Judging pronghorn?

[muzzhunter]

I am putting in for a pronghorn hunt this year and was wondering if there are any tips for judging their size? A matter of a few inches can be the difference between a trophy or an average animal is that correct?

 

[Cleric]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-26-03 AT 06:38PM (MST)[p]This link provides some good info on judging pronghorn.

http://www.jesseshuntingpage.com/fo...=5&t=15226&s=3961df42b91e36be978d9094cb7b284e

Where is it that you plan on hunting?

 

[Bura Nut]

I am not even close to being an expert, but of course mass is the most important. It is really hard to field judge a goat, but make sure the prongs are big and the mass is carried up past the prongs. Its not length, its the mass on a goat. Eastmans has a good video you may want to buy, it helped me.....Allen Taylor......

 

[Smokingjoe]

Just remember the ears are about 5" long. Look for mass. You need to look at a lot of antelopes to know big from little.
But be prepared for the Pronghorns most common and dreaded malady.
GROUND SHRINK.

 

[jims]

I've been hunting antelope since I was old enough to hold up a bow/rifle and they are one of the toughest critters in North America to judge. Mtn goats may be a little tougher because a 9" billy is big and a 10" billy is gigantic (here in Colo). If you don't have a good quality spotting scope you might as well forget it...end of story!

As posted above, mass is one the most important measurements. Each state and region seems to produce bucks of different symetry. Where I hunt in Wyo doesn't have many bucks over 15". If I find a 15 1/2" buck and it has good prongs and mass it will likely be close to B&C. The horns in that particular part of the state are extremely massive...x8 mass measurements for B&C and it really adds up!!! I also look for horns with at least 6" prongs. A dollar bill is 6" long so that gives you and idea how long the prongs must be.

A lot of guys use ears as a measurement of horn length. I believe this is probably the best way to really screw up judging a buck because bucks horns vary so much as to where the prong comes off the horn. Also, if you look at a buck from different angles or he is tilting them a certain way they make the horns look long or short.

Antelope bucks come in a variety of horn confirmations. A lot of guys get excited by bucks with horns that don't curve much at the tips because they look very long and tall. Bucks with a lot of curl often get overlooked and often have much longer horns...all that curver really adds up!

After almost 30 years of antelope hunting you'd think I would start getting better at judging...but I still have bucks now and then that I walk up to that have dreaded ground shrinkage!

I could go on and on...but this is getting pretty lengthy. If you have any particular questions email me and I'll try to answer them. [email protected]

 

[ktc]

Do your homework, there is good advice here, find what YOU want, and if you like it and will be happy, shoot it. People get too hung up on scores. If it is what you want, it will score high in your book.

ktc

 

[PotatoWhisperer]

All are great responces...I can't thin of anything else to add. But I'll have to lean more towards KTC...if YOU like him and want to harvest him...then go for it. People do get too hung up on scores...

Scott G.