C
Cutbow
Guest
This will be my first year hunting Antelope. When does it make sense to start scouting them (when antler growth is far enough along to judge them properly)?
Cutbow
Cutbow
J
jbigb30
Guest
Never hurts to start I saw a buck Friday night not very big but still cool to put the spotting scope on him I usually use this time of year to get familiar with the area I hope to hunt (depending) on the draws get a feel for the area see what animals are around some antelope are getting some growth ride down see how many bucks you see with small sheaths and start keeping track of them and get to know your area. Just don't get stuck in the mud
littlebighorn
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 5,400
Cutbow,
I am in no way an expert on pronghorns, but my experience suggests that part of the answer to your question depends on how far away you live from your hunting area and when during the season you will be hunting.
All of my antelope hunts have been at least 5 hours away from home, so I have rarely scouted until a few days before the season. However, you can look over a lot of country in a couple of serious scouting days.
Also, if you are hunting during the rut (late Sept/early Oct for Wyoming) you will see bucks showing up that you may have never seen in a month of pre-season scouting. If time is limited, I always put my scouting time into hunting days. That way you can scout with a gun in your hand.
If this is your first hunt, I would spend as much time as you can learning to judge a good head. If you are inexperienced it is easy to dump the first decent buck you see, only to later run into a monster on your way home.
They are great fun to hunt and I wish you well!
I am in no way an expert on pronghorns, but my experience suggests that part of the answer to your question depends on how far away you live from your hunting area and when during the season you will be hunting.
All of my antelope hunts have been at least 5 hours away from home, so I have rarely scouted until a few days before the season. However, you can look over a lot of country in a couple of serious scouting days.
Also, if you are hunting during the rut (late Sept/early Oct for Wyoming) you will see bucks showing up that you may have never seen in a month of pre-season scouting. If time is limited, I always put my scouting time into hunting days. That way you can scout with a gun in your hand.
If this is your first hunt, I would spend as much time as you can learning to judge a good head. If you are inexperienced it is easy to dump the first decent buck you see, only to later run into a monster on your way home.
They are great fun to hunt and I wish you well!
C
Cutbow
Guest
>Never hurts to start I saw
>a buck Friday night not
>very big but still cool
>to put the spotting scope
>on him I usually use
>this time of year to
>get familiar with the area
>I hope to hunt (depending)
>on the draws get a
>feel for the area see
>what animals are around some
>antelope are getting some growth
>ride down see how many
>bucks you see with small
>sheaths and start keeping track
>of them and get to
>know your area. Just don't
>get stuck in the mud
>
Thanks for the input jbigb30!
Cutbow
>a buck Friday night not
>very big but still cool
>to put the spotting scope
>on him I usually use
>this time of year to
>get familiar with the area
>I hope to hunt (depending)
>on the draws get a
>feel for the area see
>what animals are around some
>antelope are getting some growth
>ride down see how many
>bucks you see with small
>sheaths and start keeping track
>of them and get to
>know your area. Just don't
>get stuck in the mud
>
Thanks for the input jbigb30!
Cutbow
C
Cutbow
Guest
>Cutbow,
>I am in no way an
>expert on pronghorns, but my
>experience suggests that part of
>the answer to your question
>depends on how far away
>you live from your hunting
>area and when during the
>season you will be hunting.
>
>All of my antelope hunts have
>been at least 5 hours
>away from home, so I
>have rarely scouted until a
>few days before the season.
> However, you can look
>over a lot of country
>in a couple of serious
>scouting days.
>Also, if you are hunting during
>the rut (late Sept/early Oct
>for Wyoming) you will see
>bucks showing up that you
>may have never seen in
>a month of pre-season scouting.
> If time is limited,
>I always put my scouting
>time into hunting days.
>That way you can scout
>with a gun in your
>hand.
>If this is your first hunt,
>I would spend as much
>time as you can learning
>to judge a good head.
>If you are inexperienced it
>is easy to dump the
>first decent buck you see,
>only to later run into
>a monster on your way
>home.
>They are great fun to hunt
>and I wish you well!
>
Thanks littlebighorn! I live in Utah and the drive is probably 4-5 hours....I probably will mostly be scouting during the hunt like you recommend. I drew an elk tag so I probably won't even hunt/scout much until the first of October because I'll be hunting elk with my bow in September, although I may give it a go for a day or two with my bow in late August. I may head up this spring just to get to know the area a little bit and maybe get some fishing time in as well.
Cutbow
>I am in no way an
>expert on pronghorns, but my
>experience suggests that part of
>the answer to your question
>depends on how far away
>you live from your hunting
>area and when during the
>season you will be hunting.
>
>All of my antelope hunts have
>been at least 5 hours
>away from home, so I
>have rarely scouted until a
>few days before the season.
> However, you can look
>over a lot of country
>in a couple of serious
>scouting days.
>Also, if you are hunting during
>the rut (late Sept/early Oct
>for Wyoming) you will see
>bucks showing up that you
>may have never seen in
>a month of pre-season scouting.
> If time is limited,
>I always put my scouting
>time into hunting days.
>That way you can scout
>with a gun in your
>hand.
>If this is your first hunt,
>I would spend as much
>time as you can learning
>to judge a good head.
>If you are inexperienced it
>is easy to dump the
>first decent buck you see,
>only to later run into
>a monster on your way
>home.
>They are great fun to hunt
>and I wish you well!
>
Thanks littlebighorn! I live in Utah and the drive is probably 4-5 hours....I probably will mostly be scouting during the hunt like you recommend. I drew an elk tag so I probably won't even hunt/scout much until the first of October because I'll be hunting elk with my bow in September, although I may give it a go for a day or two with my bow in late August. I may head up this spring just to get to know the area a little bit and maybe get some fishing time in as well.
Cutbow
B
bucklover
Guest
Just remember, the antelope are just pulling out of a long hard winter, also. Horn growth starts looking pretty good, very early, so it is tempting to start going out early. However, you also need to remember that antelope drop their young around the 1st part of May. When antelope see you coming, they will take off and run, sometimes for miles. This unnecessarily separates does from fawns, and a lot can happen before they can find their fawns again. Predators, your vehicle, getting too close and scaring off the fawn, etc. I know it's fun to go out, but you should at least wait until around the end of June, so the young can keep up with the herd. Just my opinion.
Where the antelope are now may be different from where they are in Sept. I'd guess some antelope are currently on their winter ranges or making their way toward where they'll be in summer/early fall. Bucks still have quite a bit of horn growth between now and late July. I'd let the antelope rest from winter and birthing...and give them time to recover! It is possible to get to know access, roads, etc now but you have plenty of time between now and hunting season.
One problem with scouting in summer through August is heat waves make it nearly impossible to judge. You often have to get within 200 to 300 yards of each buck to judge them correctly because heat waves cause distortion of horns. The heat waves aren't quite as bad early or late in the day but that doesn't leave much time for effective scouting since you have to get up so close to each buck to effectively judge. Obviously having the best optics available will help..but even then it's pretty tough judging bucks past 400 yards in 80+ degrees.
One problem with scouting in summer through August is heat waves make it nearly impossible to judge. You often have to get within 200 to 300 yards of each buck to judge them correctly because heat waves cause distortion of horns. The heat waves aren't quite as bad early or late in the day but that doesn't leave much time for effective scouting since you have to get up so close to each buck to effectively judge. Obviously having the best optics available will help..but even then it's pretty tough judging bucks past 400 yards in 80+ degrees.
C
Cutbow
Guest
>Just remember, the antelope are just
>pulling out of a long
>hard winter, also. Horn growth
>starts looking pretty good, very
>early, so it is tempting
>to start going out early.
>However, you also need to
>remember that antelope drop their
>young around the 1st part
>of May. When antelope see
>you coming, they will take
>off and run, sometimes for
>miles. This unnecessarily separates does
>from fawns, and a lot
>can happen before they can
>find their fawns again. Predators,
>your vehicle, getting too close
>and scaring off the fawn,
>etc. I know it's fun
>to go out, but you
>should at least wait until
>around the end of June,
>so the young can keep
>up with the herd. Just
>my opinion.
Good advice, thanks bucklover.
Cutbow
>pulling out of a long
>hard winter, also. Horn growth
>starts looking pretty good, very
>early, so it is tempting
>to start going out early.
>However, you also need to
>remember that antelope drop their
>young around the 1st part
>of May. When antelope see
>you coming, they will take
>off and run, sometimes for
>miles. This unnecessarily separates does
>from fawns, and a lot
>can happen before they can
>find their fawns again. Predators,
>your vehicle, getting too close
>and scaring off the fawn,
>etc. I know it's fun
>to go out, but you
>should at least wait until
>around the end of June,
>so the young can keep
>up with the herd. Just
>my opinion.
Good advice, thanks bucklover.
Cutbow
C
Cutbow
Guest
>Where the antelope are now may
>be different from where they
>are in Sept. I'd
>guess some antelope are currently
>on their winter ranges or
>making their way toward where
>they'll be in summer/early fall.
> Bucks still have quite
>a bit of horn growth
>between now and late July.
> I'd let the antelope
>rest from winter and birthing...and
>give them time to recover!
> It is possible to
>get to know access, roads,
>etc now but you have
>plenty of time between now
>and hunting season.
>
>One problem with scouting in summer
>through August is heat waves
>make it nearly impossible to
>judge. You often have
>to get within 200 to
>300 yards of each buck
>to judge them correctly because
>heat waves cause distortion of
>horns. The heat waves
>aren't quite as bad early
>or late in the day
>but that doesn't leave much
>time for effective scouting since
>you have to get up
>so close to each buck
>to effectively judge. Obviously
>having the best optics available
>will help..but even then it's
>pretty tough judging bucks past
>400 yards in 80+ degrees.
>
Thanks Jims. After the feeback I've received, if I go up at all this spring it will be to get to know the roads/area and not as much to look for antelope. Sounds like a good excuse to do some fishing in the area too.
Cutbow
>be different from where they
>are in Sept. I'd
>guess some antelope are currently
>on their winter ranges or
>making their way toward where
>they'll be in summer/early fall.
> Bucks still have quite
>a bit of horn growth
>between now and late July.
> I'd let the antelope
>rest from winter and birthing...and
>give them time to recover!
> It is possible to
>get to know access, roads,
>etc now but you have
>plenty of time between now
>and hunting season.
>
>One problem with scouting in summer
>through August is heat waves
>make it nearly impossible to
>judge. You often have
>to get within 200 to
>300 yards of each buck
>to judge them correctly because
>heat waves cause distortion of
>horns. The heat waves
>aren't quite as bad early
>or late in the day
>but that doesn't leave much
>time for effective scouting since
>you have to get up
>so close to each buck
>to effectively judge. Obviously
>having the best optics available
>will help..but even then it's
>pretty tough judging bucks past
>400 yards in 80+ degrees.
>
Thanks Jims. After the feeback I've received, if I go up at all this spring it will be to get to know the roads/area and not as much to look for antelope. Sounds like a good excuse to do some fishing in the area too.
Cutbow
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