On the Hoof

Now that you have a down and dirty education on scoring an antelope, how do you judge one on the hoof? The biggest tool you have at your disposal and (should) have on every antelope is their ears. Typically the ears on an antelope are right around seven inches tall. If you can find an antelope buck that has prongs coming off above the ear, you are on the right track. The higher the prong comes off, the more your third circumference measurement will be. From there you can begin to estimate the length above the ear to decide a total length of the horn. This is where an antelope is referred to as a, “16 inch antelope.” Keep in mind that the curls eat up length inches very well. The larger the curl, the more inches it will measure. The majority of 14” antelope with decent mass and prong length will be close to grossing the pope and young minimum. For the deer hunter, a solid 14” antelope would be close to the equivalent of a 125” whitetail, definitely not something to scoff at.

Two young pronghorn bucks stand in a field.

Important Reminders

Extending your proficient shooting range will increase your odds of success, guaranteed. While the majority of whitetail deer are killed on average around 22 yards, antelope are typically killed at further distances. Wide open spaces and the incredible vision of an antelope make stalking the from 40 yards to 25 extremely difficult. If you are uncomfortable shooting at longer distances, a waterhole hunt may be the best bet. Spot and stalk hunters should be comfortable at 40 yards at the very minimum. Practicing at longer ranges than you typically shoot not only increases your lethal range, but it makes the shorter shots seem much easier.

Exercising patience is an absolute "must-do" in a waterhole blind.



Practice patience. This holds true regardless of how you are going about your antelope hunt. Be patient and wait for a quality shot, but when the opportunity arises, jump on it. If you’re stalking, go slow. The majority of blown stalks come from going too fast. Slow down and take your time. Slowing down also helps make you quieter during your stalk. Hardcore bowhunters have been known to wear moccasins, leather padded wool socks or other “stealthy” style footwear to decrease the noise. One item of patience that goes overlooked by D.I.Y. bowhunters is that scouting is worth its weight in gold. Even if you aren’t able to scout until the first morning of your hunt, take the time to do it. Devote one morning or one evening to locating animals in your area, it may be a half a day, but it will be a half day well spent.

Conclusion

Do-It-Yourself pronghorn archery hunts are generally affordable and allow you decent odds at harvesting a pronghorn. Hunting antelope with an outfitter like Table Mountain Outfitters can increase your odds significantly. The Wyoming Board of Outfitters shows that non-resident hunters that hunt with outfitters experience well over 90 percent success in the antelope season, over twice as high as self guided hunters. Whichever way you choose, you are in for an exciting hunt.