# Doe Pronghorn



## dunn_gary (Sep 11, 2007)

I drew a doe pronghorn tag for the Cache/Morgan-South Rich area. It goes until the 26th. I went opening day up around Randolph, and even had an experienced hunter from Randolph take me around to areas especially between Randolph and Woodruff. We saw one young buck pronghorn. I did go up through Rock Creek and came into Randolph from the back side. I hunted for just a short time North of New Canyon and saw 5, 1 buck and 4 doe up on a ridge some 350 yards away. They spooked and ran before I could get a good shot off. I am very disappointed in the amount of critters in the area. The DWR sold some 180 tags over 3 hunts, but there aren't the critters to warrant that many. In fact, there probably shouldn't have been a hunt! I just have a question and wonder if anyone knows where they are hiding out? I don't feel that it's worth the expense to drive back up there and look around for nothing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I did have a friend tell me that they hunted black powder up that way, and over 5 days of hunting deer, they only saw 10 speed goats whereas they normally have seen 100s. I am pissed at the DWR though. There aren't even any hanging out in the farmers' fields just behind Randolph, where normally there are several.:-x


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

I was up there during the archery deer hunt and we saw over 100 in less than an hour just north of Randolph in about 12 different herds. They are around. Get a good pair of bino's and use them. They are in that valley.


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## N8ON (Oct 7, 2010)

Uh oh, I have the December tag :shock: Hopefully they show up for you.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Before you criticize the DWR you have to under stand that the majority of the pronghorn on this unit are non-residents to Utah. Their estimates on the different hunts are strategically calculated according to the migration of speed goats from Wyoming. Even though the habitat that you are looking over appears to be open sage brush you would be amazed at how many speed goats hide in dips and gully and washouts. 

I find it hilarious that people post on here like they have performed a documentary on the life of big game species after a short trip of just a day or 2 on the unit.


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Nambaster said:


> Before you criticize the DWR you have to under stand that the majority of the pronghorn on this unit are non-residents to Utah. Their estimates on the different hunts are strategically calculated according to the migration of speed goats from Wyoming. Even though the habitat that you are looking over appears to be open sage brush you would be amazed at how many speed goats hide in dips and gully and washouts.
> 
> I find it hilarious that people post on here like they have performed a documentary on the life of big game species after a short trip of just a day or 2 on the unit.


+1
I spent a lot of my teenage goofing off days all over up that way. There was never a shortage of antelope then and I see them every single time I drive past there even now. I can guarantee you there are 50+ head within 5 miles of town.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

PM sent


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## dunn_gary (Sep 11, 2007)

I find it interesting that some are so quick to condemn. Thanks, Middlefork for the pm. But when the residents of Randolph are telling me there just aren't the animals there this year, I tend to believe them. Plus there has already been an earlier hunt. And I will condemn the DWR! A few years ago, I had a buck pronghorn tag for down Parker Mt. way. I've killed many over the years from that area. They sold all sorts of tags that year, does, bucks, archery, BP, and such. After the buck hunt, they asked that the other hunters please turn in their tags as the herd had been decimated. Apparently the Spring before, they had trapped and shipped out a few hundred to another area to help build that herd. They then proceeded to oversell permits, and then had to ask people not to hunt? And, BTW, (I could be misinformed on this) they didn't refund money!


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

PM answered. Let me know if you have any more questions.


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## izzydog (Jan 18, 2008)

I was up there for the opener of the rifle hunt with a friend who drew the tag. It looked like the deer opener. Trespassers and orange clad hunters everywhere. Not to mention the one death. I think somebody made a small miscalculation when they changed the boundaries and gave away too many tags for that unit this year. I should have enough points to draw next year but I don't think I'll be putting in for that area.


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

dunn_gary said:


> I find it interesting that some are so quick to condemn. Thanks, Middlefork for the pm. But when the residents of Randolph are telling me there just aren't the animals there this year, I tend to believe them. Plus there has already been an earlier hunt. And I will condemn the DWR! A few years ago, I had a buck pronghorn tag for down Parker Mt. way. I've killed many over the years from that area. They sold all sorts of tags that year, does, bucks, archery, BP, and such. After the buck hunt, they asked that the other hunters please turn in their tags as the herd had been decimated. Apparently the Spring before, they had trapped and shipped out a few hundred to another area to help build that herd. They then proceeded to oversell permits, and then had to ask people not to hunt? And, BTW, (I could be misinformed on this) they didn't refund money!


They did refund money and points my wife and I had tags we got our money back minus the app and point fees I people didn't get there money back its there own fault you had to send the tag in and they refunded money but I will agree they screwed up the plateau unit not the antelope there used to be down there


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## nelsonccc (Jul 8, 2014)

chukarflusher said:


> They did refund money and points my wife and I had tags we got our money back minus the app and point fees I people didn't get there money back its there own fault you had to send the tag in and they refunded money but I will agree they screwed up the plateau unit not the antelope there used to be down there


That's not good to hear! I'm headed that way in a few weeks for my Doe Pronghorn hunt. I'll be there from Nov 6th to the 17th. I think I saw that there were 300 permits for the Plateau unit for Doe Pronghorn. Hoping to focus on the extreme southern end of the unit, but we'll see.

Wonder if there is a deadline to return the tag for a refund?


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

This was a couple years ago that happened I have been down there this year hunting sage grouse and spent ten days hunting elk around there there is antelope you shouldn't have a problem I'll be down there me and my wife have goat tags and she has an elk tag if you are having trouble shoot me a pm I'll give us a hand I've hunted down there for goats for a long time


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

I should rephrase the antelope aren't like they used to be but with some hunting you should have plenty of chances


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## NevadaMax (Nov 28, 2013)

PM sent


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## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

I was out there sage grouse hunting yesterday. I went to the otter creek area, and only saw a few bucks on private land. Maybe check up more towards bear lake.


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## dunn_gary (Sep 11, 2007)

I went to where a couple of you told me on Saturday. Well, first I went to hunt deer and shot a small buck, which happened to be the only deer I saw! Then I took off up to where a couple of you mentioned. I talked to some deer hunters, and they said they saw a herd of 20 or so pronghorn early in the morning but that they ran into the trees. I looked for them for a bit with no luck. I also waited for a few hours to see if they would come out; they didn't. There were so many deer hunters in that area though, that I'm sure they were spooked bad. I guess this year is going to be a bust on the doe speed goats. Oh well. There is some deer in the freezer, so I guess it could be worse.

Thanks to those who were willing to help out.


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## nelsonccc (Jul 8, 2014)

I'm just hoping that with 2 weeks committed I can manage to make it happen. It'll be my first time in the unit and my first time hunting pronghorn. Any suggestions on where to stage for base camp? I'm kind of planning on camping somewhere central and heading out each day to look for something. It's such a big unit though!


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## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

nelsonccc, I've hunted antelope in this unit most of my life, usually around the randolph and woodruf area. Over the last few years I've seen less and less around. Otter creek area was a good go to spot, although I did not see any up there last week. Up towards Bear lake can be good too. Try to get off the main roads, and look in the little pockets that you can't see into from the road. The antelope are there, you just have to look where no one else is looking. I saw a few bucks around last week, so I'm sure the does are there. Shoot me a PM if you have any questions on specifics.


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## digginfreek (Dec 5, 2007)

pm sent


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

Dunn Gary is spot on I spent most of my life in that area and I can tell you between all of the permits the DWR gave out the last few years and the land owner and Depredation hunts they have wiped out one of the best herds in the state good luck to anyone that has a permit up there. i have a question for all the experts on here how can they give out so many permits and hunt them from sept-January and not expect to wipe out the entire herd ?


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

The depredation employee for the division of wildlife makes a trip up there on almost a weekly basis doing head counts on pronghorn responding to complaints. If you know anyone who has had cancer that has spread to lymph nodes you probably know that there is no way to keep the cancer from coming back. Those pronghorn on that unit are the same way. There is a constant flow of new recruits that flow from Wyomings unit 100 and 98. Unfortunately we cannot get compensation from Wyoming for these invaders that come onto our land so we issue tags. 

The Cache unit is not like the Plateau where it can be shot out by hunters. There will always be a constant flow of new generations of speed goats coming from Goobs home state. Unfortunately the speed goats are unaware of when they cross state lines. There has already been a significant decrease in tags issued for that unit this year. Previously 2 doe tags were even issued to individual hunters. Even if we harvested every single pronghorn on the unit in one day utilizing some kind of heat signature, there would be new animals on the unit within hours. Deseret is loaded with pronghorn and there are at least 2 other CWMU's that are withing the Cache boundary with pronghorn going in and out of the boundary lines. 

Sure there is not a plethora of pronghorns at the moment and the hunting can be hard. Fortunately that is hunting. My name will be in the draw next year for that very tag. If I draw it and I don't see a single animal I am still happy to be out hunting.


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## nelsonccc (Jul 8, 2014)

SidVicious said:


> nelsonccc, I've hunted antelope in this unit most of my life, usually around the randolph and woodruf area. Over the last few years I've seen less and less around. Otter creek area was a good go to spot, although I did not see any up there last week. Up towards Bear lake can be good too. Try to get off the main roads, and look in the little pockets that you can't see into from the road. The antelope are there, you just have to look where no one else is looking. I saw a few bucks around last week, so I'm sure the does are there. Shoot me a PM if you have any questions on specifics.


My bad. My tag is for the Plateau unit. When I saw Otter Creek I assumes it was the Otter Creek reservoir in the Plateau unit. And here I am trying to find a Bear Lake up on Boulder Mtn to see what you're talking about!-O,-

I do appreciate your willingness to help. I'm hoping for some success down near Antimony and Bryce next month!


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

That is great info Nambaster I don't agree with it but your right it is hunting but when you go from seeing a few hundred a day to not seeing any I would say there is a problem I know they didn't give out two doe permits this year but I am sure the landowner tags will still be given out just like the depredation tags I don't care if they own the land the animals are owned by everyone and should not be shot all year long.


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## digginfreek (Dec 5, 2007)

Any luck?


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