USA: Pronghorn In NW Colorado

3 down, 1 to go

Nice pronghorn Lee! Congrats

I was going to say that trusting the guy with judging your trophy with five bucks riding on the bet is pretty risky!

Nice trophy.
I think this may have taught a life lesson about trophy hunting when the big are on the line.

"First, biggest and most" started with $1 on each started our money losing as kids.

Good looking antelope. They have such beautiful coloration. I tend to get a bit blase' about them. I see some almost every day going to work. When I mow the lawn their dung is in the yard. 2 days ago there were 4 on the neighbors lawn. They are a cool animal and well adapted to their particular habitat. Congrats on your success.
Bruce

I think if you live in an area that has them then they become just a common animal. Especially compared to big Mulies and elk. We met a few CO locals and they were surprised we traveled from PA to only hunt antelope. For those who live on the east coast however, they are very unique. And you won't get a more active, spot and stalk type hunt. Add in that you frequently have some in sight and it is a fun hunt. Great for kids and new hunters who are used to our cell phone/cyber world with constant action. Add in mild weather as well. I'm coming back for deer and maybe elk in Nov, but i truly enjoy the early season antelope hunts. Here is good one I took in 2015.

2013's was a good year as well. This is why I'm hooked on these critters

I can’t seem to draw any tags in my home state of Colorado. Didn’t draw elk, deer, antelope, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose, nothing this year. I’m about to decide to only hunt out of state and just buy an OTC tag for elk in CO.
You guys are quite lucky! So glade you had such a fine successful hunt! It’s great to see guys and their kids out together!

What a hunt......very nice antelopes....four of them.....what a great hunt, what a pleasure to have the chance to be hunting with your son.......congrats to you both.......!!!!!

Lee,

You taken a few good ones over the years! Congrats

Day 3
Headed out early to get set up before sun up on the side of a sage ridge. Dropped off my friend and son and I walked another 700 yards around a corner to glass another area. It was now gray out and I saw a group of about 6 only 300 yards from my friend. I could make out a buck in the bino's but too dark to judge it. I went to the farther spot and sat down waiting for sunrise. As soon as light came over the hill I could see pronghorn. For the next hour I watched 2-3 groups from 300-1000 yards away moving about. There were clearly some does still in heat as the bucks were continually chasing 1-2 from the roughly 8-10 animals in each group. At one point a doe came up the ridge and passed by me at about 25 yards. The medium sized buck on her heals stopped even closer to me. I was hidden by some 3 foot tall sage, but they were too occupied to be alert. The buck was breathing so hard he sounded like he was wheezing. It was a really cool experience. I got a few text from my friend who wasn't seeing anything. I told him sit tight as sooner or later something would wander his way. Then I finally heard a shot. Good I thought. Then 5 secs later another shot. Ok I thought, could be a follow up shot. Then another 5 secs and a third shot. Uh oh I thought 3 is usually not good. Lol . A few mins later a group of lopes came around the corner in front of me from his direction. There was one medium buck. All seemed to be walking fine. I waited 5 mins and decided to head his way. I got there and he told me that a group came over from the top behind him but they were too close (75 yards) when passing and saw him when he turned to get lined up. He got a shot off but they were on the move out near 200. And as I mentioned earlier my friend rarely only shoots once. Lol. We looked for blood but there was nothing.

I had to take my antelope to the butcher before it got warm out so I left to take care of this and to wake my sleeping son from the hotel room. I put my friend in the spot I saw all the activity and told him I'd be back in 1-2 hours. We got back to the land about 1.5 hours later and could see their orange clothing on the hillside 1/2 mile from where we parked the car. I texted him saying I would drive in to get them. They said sit tight as the antelope show was back in action. We couldn't see the animals in the lower grassy flat, only the hillside due to the terrain. But through our bino's we could see my friend set up the stick and bring up his gun. About 5 mins later the first shot rang out. Then over the next few mins 3 more shots. Once we saw them walking down the hill we drove up to meet them. They had taken our last antelope. First shot was a clean miss at a reasonable range. Number 2 was a good hit but the antelope ran out to about 400 when hit and sat down. Then it took 2 shots to get a second fatal hit although the animal was likely done. So it wasn't as bad As my son and I assumed. We were smiling a little when the shooting started wondering what the over/under would be.

When my son saw the antelope he congratulated my friend on his 4th place finish. My friends son said there were two other better bucks moving about, but his dad said the first one to get inside 200 yards has a date with his 30.06. As I said, he is not picky. This is the only buck we shot with worn prongs.

Having issues posting pics. Will try again later.

It was then end of a great hunt that we all enjoyed. Constant action and likely the last father son hunt like this for a while as both our kids wlll be off to college next year. Time sure flies.

We are having plenty of sausage, meat sticks and other items made in the near future. I like Antelope much better than deer, especially mulies...

Happy hunting to all on AH! Shoot straight.

Thanks for the tale.

Happy eating. Congratulations.

Lee M, we like antelope as well. I try to draw a doe tag in Wyoming every year just to get meat in the freezer. I usually combine it with a fishing trip. It makes for a fun 3 day weekend.
Thanks for sharing your father son hunt!

Ya'll really did well on this hunt! Congrats all around

Congrats on the speed goats, and even more so getting young folks out hunting.
I know the area you were hunting in well.
Nice story

Great job on some nice goats! Y’all done good!

Lee M said:

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I didn’t realize how big those pronghorn antelopes were.i would like to hunt one one of these days.