Pronghorn hunts are usually done in warm fall weather but this one proved to be different. Last Friday I packed the snow camo and headed to northwest Colorado during a snowstorm to hunt for a pronghorn buck. I arrived after dark traveling slick back roads in blizzard conditions and 8 inches of wet snow. The small 3 square mile area of public land is heavily hunted and I was hoping the weather would discourage other hunters, especially because the area is open to foot travel only.
Camping in the back of the truck I got up at 4:30 planning to beat some of the crowd by hiking into the farther reaches of the parcel. With luck they'd push some animals my direction. It pretty much happened that way as I had several shootable bucks come within 400-500 yards (a little far for my 4x scope).
The weather didn't keep hunters away as I counted a dozen or more within two miles of my position. This wasn't altogether bad as they kept the animals moving, pin-balling around the prairie between groups of hunters. I finally had an opportunity when 2 bucks and a doe stopped down a fence line from me. I guessed the range at 220 yards, missed the shot and the dash was on. Later, I paced the distance at 330 yards, darn!
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Several other bucks were seen through the day but none within range. I watched one absolute pig of a buck hop the fence onto public land at about 700 yards. Given the position of other hunters there I decided to stay put, and a half hour later that buck crossed back onto the private ground. He trotted right behind a hunter who never saw him.
The next day I hunted the same area covering more ground. There were fewer hunters, but it seemed most of of the animals had also moved out of the area. Later in the day I spotted a nice buck with a couple of does. A short stalk and a quick offhand shot at ~150 yards brought him down.
By this time much of the snow had melted into mud, and dragging the animal a quarter mile was an ordeal. I should have cut him up and packed it out in 2 or 3 loads.
Soon after I got home he was hanging, skinned, cut up and in the refrigerator. We butchered and packaged the next day; it will make some great steaks and sausage.
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A pronghorn antelope hunt is always good exercise before elk season which is only a week away!
