1st Antelope Hunt - how to field judge...

Texas_Hunter · Apr 11, 2005

My wife and I are going on an Antelope Hunt in NE New Mexico this year Aug 27 - 29th. She has never been on a big game hunt, but said this sounded fun so I was quick to find us a place to go.

When looking at an antelope, what are some things to look for? I know you want good prongs and good mass. But what is a good way to differentiate between a 12" and a 15" antelope. For me, at 300 yards it is going to be tough to tell.

We were told to expect to see 100's of antelope and that things were shaping up to be a good year with all the moisture they have already had.

HighDesert · Apr 11, 2005

One of the easiest ways i have found to judge height on a Speed Goat is to use the ears. Figuire ears are about 8" long so you are looking for a Good Buck look to be 1 1/2 to 2x the length of the antelope's ears and that is what you want to lay the hammer down upon.
Dave

fatrooster · Apr 11, 2005

Texas Hunter, antelope bucks ARE hard to feild judge as you have said. Get a video and watch it a few times. Eastmans has a couple as do several other companies. I personally count the ears as 6-1/2" to 7". Twice the length of the ears will give you about 14 inches of horn length. Look for long diggers (prongs) and mass as you have said. fatrooster.

elk4you · Apr 11, 2005

TX,

Tony Grimmett has a video out called Size is Everything. It is an instructional video on judging antelope. Tony's methods are pretty sound and he explains them well. There is also tons of footage to practice on. Hope it helps.

Josh

mormonboi · Apr 12, 2005

As has been stated, use the ears. Judge the ears to be closer to 7" and double that is 14". Also you want, for a really good antelope, there to be as much length above the prong as below. I always look for roughly 1" between the top of the ear and the bottom edge of the prong. as long as it has decent length up top it will then go atleast 14 and likely 15.
My dad and my goats from last season, his is 15 1/2" and 16 1/2" wide, mine is 15 1/4" and has 6 1/2" prongs.

danel491 · Apr 12, 2005

another quick way to get a rough estimate on horn length, think of the antelope's head as the letter L . the bottom leg of the letter L being from his horn base to his nose, which averages 12 inches on most bucks. so if the upper leg of the letter L, which is the bucks horn is longer than the bottom leg, he is probably over 12 inches. you'll need to take into account horn curl and length of prongs. good luck

chambero · Apr 14, 2005

I'm a fellow Texan and I killed my first antelope last fall in WY. Look for the horns to have that dramatic curl back. The back forks are pretty straight on younger bucks.

GrantCoNMHunter · May 19, 2005

Also, you want the prong to be above the ears.

Elkcrzy1 · May 19, 2005

Yep, use the ears try to watch mass closely, it's important. After you've looked at quite a few of them it's kinda like anything else really, when you see a BIG one you will know it. Gary

leftees · May 19, 2005

I say dont worry about checking the ears, looking for mass or trying to field judge Antelope. Its to hard for the beginner. I suggest you look at as many as possible and have fun doing It, the rest will take care of itself. Good luck!

Wyomingben · May 19, 2005

My advise would be get good optics. The number one thing to look for is Mass. In Tony's video he talks about an antelopes eyes are 2" wide, look at the base of the horns compared to the eye. If the bases are much wider the the eye that is good base, he must carry that mass all the way up past the prongs. The prongs need to be above the ears to have good length. Prong length is important too, look for super long prongs. A good curl can add a lot of length. But most important is Mass or thickness of the horns. Here in Wyoming there are so many antelope that if left undisturbed they can usually be found in the same area a day or two later, so look at plenty before you shoot. Look for one that looks like he has stove pipes coming out of his head!

WB