Anyone had any luck? Thought about trying this sometime. Figure it to be difficult.
The public land critters I was after last week, I found, if you can see them , they have already seen, identified, and calculated risk on you. LOL
There was a lot of pressure last weekend and season had been on for awhile, that may have caused this.
Go for it, its a blast anyway!!
When I first started antelope hunting spot and stalk was all I did. I knew about blinds at water holes, but preferred the action and excitement of the stalk.
I killed a pile of them that way. I'd have probably gotten a lot more by waiting in ambush at water, but doubt I would have had as much fun.
Here's a picture of the last one from a few years ago.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/08antelopebuck.jpg)
Yep I didn't know any better and took two that way in my first two trys.
Mike
The biggest consideration is where you attempt to do it. In some of the wide open country with nothing taller than your knee you are going to be hard pressed to get close.
If spot and stalk is your goal, seek out places in which it can work. Terrain features and/or cover of some sort to hide your approach is the key to success.
I don't have a lot of experience, but did have success this year in the same place Charlie took his buck above. The key was working the willows down along a creek bottom. Gullies, washouts and other broken terrain could do the same thing.
My 5 day trip would have lasted 20 minutes if the wind hadn't been blowing so hard that I didn't shoot.....that's how long it took me to stalk in front of my 1st heard and got within range of a really nice buck.
That was my 1st trip and 1st stalk.....had many more stalks and some lasted 4 hours and some lasted 4 minutes.
At the end of the last day I was glad my trip wasn't over in the 1st 20 minutes....lots and lots of memories.....
The last day I decided to hunt an area I'd hunted 2 nights before....I stalked into a ravine ahead of them and set up in knee high sage....and awaited the ambush....
I have to tell ya....I've only been on one antelope hunt....and I can't tell you how much fun it was being out there chasing them....one if the best hunts I've ever been on for sure, and the most proud trophy I own.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/walletlope1.jpg)
This thread has really got me excited! Spot and stalk antelope hunting I've been wanting to do for years. Hopefully next year will finally be my year.
By the way, love the pics of those speedgoats! Congrats! :thumbsup:
I'm too claustrophobic to be stuck in a blind and got too much water around here for consistent set-ups. Besides one of my favorite things to do period is stalk speed goats. Taken several that way, some are tougher than others but it's all a blast. Too main things are wait and watch for the proper situation and never peek till your ready to shoot...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/gotahunt/R0010958_zps455df01b.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/gotahunt/8-20018.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/gotahunt/R0010395.jpg)
I did a couple of spot and stalk hunts a few years ago on public land in Montana. Did not get an Antelope either time but it was a blast. I did numerous stalks each day some were real short some fairly long. Leather gloves and good knee pads are must have items in my opinion.
Spot and stalk antelope gives me a chance to spend a lot of time out playing with animals without having to gut anything. I am not much of an antelope hunter (can't stand eating them), so I try only for mature bucks, and do it between other, more important things like whitetails, turkeys, and elk. I actually killed one a few years ago, but mostly it is a good test of my stalking skills (or lack thereof). But, it is a lot of fun. Between other hunts, I have been playing with two mature bucks that always seem to have lots of girlfriends when I try to stalk them. I have a hunch that they will be around when the rifle hunters show up. Spot and stalk with a longbow and spot and stalk with a rifle are two completely different situations. A normal rifle hunt in Wyoming lasts about the morning of opening day, while chasing them with longbow can take much longer.