By: Bob Hendricks
It is hard to think of the west and not think of antelope. Some call them goats and some simply pronghorn, no matter what your favorite name for this speedster of the plains hunting him can be an all out adrenaline rush.
In this article let’s talk about some strategies that will put you within shooting distance of the pronghorn antelope.
One method is to begin glassing for them. This is where good optics are a must. Driving in a 4x4 and glassing is a good method to hunt pronghorns. Once antelope are detected you can plan your on foot stalk to get within good shooting range of them.
Being careful to play the wind is a must when stalking antelope. Antelope also have extremely good vision and can detect movement and be gone in a heartbeat. Stalking must be done carefully to avoid being seen or winded.
If a pronghorn is spooked he will often run a couple hundred yards and stop to look back in curiosity. This is where a good bipod or set of shooting sticks is a must. It is possible to take him when he stops but your rifle must be steady on such long range shots.
If you locate antelope late in the day when they are bedding down chances are you will find them in the same place the following morning because antelope do not move at night. By locating antelope in the evening you can capitalize on their not moving at night and come back in the morning and get into position for a shot. This method saves a lot of walking.
A great method for tagging a particular buck that you have your heart set on is to pattern the buck before the season begins. Find out where he waters, pronghorns will usually head to their favorite water hole sometime in the morning. A pronghorn hunter can utilize a waterhole and set up an ambush for the pronghorn he wants to take. In fact during the hunting season let the other hunters chase the pronghorns around because this only increases the odds of them coming to the waterhole more often and that means more shot opportunities for you, especially if you are a bowhunter.
When hunting the open prairie a good flat shooting rifle is a must. A .270 shooting 130 grain bullets can be just what the doctor ordered but the 6mm Remington, with a hundred grain bullet will work well too. The perfect rifle is a good flat shooting rifle. A quality 3x9 variable scope should give you all the optics you need on your rifle. Of course as mentioned earlier shooting sticks or bi-pods will come in very useful when taking two and three hundred yard shots on antelope.
Pit blinds are another useful tool in taking pronghorns. Situate your pit blind near a waterhole. Digging them three feet deep, six feet long, and three feet wide works well giving you plenty of room. Surrounding the blind with brush and tumble weeds can go a long way to hiding you even further. Keep in mind the wind direction when setting up your pit blind. The goats may smell you but will circle until they don’t and may still come in for an in range shot. This strategy is best suited for bow hunters. The brush should be placed as high as the top of the bow incidentally. A rifle hunter can set up in a fixed blind such as a pop up and cover a few different waterholes from his vantage point.
Pronghorn antelope are probably one of the most exotic species of big game in North America. It is the only North American species that sheds its’ outer horn sheath every year. The pronghorn really isn’t an antelope at all but a member of the goat family. A pronghorn can reach speeds of 70 mph. They can cruise long distance at 25 to 30 miles per hour. The pronghorn’s eyes are comparable to 8x binoculars. They also have excellent senses of smell and good hearing. They are very curious however and this can be utilized by using a decoy when stalking them.
Wyoming is the top state for antelope harvest followed by Montana and then Colorado. Wherever you hunt these goats on the move if you use a little planning and strategy you should end up with an opportunity to harvest your own pronghorn. You may well experience the hunt of a lifetime.
It is hard to think of the west and not think of antelope. Some call them goats and some simply pronghorn, no matter what your favorite name for this speedster of the plains hunting him can be an all out adrenaline rush.
In this article let’s talk about some strategies that will put you within shooting distance of the pronghorn antelope.
One method is to begin glassing for them. This is where good optics are a must. Driving in a 4x4 and glassing is a good method to hunt pronghorns. Once antelope are detected you can plan your on foot stalk to get within good shooting range of them.
Being careful to play the wind is a must when stalking antelope. Antelope also have extremely good vision and can detect movement and be gone in a heartbeat. Stalking must be done carefully to avoid being seen or winded.
If a pronghorn is spooked he will often run a couple hundred yards and stop to look back in curiosity. This is where a good bipod or set of shooting sticks is a must. It is possible to take him when he stops but your rifle must be steady on such long range shots.
If you locate antelope late in the day when they are bedding down chances are you will find them in the same place the following morning because antelope do not move at night. By locating antelope in the evening you can capitalize on their not moving at night and come back in the morning and get into position for a shot. This method saves a lot of walking.
A great method for tagging a particular buck that you have your heart set on is to pattern the buck before the season begins. Find out where he waters, pronghorns will usually head to their favorite water hole sometime in the morning. A pronghorn hunter can utilize a waterhole and set up an ambush for the pronghorn he wants to take. In fact during the hunting season let the other hunters chase the pronghorns around because this only increases the odds of them coming to the waterhole more often and that means more shot opportunities for you, especially if you are a bowhunter.
When hunting the open prairie a good flat shooting rifle is a must. A .270 shooting 130 grain bullets can be just what the doctor ordered but the 6mm Remington, with a hundred grain bullet will work well too. The perfect rifle is a good flat shooting rifle. A quality 3x9 variable scope should give you all the optics you need on your rifle. Of course as mentioned earlier shooting sticks or bi-pods will come in very useful when taking two and three hundred yard shots on antelope.
Pit blinds are another useful tool in taking pronghorns. Situate your pit blind near a waterhole. Digging them three feet deep, six feet long, and three feet wide works well giving you plenty of room. Surrounding the blind with brush and tumble weeds can go a long way to hiding you even further. Keep in mind the wind direction when setting up your pit blind. The goats may smell you but will circle until they don’t and may still come in for an in range shot. This strategy is best suited for bow hunters. The brush should be placed as high as the top of the bow incidentally. A rifle hunter can set up in a fixed blind such as a pop up and cover a few different waterholes from his vantage point.
Pronghorn antelope are probably one of the most exotic species of big game in North America. It is the only North American species that sheds its’ outer horn sheath every year. The pronghorn really isn’t an antelope at all but a member of the goat family. A pronghorn can reach speeds of 70 mph. They can cruise long distance at 25 to 30 miles per hour. The pronghorn’s eyes are comparable to 8x binoculars. They also have excellent senses of smell and good hearing. They are very curious however and this can be utilized by using a decoy when stalking them.
Wyoming is the top state for antelope harvest followed by Montana and then Colorado. Wherever you hunt these goats on the move if you use a little planning and strategy you should end up with an opportunity to harvest your own pronghorn. You may well experience the hunt of a lifetime.