bowhunting for antelope

vinihunt · Aug 3, 2005

what is best of method to hunt antelope?
decoy? spot-n-stalk?, haven't check if the ranch i ll be hunt on have waterhole or tank...(45,000 acres)the ranch may have catcus, hills, rocks since i have passed the area few time to some place so...

season open aug 20 to 24

thanks!

vinihunt

studpile · Aug 3, 2005

I stuck one in Nevada a few years back on a waterhole blind. Worked really well other than my vision for incoming animals was slightly obstructed in spots. My brother was up on a hill about a half mile away talking to me through the radio earpiece telling me which way they were coming in from. Definately lots of fun for a goat hunt.

mtmiller · Aug 3, 2005

I thought that was illegal in most places. I guess not in Nevada?

prarierocket · Aug 5, 2005

vinihunt,

My personal opinion and experience is that although hunting watering holes in a blind, they are limiting. I prefer the decoy method. The best resource I have foundto illistrate this is on the "Antelope Challenge" video from Lohman calls. I got my video from Cabela's years ago, but if you can't find it there, the Lohman # is 417-451-4438. You will be amazed by how well decoying on this video works. Good luck!

Prarie Rocket

PleaseDear · Aug 6, 2005

vinihunt,

I'm doing my bow antelope spot and stalk.
It starts next monday the 15th over in Wyo..
I'm told that I will be able to get with in bow range-40 yards or less sometimes but that drawing my bow is what will be the challenge for blowing them out.
I've got those combo knee brace-knee pads, good leather gloves well broken in and the only thing I'm a pinch concerned about it crawling face-on into a rattlesnake in the sagebrush!
I've got a single man pop-up blind and may resort to it mid-day after a couple days if I don't have one arrowed...... before the rifle hunt starts Sept. 10th.

dakotakid · Aug 6, 2005

PleaseDear,

Dont worry about the snakes, but you will be picking cactus out of your elbow,knees, chins, forearms and stomach for the next month after season is over. And yes, the draw is the hardest part about spot and stalk. Spot and stalk works great if you can ambush in the process. Out of all the methods that Vini mentioned, the decoy is probably the most exciting.

Mike

YoungBuck · Aug 7, 2005

It is tough to get an antelope with a bow.....Been at it for about 5 years and still havent conncected.
Get a good pair of kneepads and wear gloves if you dont want to tear yourself up.
Good Luck!
YB

DeerKing · Aug 7, 2005

My first archery lope was taken out of a blind... after several days of waiting. Since then I have taken several by spot and stalk and won't ever sit in a blind again. You blow more stalks than not but the thrill of trying to get close to them keen eyed critters in semi open country is quite a challenge. Best of luck

AntlerQuest Hunt Consulting and Scouting

Hawkk33 · Aug 11, 2005

Anyone tried calls ?

I stopped by a taxidermist in town and asked him about antelope hunting. I drew a archery tag but have never hunted one and he proceeds to ask me if I ever seen an antelope call. I said no and he showed me one and what it sounded like. It was a Calls-m-All. I watched a video of a guy walking up to within 20 yards of a lope using one.

I bought one and was gonna go out and find some goats to try it on. My season doesn't start until Sept. 3rd and I want to be successful in this endeavor.

Any ideas of what else I should try ?

PleaseDear · Aug 11, 2005

Hawk... is it a reed type call or outta mouth call??

Where did ya get it at?

Thanks

studpile · Aug 12, 2005

Evidently not 10 years ago....at least I don't recall anything about it in the regs at that time...

jims · Aug 12, 2005

Hey Vinny, Best of luck on your hunt! From my experience things can change from year to year and from location to location. If it is a wet year or a year when reservoirs and waterholes are full you may be spinning your wheels sitting in a waterhole blind. If you have long stretch of hot, dry weather and few water sources available it is pretty tough to beat a waterhole blind!

Obviously if you are hunting antelope in August the decoy isn't going to work because the bucks won't be rutting yet. They may be curious and come in to 100+ yards but you may have a time getting them to come closer.

Spot and stalk will likely only work where you have some sort of cover or rolling hills to allow stalks.

Another method that could work if given the right conditions is a blind set up along a fenceline, haymeadow, or somewhere that the antelope tend to spend a lot of time.

With all that said I have only shot antelope from blinds...but have never attempted stalking or decoys. This is a very wet year in Wyo but the grass where I've been hunting is as tall as I've ever seen it....maybe a time to try some stalks!

Hawkk33 · Aug 12, 2005

Please,

I got it in Oregon. But if you google for it you can find it. It is a mouth call, with rubber bands, kind of like the deer talk mouth call.

Pretty kool once sounding once you get it figured out.

PleaseDear · Aug 12, 2005

Thanks Hawk

slcmuley · Aug 13, 2005

i was scouting in wy. today and i wont be hunting until late sept drove by a blind with 7 bucks standing within 50 yds of it. 1 nice shooter 15". just kept on drivin didnt want to mess any body up. they were getting the animals used to the blind and it was working.