Tell me how to hunt these critters.
a couple friends and I are planning a public Land Antelope hunt this Fall.
It looks like a lot of people sit Waterholes....
how do you discover active holes? Do you walk a lot or use binoculars to look for traffic? We have about a week to get a shot off. I'm not particular and will shoot a doe or buck if possible.
Looking at Google Satellite, it appears to have a lot of water in the region where we are heading.
I like to spend a day glassing to see what water holes they are using or a fence crossing. They are creatures of habit so if they do it once they are going to do it again. Late Sept. is a great time to use a decoy and bring one in close when you challenge them.
I'll bite... Who's going??? :saywhat:
Glass glass glass, if theres a bunch of water (cattle tanks) put a blind up on the one with the most tracks and put an old shirt on the others near by. Give it a few days and hunt.
Great idea 145. Just make sure the shirts are offensively odoriferous. I'm no expert having hunted with an outfitter the two times I have hunted these guys and both times from waterholes. The one thing I can tell you is when an animal does come in, they will initially act much like a whitetail,i.e, they will put their head down and then jerk back up quickly. They do this a few times but when they do start to drink they will stay down as they have reassured themselves that all is well and that's your opportunity. I think you'll enjoy yourself no matter what. Wish I was going again.
Antelope are neurotic critters that are wired tight with piano wire. they can be very high strung, especially in the morning. They often seem to mellow out and relax a bit in the afternoon.
Water hole hunting is the most probable method for success. Decoying can work, and they can be stalked if you can find some in broken terrain. As you read about, their eyes are incredible. When I worked for WY Game and Fish, I did antelope surveys pre-season and it is amazing how you can come into an area and glass antelope watching you from a mile away.
Use binoculars a lot. find a high point and glass to locate animals and plan your stalk or decoying approach. Depending on where you are hunting, if water holes are at all limited, then most will be used, although bigger bucks seem to tend to have favorites that have little cover around them.
Awesome animals. Good luck, one of my favorite animals to hunt. I miss Wyoming everyday.
Time your hunt in the rut,(after Sept 15th) use a decoy and expect some fast action. It's loads of fun, much more exciting than sitting on water.
If you Water hole Hunt, watch for them to come in and put their heads down to drink.... And then suddenly snap their heads back up like they made You. Sit tight, it's some kind of evolved mechanism that probably help's them avoid unseen predators.
They are peculiar things.
If you Water hole Hunt, watch for them to come in and put their heads down to drink.... And then suddenly snap their heads back up like they made You. Sit tight, it's some kind of evolved mechanism that probably help's them avoid unseen predators.
They are peculiar things.
they are fast :rolleyes:
Thanks for the replies guys.
We will not be hunting the rut.
Do you leave a blind set up the whole time you are there or do you take it out each day?
I would leave it
I love hunting Speed Goats!
I can tell you if you decoy them stay ready! I remember the first one I had in (compound bow). I crawled in to about 175 yard, kinda dejected covered in cactus (oh yea bring a little leather man or something similar) kinda had my lower lip hanging out a bit lol. Stuck up the decoy, laid my bow in front of me dug out my range finder, looked up and boom standing 20 yards away the buck. Could of killed him with a stick, no problem! When they come in, by god they come!
how about a cow decoy to cover your stalk ?
Take leather gloves and knee pads. Makes stalking a lot more comfortable.
If the area your hunting has received a lot of rain then watering holes might be hit and miss.
They see everything, movement, glints off equipment and your intention to shoot at them.
Out here if you find a waterholes and a herd of mustangs is using it, chase the mustangs off. The stallion will not permit anything but his harem to use it
So thats it?
walk out, plop a blind over water and cast a line while you wait for antelope. This will be easy :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I'll have to get a good book to read while there? I think I need to find Monty Browning's book for the trip.
A Good book is a must as far as I am concerned.
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/JackSkinner/Bow%20Season%202014/DSCN1046.jpg) (http://s114.photobucket.com/user/JackSkinner/media/Bow%20Season%202014/DSCN1046.jpg.html)
Advice that antelope are neurotic is so true. And it can be just as easy as plop and cast but....not always. I could fill a book on things that antelope will do and not do. One goat will come in like they own the place and drink as if nothing else in the world matters the next goat will circle for an hour snorting, wheezing, blowing and scareing everything in a mile radius. If you cant cover your whole pond be sure they will water where you cant shoot. We take twine and cheap post and sometimes rope off areas we dont want the goats to water at. It works great, and helps funnel them to where you want them to drink for a shot.
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/JackSkinner/Antelope%202012/Antelope2012014.jpg) (http://s114.photobucket.com/user/JackSkinner/media/Antelope%202012/Antelope2012014.jpg.html)
In this picture the large pond in front of the old wood blind? is used by the wild hoarses and most goats wont drink there. But some will so we used twine and the post already in place to "fence" off the large pond and get them to water in the seep draining off to the right.
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/JackSkinner/Antelope%202012/Antelope2012002-1.jpg) (http://s114.photobucket.com/user/JackSkinner/media/Antelope%202012/Antelope2012002-1.jpg.html)
This picture shows the set up. to the left is the large pond. The DB is on the seep where most of the lopes were watering. You can just see the top of a blind to the right and behind our main setup. Part of the seep split off and ran behind out blind and into the grease wood. A lot of the goats avoided our main setup and started to water there. So we placed a decoy blind and they came back to their normal watering location. This set up resulted in 4 goats on this three day hunt.
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/JackSkinner/Antelope%202012/Antelope2012036.jpg) (http://s114.photobucket.com/user/JackSkinner/media/Antelope%202012/Antelope2012036.jpg.html)
If only it was as easy as plop and wait. Those are all bucks and only one the smallest of the group came in to water. He came straight at me drank swapped ends and walked away never giving me a shot, even though he was only 15 yds away. The rest found a spot I could not cover with a shot and drank and left untouched.
My son is always talking about doing an antelope hunt. Where in Wyoming would be a good place for an out of stater to go? Years ago the tags were over the counter and ranchers hated them. Since then, I have lost the one private land contact I had, where several guys from here hunted, access and camping fee and use of a large freezer was a bottle of Ancient Age whiskey.
Are tags still over the counter?
Yep pavan those were the good old days. Antelope are limited quota. What happens is res/nonres apply, there is a draw. After the draw left over full price tags go on sale (That was on the 8th I think)and it is first come first serve on the G&F web site. Then anything left after that goes on sale on the 15 of July, usually doe/fawn reduced price tags go out to vendors and for sale to the general public. In the old days my family could come up and we would go to a vender in the area we wanted to hunt and by a few tags and have great hunt. And these hunt areas had lots of public land to hunt. Now all the left over tags are in areas with little to no public land and I dought a bottle of AA will get you in, maybe a bottle of Pappy's :eek:
I think antelope will school you on hunting antelope. It looks like you have a nice blind overlooking a watering hole. I've never had that amenity so I've relied on spot/stalk tactics. I have rifle and bow hunted them and I believe they can tell the difference. I have never had problems getting within 150 yards with a bow, and the times I've gotten within 50 yards with my bow in hand, they'll only trot off to 150-200 yards and then bark at me. I had my best luck when I could keep the sun to my back when it is low during early morning or late afternoon, as it helps mitigate their excellent vision.
TTT, season is coming fast!
F-Manny
The forest service has said its been super wet this year.
Any advice for hunting in those conditions?
Maybe this will whet your appetite. This pic is what we call a 'duck under', where goats go under fences. They will jump fences, too, but prefer to go under them.
(http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac67/peastes/IMG_2061_zpsyu2qf4tr.jpg) (http://s886.photobucket.com/user/peastes/media/IMG_2061_zpsyu2qf4tr.jpg.html)
The prey....
(http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac67/peastes/IMG_2066_zpsghmygvtg.jpg) (http://s886.photobucket.com/user/peastes/media/IMG_2066_zpsghmygvtg.jpg.html)
(http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac67/peastes/IMG_2024_zpsxremy7li.jpg) (http://s886.photobucket.com/user/peastes/media/IMG_2024_zpsxremy7li.jpg.html)
I will be hunting goats this year after a several year layoff. We have had a wet year, but they are still using waterholes. I spooked several off a hole two days ago while scouting an area.
Have fun!
Thank you Pat.
I am naive. would that trail under the fence be somewhere you would consider setting up? Or would you back off and watch to see if they are currently using it wit binoculars?
I think I found a water hole near an open gate. Its hard to tell if its on public or private land however.
If I had time for them to get used to the blind, I would set up on that spot. At times, several might line up to cross, so there is a bit of a traffic jam. In this case, that duck under is within 70 yards or so of a good waterhole, so I would put the blind on the water. Pretty easy to tell if they are using the fence crossing; tracks, poop, and hair all around.
I'm headed up next week. I thought of another must if your sitting water, sling shot with small rocks for the darn cows!
Consider taking a ghillie suit along Charlie. You never hear of it from antelope hunters, but my experience is that it works like magic.
When hunting trails and fence crossings from natural blinds don't make a move to shoot until the animal is past you. They can be quite oblivious once they get past your position.
Like almost everything else they are creatures of habit (as mentioned above). Use your binoculars a lot and pay attention to how they move through the country. You'll pick up on patterns pretty quickly.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/antelopeclosestalk.jpg)
I noticed that antelope were funneling through the space between a hay stack yard fence and a bunch of rocks. I put up a pop up blind and bingo. Fresh antelope loin.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/07_WY_RockPileBlind_e.JPG) (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/07_DBLOOK_e.JPG) (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/2008wyodoe)
Old saying... when an antelope comes to water he kisses the water twice and the third time he drinks.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/antelopemuledeerdrink376.jpg)
Once an antelope is done drinking they'll most often leave the water hole without hanging around.
Stay flexible in your thinking and you'll do fine.
Thank you Charlie, Great Advice which I will place in my playbook.
I see why you are taking pictures in the above post, there is an arrow already discharged.
Congrats on the Antelope. I for one will not be choosy unless animals are all over. I really dont foresee that happening so it will probably be the first kit to come in.
Hopefully My next question is about favorite recipes.
Antelope is mighty tasty Charlie :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Out of curiosity. what do people do to go to the bathroom? do they keep a jug in the blind or do the poke out the door?
Just let it fly. Antelope aren't real scent sensitive, but their eyes make up for it.
Great thread! I leave in 12 days for Buffalo WY. Can't wait! Thanks for letting me follow along and read all the tips. I am using an outfitter but it's always good to hear from those that have gone before... Good luck Mr. Janssen!
-Jeremy :coffee:
Jeremy, where are you hunting around Buffalo? I will hopefully be done with antelope when you arrive, but will be heading up for elk about that time. We have lots and lots of goats; hope you find a cooperative one.
Great thread. I'll be hunting with the Eichler's next year on an unguided antelope hunt.
I've hunted them before and I would add that if you are using a blind only have the windows open at the front facing the waterhole. If you are highlighted they will see you. Wear dark colors.
Stay in the blind till dark, sometimes they sneak in for a quick drink just before dark.
bring one of those spray bottles with a fan on it for the blind to stay cool.
Remember they are smaller than deer and are closer than they look.
Both times I went before I was holding out for a monster that I kept seeing but he never gave me a shot. This time, the first nice buck that comes along I'm taking. Just because you see big bucks doesn't mean they will come in to drink.