| Antelope - Rained Out Water Holes |
|
|
|
| Written by Chris Roe | |
| Tuesday, 02 September 2008 | |
|
So what do we do as pronghorn hunters when 2 to 4 inches of rain falls on our little honey hole, and every cattle track turns into a goat's personal water bottle? Some say, pack it up and wait until things dry back out. Others say switch to spot-and-stalk tactics. Which one do I think is the best? Both - depending...
For me it all boils down to the individual buck's behavior, and the country I'm hunting in. With the breeding season starting to kick into gear, and bucks looking pretty heavily at the ladies, a hunter is typically going to encounter one of two types of bucks; either one that has an "established" territory and tries to guard his does within that territory, or one that has no care for a territory, and simply guards the does wherever they may roam.
If you're hunting a buck that has a territory - and you can tell if you watch them, they'll stay in the same general area and keep their does within that area throughout the day/over several days - then working a water hole is still a good bet. Stay set up over the original water hole you identified earlier in the summer and either wait until it gets dry again, or "run interference" at other water holes/wet areas within the territory. What does that mean? Park your vehicle over near that new wet spot he's started using. Set up a cheap, flimsy blind - or a makeshift blind - over near the other water holes the buck may try to use. Make YOUR water hole (the one he was ORIGINALLY using for all those weeks earlier) the least "uncertain" and scary, and he'll likely come back.
If he doesn't have a territory? Well... then you're work may be cut out for you. If the terrain is rough, and there is at least a little vegetation you can hide behind, spot and stalk is likely the best answer. If you have the ability to use a decoy, give it a try. Typically, with bucks that simply guard doe groups, you'll need to catch them in a spot that allows for a close stalk (within 100 to 200 yards or so) so they feel they need to run the decoy off, rather than just move away from it. If you can throw in a challenge vocalization, even better! To get an idea of what I mean, go to www.yourwildlife.com then click on Services, then on Comprehensive Property Management, then on Recreation and Hunting Management. Watch the video clip, and you'll see exactly what I mean. Although this was a rifle hunt, it was a classic hunt for a goat that was guarding a doe, that was almost completely unapproachable, that allowed us to use the terrain and a challenge vocalization to make him come in and take a look. If we had had a decoy, he would have marched right in to under 50 yards of us. As it was, the hunter dropped him at 80.
Understanding the type of buck you're hunting, and in what type of terrain you're hunting, should dictate your "Plan B" tactics if your water hole gets rained out. Watch the goats, see if they're staying in one general area or if they are wandering all over the county, and hatch a game plan accordingly. Stick with it, and you'll have a good chance of connecting on that trophy! Set as favorite Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 494 Trackback(0)
Comments (3)
  written by Tom Sorenson, September 03, 2008
I just got back from an antelope hunt - we certainly didn't have that problem! It was well over 100 degrees the three days we sat in the blind - we just spent most of our time learning the area and antelope habits and about four hours really set up where we needed to be. Next time, we'll be better equipped to handle this hunt!
report abuse
vote down
vote up
Votes: +0
 written by aroney, September 04, 2008
Chris,
I am curious how you made those "blow" sounds for the pronghorn in the video. Were you using a call, and if so, what type? Aneal report abuse
vote down
vote up
Votes: +0
 written by Chris Roe, September 04, 2008
Actually for that hunt, I was just using my voice without a call.
For a commercially made pronghorn call though, I would recommend either the Primos Antelope Buster (high pitched pronghorn), the Primos Power Crow (gives you perfectly pitched pronghorn vocalizations - but a bit lower than Antelope Buster), or the old, wooden Lohman pronghorn call. My favorite is the Power Crow; look for it in the turkey hunting section wherever you buy your calls and you should find one. It has, in my opinion, a perfect pitch, and it can be extremely loud if you need it to be. Chris report abuse
vote down
vote up
Votes: +0
Write comment
|
|
| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 September 2008 ) |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comment form
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
