim that by age 3 Wyoming pronghorn have 90%-95% of their horn growth expressed. Well, that's a great theory, but that would mean an 80" net buck killed at 3, would be 85-88 inches at age 4 (assuming the 3 year old buck had another 5-10% of his growth to express maximum horn growth).

I don't buy that crap that pronghorn reach their potential at 2-3 years old, not at all. IMO, its an excuse to hammer bucks and try to create more opportunity over proper management.
 
BuzzH said:
I know for a fact the 2 guys commenting have had their hands on a lot of book pronghorn, I have as well.

That's a great buck you took, but you even admit you don't care about the "book" and very rough scored that buck.

I think its pretty lame to assume that the couple guys that are questioning your score have shot multiple pronghorn that exceed 80.

Also, I'll be the first to say that pictures are deceiving, both under and over estimating scores from pictures is pretty easy to do. Really easy to do with pronghorn, I've been dead wrong both ways.

My recommendation, and one that I follow, is to hold off on posting scores that aren't done by someone that either really knows how to score. I mean either you've measured a bunch and/or from an official scorer. Not you, not your buddy, and not your taxidermist.

Finally, lots of hunts are ruined by official scores. The tendency is to wayyyy over-estimate the scores.

But, great buck and sounds like a great experience.
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I appreciate what you’re saying… but what’s the problem with some guy making a wild-axx guess from the field, while even acknowledging the official score will be something lower? No one’s trying to win a cash prize here, or even a blue ribbon.

One of the long-time downsides of the MM forums are the cadres of critics, who rarely post anything helpful, or even interesting, but race one another to “set someone else straight”. That’s not likely to change anytime soon.

Happy hunting.

HT
 
HornedToad said:
I appreciate what you’re saying… but what’s the problem with some guy making a wild-axx guess from the field, while even acknowledging the official score will be something lower? No one’s trying to win a cash prize here, or even a blue ribbon.

One of the long-time downsides of the MM forums are the cadres of critics, who rarely post anything helpful, or even interesting, but race one another to “set someone else straight”. That’s not likely to change anytime soon.

Happy hunting.

HT
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I tend to agree, its not a big deal and nobody wins anything.

However, its equally as annoying that people feel the need to over-inflate the score of an animal to make it something it's not.

Why do that? What's the upside?
 
BuzzH said:
I tend to agree, its not a big deal and nobody wins anything.

However, its equally as annoying that people feel the need to over-inflate the score of an animal to make it something it's not.

Why do that? What's the upside?
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It was my rough tape at the time. Does that take money out of your pocket… and why should it annoy you?

Time to move on. Perhaps you could start an interesting thread.

HT
 
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HornedToad said:
It was my rough tape at the time. Does that take money out of your pocket… and why should it annoy you?

Time to move on. Perhaps you could start an interesting thread.

HT
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Report back with an official score, that would be interesting.

Oh, and here's something interesting since you seem to want to talk about interesting things other than pronghorn scores.

Don't care what it scores, but definitely not going to try to make it an 85 inch buck. I may try to kill him if he survives until my season opens.

Interesting enough for you?

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@HornedToad did you get to watch the birds of prey in action? I have always liked watching them hunt in the wild since I was a kid. But never watched trained birds hunt. That would have been a great topper to an amazing hunt.
 
LIK2HNT said:
@HornedToad did you get to watch the birds of prey in action? I have always liked watching them hunt in the wild since I was a kid. But never watched trained birds hunt. That would have been a great topper to an amazing hunt.
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No. We watched the falconers two days before the Grouse season opened. They were working sagebrush fields behind pointing dogs, trying to locate birds which they could return to when the season opened on the 16th, but they did not put any raptors into the air while we were there.

When I was scouting the unit in early August, I came across six or seven coveys, but for whatever reason, when I returned in September, I saw none. The falconers told us that they were having a hard time finding birds, but the Unit 64 biologist told us that their counts were up for the year.

Here is a pic of some I saw in August:

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Nice buck but no way in hell even close to 84" unless pictures are completely deceiving, yes I read all the comments and agree with Buzz why try to over inflate the score? Just enjoy the animal, if you are happy with it the score shouldn't matter.
 
pauns08 said:
Nice buck but no way in hell even close to 84" unless pictures are completely deceiving, yes I read all the comments and agree with Buzz why try to over inflate the score? Just enjoy the animal, if you are happy with it the score shouldn't matter.
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Look, friend… when I first walked up on the buck, my reaction was that his horns were close to two 85” B&C bucks I have on my wall. When I rough-taped him, I came up with 84”. But even in my first post, I said I expected the final score to be lower, but at least 80”.

Read the thread title… it says 80”+…. nothing more.

I have no interest in inflating scores, for you or anyone else.

When I got home, and could put the head on a table, I came up with 81-6/8”… which is not that far off my initial estimate. I expect the final net-dry score will be somewhere between 80” and 81”… which is still a great buck in my book.

It’s time to close this thread. You and the other nitpickers need to move on to a different subject.

HT
 
Yap yap yap. I’m so glad the pro Hoe picture antelope professionals are here to tell you what your buck should score or not.

Anyways… it’s a great buck congrats
 
pauns08 said:
Thanks! You didn't see me claiming he was 85" at least. I enjoyed the hunt with my kids. Funny thing is our bucks probably score within an inch of each other lol
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No way. Post a pic of it, and see what others think. Glad you could hunt with your kids, but your goats a dink.

Go ahead… post a pic.
 
Here's an interesting article for those interested in age and B&C pronghorn taken directly from the B&C Club. There are several references at the bottom of the article.

Pronghorn Evolution and Management

By David Hewitt, Boone and Crockett Club Professional Member It is an axiom that management for trop
www.boone-crockett.org www.boone-crockett.org
 
Bookhead said:
I'd say it's about 4" bigger
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Ya I'd maybe agree with that and for the record I don't care what he thinks it scores it doesn't affect me at all other than it gets old seeing people throw out "guesses" thinking it's official. Nice looking buck no matter the score
 
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jims said:
Here's an interesting article for those interested in age and B&C pronghorn taken directly from the B&C Club. There are several references at the bottom of the article.

Pronghorn Evolution and Management

By David Hewitt, Boone and Crockett Club Professional Member It is an axiom that management for trop
www.boone-crockett.org www.boone-crockett.org
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Great studies, pulled up some of the quoted references at the bottom. Hard to argue pronghorn don't hit max size between 2-6 years of age with age 3 most often. Be interesting if Wyoming changes their management of trophy units and start giving more tags.
 
Over the past week, I have been sharing information via PM with several guys chasing antelope in Unit 64. At least two of those have been successful, returning photos of bucks field-scoring 80”+. I didn’t take these initial scores as any kind of brag, but rather as the sharing of interesting information, that I could take or leave as I chose. Regardless of final scores, both are solid bucks that anyone would be proud to have.

I have no idea whether my information, or encouragement, was of any use, but still I am gratified to have assisted fellow hunters. In my mind, this is what this MM site should be about, helping others while sharing useful information, rather than the petty criticism, sarcasm and rude behavior that has, unfortunately, been a part of this forum since it’s inception over a decade ago. I have sometimes been guilty of such behavior myself, which I regret.

I am getting old, and soon will be passing on. This recent outing likely will end a span of over sixty years hunting the West. To the good guys here, who have helped me on many occasions, I give my thanks. To the others, I hope you will lose the need to be so quick on the trigger in the future.

Happy hunting,

HT
 
HornedToad said:
Over the past week, I have been sharing information via PM with several guys chasing antelope in Unit 64. At least two of those have been successful, returning photos of bucks field-scoring 80”+. I didn’t take these initial scores as any kind of brag, but rather as the sharing of interesting information, that I could take or leave as I chose. Regardless of final scores, both are solid bucks that anyone would be proud to have.

I have no idea whether my information, or encouragement, was of any use, but still I am gratified to have assisted fellow hunters. In my mind, this is what this MM site should be about, helping others while sharing useful information, rather than the petty criticism, sarcasm and rude behavior that has, unfortunately, been a part of this forum since it’s inception over a decade ago. I have sometimes been guilty of such behavior myself, which I regret.

I am getting old, and soon will be passing on. This recent outing likely will end a span of over sixty years hunting the West. To the good guys here, who have helped me on many occasions, I give my thanks. To the others, I hope you will lose the need to be so quick on the trigger in the future.

Happy hunting,

HT
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This is what communities like MM SHOULD be about.

Too bad we didn't get to touch base out in the field.

Congrats again HT.
 
HornedToad said:
I am getting old, and soon will be passing on. This recent outing likely will end a span of over sixty years hunting the West. To the good guys here, who have helped me on many occasions, I give my thanks. To the others, I hope you will lose the need to be so quick on the trigger in the future.

Happy hunting,

HT
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I just wanted your tape measure. Any chance of that when you pass on?:)
 
jm77 said:
I just wanted your tape measure. Any chance of that when you pass on?:)
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Had a large party over tonight and we ate the antelope, which was excellent. Good field care is the key. And no one asked about the score.

So long for now… but I’m going to keep my tape. It’s been good to me! ?

HT
 
Yeah I can't wait for him to get the "official" score back. I hope it comes back at 84" haha
Congrats on a mighty fine buck no matter the score. I still think it is pushing 80" at high 70's but I've scored and seen pictures of enough animals that you can never be 100% accurate from pictures.
 
BuzzH said:
Some old farts don't know how to score pronghorn...if only obviously.
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And why again, does this matter to you? Oh, that’s right. You told us… it annoys you.

That is the clinical definition of an Old Fart… someone who allows himself to get annoyed over things that do not matter.

I had no idea my post was going to yield so much entertainment value. What else would the Old Farts have to gnaw on? :unsure:
 
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HornedToad said:
And why again, does this matter to you? Oh, that’s right. You told us… it annoys you.

That is the clinical definition of an Old Fart… someone who allows himself to get annoyed over things that do not matter.

I had no idea my post was going to yield so much entertainment value. What else would the Old Farts have to gnaw on? :unsure:
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Based upon the PMs you sent me, you allowed yourself to get annoyed over things that do not matter.

Is there an award for being a member of the Old Farts Club?
 
LIK2HNT said:
You can tell when everyone is getting edgy for hunting season ??
Been posting pictures here for quite awhile and have not had any negativity. Hope I did not jinx myself. ??
Keep posting pictures and telling stories. That’s what this Forum is about.
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I think the adding of a score is what triggers negative comments. It is frustrating to see a buck/bull/ram posted that is not even close to being correct to what is visible in a pic or 2.

Just be happy to have taken a buck/bull/ram/whatever that your proud enough to share. Leave the score to PM's
 
I like to imagine that I'm secure enough that I dont need to prove how smart I am by pointing out how dumb everyone else is. I do remember once when I was a kid, fishing of a dock. I was used to bluegill. I hooked a monster something. Everyone gathered around the exited boy and waited. When I got it up, it wasn't really all that big. My first experience with wipers.
 
treedagain said:
I think the adding of a score is what triggers negative comments. It is frustrating to see a buck/bull/ram posted that is not even close to being correct to what is visible in a pic or 2.

Just be happy to have taken a buck/bull/ram/whatever that your proud enough to share. Leave the score to PM's
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Not even close. And how do you know that? From a photo?

I acknowledged that my initial post was overly enthusiastic, but even then I said the final score would be lower. When I got the buck home, I realized that in the field I’d misread the tape on the prongs as 6-1/2”, when it was 5-1/2”. I should have known better, in that I have a 85” buck on the wall with 6-1/2” prongs, but at the moment I missed it. My bad. That represented most of the difference in the changed score. I finally said I was confident of 80”. And I have the bucks horns in my hands, rather than blowing gas off a photo. To say this buck is “not even close” to 80” is ridiculous.

The only thing I regret in this exchange was criticizing another guy’s buck, which I apologized for via PM.

When I began this party, I had no idea how the posting of a score would trigger some of the more sensitive among you. What if I’d said he’d scored 100”? Then you really could’ve come unwound.

Until next time.

HT
 
I have buddies ask me all the time to estimate a critter's score from a photo,..or 2. I may have a number in mind but hardly ever offer an estimate. There definitely is a knack for taking quality photos. Some guys know how to do it while others fail miserably. A lot has to do with the position and location of the camera and buck, bull, ram, etc.

I've seen photos of a few critters over the years that I swore weren't near as big as a hunter advertised and visa-versa. I certainly hope HornedToad's buck is as big or bigger than 80!
 
HornedToad said:
Not even close. And how do you know that? From a photo?

I acknowledged that my initial post was overly enthusiastic, but even then I said the final score would be lower. When I got the buck home, I realized that in the field I’d misread the tape on the prongs as 6-1/2”, when it was 5-1/2”. I should have known better, in that I have a 85” buck on the wall with 6-1/2” prongs, but at the moment I missed it. My bad. That represented most of the difference in the changed score. I finally said I was confident of 80”. And I have the bucks horns in my hands, rather than blowing gas off a photo. To say this buck is “not even close” to 80” is ridiculous.

The only thing I regret in this exchange was criticizing another guy’s buck, which I apologized for via PM.

When I began this party, I had no idea how the posting of a score would trigger some of the more sensitive among you. What if I’d said he’d scored 100”? Then you really could’ve come unwound.

Until next time.

HT
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"That is the clinical definition of an Old Fart… someone who allows himself to get annoyed over things that do not matter."
HT
 
HornedToad said:
Not even close. And how do you know that? From a photo?

I acknowledged that my initial post was overly enthusiastic, but even then I said the final score would be lower. When I got the buck home, I realized that in the field I’d misread the tape on the prongs as 6-1/2”, when it was 5-1/2”. I should have known better, in that I have a 85” buck on the wall with 6-1/2” prongs, but at the moment I missed it. My bad. That represented most of the difference in the changed score. I finally said I was confident of 80”. And I have the bucks horns in my hands, rather than blowing gas off a photo. To say this buck is “not even close” to 80” is ridiculous.

The only thing I regret in this exchange was criticizing another guy’s buck, which I apologized for via PM.

When I began this party, I had no idea how the posting of a score would trigger some of the more sensitive among you. What if I’d said he’d scored 100”? Then you really could’ve come unwound.

Until next time.

HT
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HT
You missed the while point of my post that it is hard to judge by a couple pics. Not even close to what? Read all the posts above and show where I made any comment. I personally have taken 3 goats that would go book if I cared to submit them, ALL 3 are different shapes and sizes. If I had the tag and wanted a good goat I would shoot your buck.....if I was after a book goat? He would get a pass..... FWIW I have looked at some of Grimmets book bucks and thought they were not 80+... so what do I know? He does not inflate his scored.
You seem to be more interested in trying to prove yourself right and snap at anyone who disagrees with you.
 
treedagain said:
HT
You missed the while point of my post that it is hard to judge by a couple pics. Not even close to what? Read all the posts above and show where I made any comment. I personally have taken 3 goats that would go book if I cared to submit them, ALL 3 are different shapes and sizes. If I had the tag and wanted a good goat I would shoot your buck.....if I was after a book goat? He would get a pass..... FWIW I have looked at some of Grimmets book bucks and thought they were not 80+... so what do I know? He does not inflate his scored.
You seem to be more interested in trying to prove yourself right and snap at anyone who disagrees with you.
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Eli’s field judging photos and scores will really humble anyone’s antelope judging!! Some of his photos are definitely WOW bucks that most would never think of trying to score (just hurry up and shoot before you lose a once in a lifetime opportunity) until it’s on the ground.
Unless you are looking for 90” plus. ??
 
HornedToad said:
Here is another photo of one of my 85” antelope. This one is 16-1/2”, w/ 6-1/2” prongs. I thought you might enjoy seeing this again.

HT

View attachment 120921
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Not sure what point you're trying to make, but the difference between the 2 bucks in question, is about like the difference between an aardvark and an orangutan.

Every single measurement on the buck you just killed is significantly smaller...length, prong, and mass.

Length and prong alone is 4 inches (at least) smaller on your current buck.
 
BuzzH said:
Not sure what point you're trying to make, but the difference between the 2 bucks in question, is about like the difference between an aardvark and an orangutan.

Every single measurement on the buck you just killed is significantly smaller...length, prong, and mass.

Length and prong alone is 4 inches (at least) smaller on your current buck.
Click to expand...
I agree. And 4”-5” is the difference between 85” and 80” to 81”, which is where I’ve said this current buck will net-dry. The mass measurements between the two bucks are within 1/2”, though that might not be obvious from the field photo.

On another point, one of the things I liked about this current buck is that his horn length goes 15-1/2”, which is good in a year following a “nightmare” winter. Some experts were even saying that one would have to be “insane” to hunt pronghorn in 2023, given that harsh winter conditions would stunt topside growth.

Now I’m not trying to brag, or trigger trouble, but I’ve seen photos of many nice Wyoming bucks taken in 2023, and while some have strong bases and good prongs, I have not seen one yet that would go 16” or above.

Has anyone else seen or heard of any long pronghorn being taken in Wyoming so far this season?

HT
 
Not every areas had issues last winter.
We had great forage and growing conditions this year in our part of the state, bucks look great right now and gathering harems.
I'm betting plenty of 15+ inch bucks get taken this year.
 
HornedToad said:
I agree. And 4”-5” is the difference between 85” and 80” to 81”, which is where I’ve said this current buck will net-dry. The mass measurements between the two bucks are within 1/2”, though that might not be obvious from the field photo.

On another point, one of the things I liked about this current buck is that his horn length goes 15-1/2”, which is good in a year following a “nightmare” winter. Some experts were even saying that one would have to be “insane” to hunt pronghorn in 2023, given that harsh winter conditions would stunt topside growth.

Now I’m not trying to brag, or trigger trouble, but I’ve seen photos of many nice Wyoming bucks taken in 2023, and while some have strong bases and good prongs, I have not seen one yet that would go 16” or above.

Has anyone else seen or heard of any long pronghorn being taken in Wyoming so far this season?

HT
Click to expand...
Very few Wyoming pronghorn reach 16 inches, nothing unusual about that.

Between my wife and I we have 5 officially scored net B&C pronghorn from Wyoming ,none over 16.

It's always been about mass and prongs for record book pronghorn in Wyoming.
 
If you hunt Wyo very often you are likely aware that even in great years in the best units there are very few bucks that stretch a tape over the 16" mark. More times than not B&C Wyo bucks make up for this with mass and prongs. Buzz, we finally agree on something!

Although uncommon, I've seen a few 15+" bucks harvested this year in Red Desert and Central Wyo units. I've seen one around 16 1/2" and I'm sure there may be more. Overall, buck numbers and size are way down in these units but there may be a few there.

On a positive note, it's still green in many parts of Wyo and browse growth that is a vital source of nutrition finally is improving. Keep your fingers crossed that this trend continues the next few years and there isn't another horrific winter.

From what I've seen the Central-East and NE regions of Wyo had significantly less (if any) winterkill. Antelope numbers seem to be doing ok. In fact, I've seen more antelope (and fawns) in those areas than just about any corner of Wyo.
 
BuzzH said:
Very few Wyoming pronghorn reach 16 inches, nothing unusual about that.

Between my wife and I we have 5 officially scored net B&C pronghorn from Wyoming ,none over 16.

It's always been about mass and prongs for record book pronghorn in Wyoming.
Click to expand...
You can add Utah to that tou
 
jims said:
Although uncommon, I've seen a few 15+" bucks harvested this year in Red Desert and Central Wyo units. I've seen one around 16 1/2" and I'm sure there may be more.
Click to expand...
It would be fun if pics of some of these bucks made their way to this MM forum.
 

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