Dashing through the snow

[Hummer]

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!



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.




A pronghorn antelope hunt is always good exercise before elk season which is only a week away!

[Irving]

Was it nerve racking having that many hunters so close?

[Hummer]

Was it nerve racking having that many hunters so close?

Yea, for a time it was like being downrange in a shooting gallery. At daybreak I walked through a basin where 3 hunters had stationed on surrounding hills. There was a big buck working to keep his harem of 20 does in a close group, and these guys start shooting at the running lopes and I had ricocheted bullets whizzing by. I was standing in the open and knew I couldn't get any closer to the buck so I high tailed it up a draw to a distant ridge where I could watch the action. The antelope all jumped the fence onto private--I don't think any of those hunters hit anything but rocks.

Later, most other hunters seemed to respect distances between one another....

In the four past years I hunted that area I always went a couple days after opening weekend. Had the whole area to myself. To see it on opening morning was a revelation--a lot more hunters and a whole lot more animals. Hunter pressure can be used to benefit but you have to be careful.

[whitbaby]

The antelope all jumped the fence onto private--

Interesting, I've never seen a pronghorn jump over a fence. All the ones I've seen crawl under it while they all looked perfectly capable of jumping it.
Maybe they only go over it when terrified.

[Hummer]

Interesting, I've never seen a pronghorn jump over a fence. All the ones I've seen crawl under it while they all looked perfectly capable of jumping it.
Maybe they only go over it when terrified.

I've watched a lot of fence crossing and it does depend on both the fence and the pressure but in general the more mature animals jump over and the smaller ones go under or between the wire.

Fwiw, goat hunting was so two weeks ago; tomorrow I head off looking for elk!

Good hunting, everyone!

[sellersm]

Good hunt! Congrats! Is it time for a rangefinder?

[Hummer]

Good hunt! Congrats! Is it time for a rangefinder?

Probably so, or a rangefinding scope with higher magnification. I can't mount a modern scope on my old Winchester 54, so I'd need a new rifle, too. I've been lusting after a new Model 70 lightweight....

[sniper7]

nicely done! I was in the same boat!

[Dave]

At least it ended on a good note for you after some frayed nerves. I have to admit I've never been a fan of antelope steaks, but I did have some good sausages from one a friend of mine got last year from bow hunting.

[Buff]

Reading your OP just makes me appreciate the 150 sections my wifes uncle has and allows a few select people hunt on. I can go a day and never run into anyone unless I go looking.
You have more nerve than I, if I saw the landscape liitered with orange I would have left for fear of getting shot.

Nice buck by the way.