# Help walk me off the ledge



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Okay guys I need some help before I go crazy. I have the archery SWD pronghorn tag and for a unit that is said to have 2,700 total animals and supposedly 900 of those being bucks I am almost totally blanking out. I may not be the best hunter out there but i think i could bump into more than the 100 doe and 20 buck antelope I have seen in 2 trips and driving and glassing the vast majority of the "antelope" country. 
Am I the only one not seeing these critters there? I will be giving the biologist a jingle to get his take but dang I am stumped. I am 2 shacks from turning the tag back in.


----------



## elkantlers (Feb 27, 2014)

you only need 1 buck.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Very true but I am not looking for a low 60" goat. I have yet to see one that excites me and I haven't killed many bucks.


elkantlers said:


> you only need 1 buck.


----------



## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Turn it back in. You "deserve" better than that.


----------



## elkantlers (Feb 27, 2014)

This is why it is a good idea to Pre-scout areas.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Loke, I don't think I deserve anything I just want to make sure I am not chasing the same few bucks as 22 other people. I don't mind hunting it if the critters are actually there. I am just looking from feedback from people with some experience in the area to know if I really am in for that much of a needle in a haystack hunt no matter what year I have it.


----------



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

20 bucks, gee, how many do you need? I hunted the Parker last year and only saw 4 bucks in 24 hours...'course just looking for a decent buck and not trying to set a world record, I filled my tag easily. You know, they don't call it huntin for nothing. Now get back out there and have a fun hunt.


----------



## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

Where are you looking? I saw 4 bucks and 2 were shooters driving home on Saturday on that unit. I also know where several shooters are just hanging out in alfalfa fields next to town and I haven't even really been looking for them.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

So do I really just need to stay closer to the fields then plotrunner? I have been trying to stay a little farther away from the private property due to wanting to avoid issues. I have been to Modena, across 8 mile road, all through pine valley twice, down wah wah valley, up and down lund hwy from the pig farms to milford. Looking to hit the country south and east of the pig farms this weekend. I am just a caught off guard how tough the sightings have been as it seems they are running when you drive by within 1/2 a mile. still have 2 more trips in mind to try and pin down an area.


----------



## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

Pine Valley is it's own unit so you need to stay north of the Lund Hwy. I will pm you some info....


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Listen to the Pastor and fear not. Keep after it and you'll do fine. -----SS


----------



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Have you talked to a biologist or C.O. from down there?


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

I did and he says the heard wintered well and just drive till you see them. I so far have about 400 miles on the unit so I will just keep on driving. I really believe the antelope are there I just can't believe the sighting are so hard. Feels more like a desert deer hunt than an antelope hunt. 
This area certainly has me thrown into a loop.



ridgetop said:


> Have you talked to a biologist or C.O. from down there?


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Thanks for the help plot. I sent you a text last night I hope you recieved. Pine valley actually extends through the middle of SWD as well. So when I say pine valley I am referencing the pine valley road north of lund.


plottrunner said:


> Pine Valley is it's own unit so you need to stay north of the Lund Hwy. I will pm you some info....


----------



## dwill53 (Feb 21, 2017)

G

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

I see antelope everyday, and nice bucks too! But they are on the WECCO road, which for some reason isn't part of the SWD boundary. 

We see bucks quite often out around Mud Springs. There were big groups of antelope out there this spring, running up and down the draws and through all the pinyon / juniper.

We also see goats west of Parowan Gap, and into the hills on the way to Minersville.

I'd look for water. Windmills / cattle troughs. There should be goats concentrated around them.


----------



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Alpine,
Archery or rifle? 
How many points?

Honestly, if I didn't have several good bucks found after 400 miles, 
I'd turn the tag back.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

it is the archery tag so not a lot of points invested. I am going to give the area between cedar and minersville a look this weekend as that may be the best area it seems. I really want to chase them this year and guess I just need some help in my spotting technique -O,-



goofy elk said:


> Alpine,
> Archery or rifle?
> How many points?
> 
> ...


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Ken I'm with goofy turn the tag in if your not finding what you want to hunt after 400 miles. It may be years before you hunt them again. You as well as anyone know antelope aren't that hard to find. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Have you taken the crystal peak rd. West from highway 257?
I've seen antelope around there, on my way between Delta and Cedar.


----------



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Frankly, there is very little use just driving around hoping to spot and stock antelope with a bow. Find an active water hole, set up in one of those tents and hope. Antelope with a bow...you got your work cut out for you. Study google earth for water or ask these guys on here that know that country where to find it. Wow, good luck.
Hope to heck it don't rain for a day or two before the hunt, those goats would be scattered from hell to breakfast.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Find a waterhole that is off and can't be seen from the highway. Then get out there just before daylight and watch it from a high point. 

I always see them between Garrison and Milford with very little problems.


----------



## jsc (Nov 13, 2007)

I hunted it last year for archery. I would be happy to help with what I learned. Pm sent with my number.

Thanks 
Jsc


----------



## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

Got your text and I will update and take pics as I see them. The area PBH mentioned is where I sent you the maps showing water holes. It's a solid unit with plenty of shooters so you will be fine.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Get a decoy and a call. That's way funner than sitting by a water hole. Dont turn the tag in......it's a Utah antelope tag. Go have fun. Chase those suckers around and fling arrows at them. Don't let all the serious crap get in the way of the fact that hunting is FUN! ----SS

PS......antelope hunting is especially fun.:grin:


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

BP I have several antelope with my bow and none were from a blind. I won't say they are easy shots but I will be flinging some carbon for sure. I have a decoy on order and will pair it with the be the "be the decoy" hats I have. I am certainly worried about the rain wrecking any waterhole action so I am not putting many chips on that table.


----------



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I've personally harvested 2 'spot and stalk'
Antelope,
Seen it done with 3 others as well. 

Very doable BP.
Essentially on units like the Paunsy were the antelope live in the trees.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Springville,
I have a decoy but was unaware of the calling aspect. What calls are you using?



Springville Shooter said:


> Get a decoy and a call. That's way funner than sitting by a water hole. Dont turn the tag in......it's a Utah antelope tag. Go have fun. Chase those suckers around and fling arrows at them. Don't let all the serious crap get in the way of the fact that hunting is FUN! ----SS
> 
> PS......antelope hunting is especially fun.:grin:


----------



## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

I took my speed goat spot n stalk. Had my wife there to hold the decoy. Worked out pretty good. Kept the buck still for long enough for me to shoot him with my bow. One of the funnest hunts of my whole life!


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Well another long dusty weekend on the desert. I did find more lopes but still struggling to find the big boys. I figure another 10 trips to the unit and I should have a big one picked out :grin:. This is the best I have seen, He has some nice cutters but not much length. The 16" goats I hear are lurking in the area have avoided my well. 1 more trip pre-season before the potential battle.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I use the Antelope Talk by E.L.K. I'm not sure that it much matters as antelope calls are a blowing/wheezing sound that doesn't seem very scientific. I can say from experience that they are effective for getting and keeping the attention of a buck, especially when used in conjunction with a juvenile buck decoy.-----SS


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I was unable to see your scouting pics. As far as 16" goats, I doubt there are very many of those hanging around. Surely there are a few, but I'd say 14"-15" is more typical for your big bucks. Pretty easy for a 14" goat with the right mass and prongs to go over 80". IF you're a dead set trophy hunter, concentrate on mass and prongs. If not, go chase a bunch of animals, have fun, and realize that a 14" antelope will look great on the wall. In fact, they look a lot like the ones that people call 16" on the internet.--------SS


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I also can't see your photo.

I honestly don't know what it takes to grow big antelope but some units can go years without producing big ones then all the sudden one year grow several. 
As far as 16" goats I'm with Springville shooter. I think most goats people call 16 are really 14 or less. Makenzies goat was 16" and was one of the biggest ones I've ever seen.
However utah is a state you don't want alot of antelope points in imho so you do have a dilemma. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

Oh, they are there alright! I'm sorry you haven't seen many, but it's been my experience that novice pronghorn hunters don't do the glassing they would do if they were hunting big mule deer bucks. You'd probably be shocked at the number of bucks you passed as you drove down those roads, especially if the days are as hot as they've been here. There isn't much shade so they tend to crawl under a big sagebrush with only their head and horns showing and they won't get up unless they see you stopping and getting out of the vehicle. And even then they may not move 'til you start walking toward them. 

Another thing they do is move into the trees out of "pronghorn country". If you're driving down a road with hills and cedar trees on one side and sagebrush flats on the other, look in the trees as much as you look in the flats. The biggest 'lope I've ever seen (a true 16") some years ago, was hanging in the cedar trees with his does near a corral at the mouth of "*****" Liza Canyon (The computer program won't let me write the "N" word which is what everyone here has always called it .) He brought them down to feed later in the day and I was set up at a water hole inside another corral, but he/they never did come in, so I tried to stalk them and got to within 60 yards (beyond my range) when daylight and the season ran out. Yes, he was that big. A CO who saw me that morning stalking another buck, but didn't know what I was doing, drove down the road and stopped which busted up my stalk. After I explained what I was doing and showed him my tag, he felt bad about ruining my stalk and told me about the 16" buck which I hunted the rest of that last day.

In any case, there's no reason to turn your tag in! Just spend more time glassing and looking for those dark horns above the sagebrush or in the trees. And don't count out waterholes even if it rains. Antelope are creatures of habit and will use waterholes out of habit and since the archery hunt happens during the rut, the bucks will go where the does go.


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Elkfromabove alpine is hardly a novice antelope hunter. I'm positive if there were bucks in the area he would find them. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Pronghorn are the hardest to judge for me. We've killed goats I thought would be HUGE only to find on the ground small heads with 5" ears throwing off the whole look. 

On the opposite side of the spectrum, a couple years ago we glassed a buck for a good 15 minutes at 150 yards while my wife hem'ed and haw'ed trying to decide if she wanted to shoot it or look for something bigger. I kept saying I thought it was pretty good... she finally shot it, it ended up being her largest ever, and we almost passed on it. It had the biggest head / body I've ever seen up close, with long ears making the horns look smaller than they were.

The WY goat I shot last year, I thought he was decent, nothing great... he ended up being my biggest goat to date.

/shrug

We killed a dozen or so goats up in 17 in WY outside Gillette, those were some OLD gnarly, scarred, black as night faced bucks ... most of those were only 12 3/4 to 13 1/2". Bucks there were pretty uncommon to get above 14". Awesome looking bucks though. I always wondered if their shorter horn length was genetics, climate, habitat or somesuch.

Shoot what you think looks good on the wall, never put a tape to it ;-)


-DallanC


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

What do you guys use to post pics now. It appears photobucket charges now to view photos on a forum.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Just post them in the gallery on the forums here.

If you want to check it out DallanC has a site.

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/27-photos-video-trail-cams/178482-free-picture-hosting.html


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

alpinebowman said:


> What do you guys use to post pics now. It appears photobucket charges now to view photos on a forum.


I'm offering free hosting. Details here:

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/27-photos-video-trail-cams/178482-free-picture-hosting.html

-DallanC


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)




----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Thanks Dallan. Looks like I am in business again.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

That guy would do.


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

My guess is that one would go 72 to 74

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

A front pic of him


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

You found far more on him then I have but I am novice at the better goats. I was thinking high 68-69"


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Perfect example of a hard to judge goat. He's an older goat looking at the black bridge of nose. He also doesn't curl down on the ends making him look a little longer than he actually is. Overall a good looking goat, I've shot alot smaller ones over the years I've been very happy with.

How close to the road is it? :mrgreen:

-DallanC


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

alpinebowman said:


> A front pic of him


I was going to guess him at 14 1/4" from the side picture. That front angle though makes it more clear. I'd guess 13 3/4"

Good goat with a bow... heck any buck antelope with a bow is impressive.

-DallanC


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

I was certainly closer to 13.5" Dallan and he was close enough to the road for a looong shot for a bow I would have sent his way. 
It is so crazy how dirty all of the lopes look on the unit. Just across the way on the Dutton all of them look as if they are ready for a pageant. the Dutton lopes seem to just glow on the prairie and these guys more fade into the drab.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I should post a couple pictures of the WY:17 goats we'd get. They looked like they had been through a blender. Flags busted off, scars all down the sides, missing hair... muddy & Dirty. Mean grouchy old bucks. Alot of fun to shoot though! 

I found a landowner back then that would let us come on his private ground opening day and hunt. He enjoyed talking about the land and telling stories so he always offered to drive us around. I felt like he was throwing in free guiding so I always said yes. As a bonus all the goats were really used to his truck and we'd frequently drive up within 100 yards of bucks. Kindof gave up on that unit when the dwr came out with the "special" tag system and blew up the draw odds.


-DallanC


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

alpinebowman said:


> You found far more on him then I have but I am novice at the better goats. I was thinking high 68-69"


After looking at him again I think your correct. I over judged him. Heck I under judged Makenzie's buck by 8 inches lol. Their body size can definatly screw up how you judge them. Makenzies bucks body was huge. I think your bucks body is on the smaller side compared to hers but it's still got a decent body.

Here are 3 photos of her buck alive and 1 photo of it on the ground. hers grossed dang near 84" 16" tall 7" bases. I think it looks smaller alive.

I'm also posting another photo of a buck we would have been happy to get. I think it's bigger then the buck you posted. Maybe closer to 76"





































Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## CROC (Sep 12, 2007)

I would be happy with that buck on a bow hunt, Just Sayin'


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Well that was short and sweet thanks to a good bit of luck. Thanks to all that helped with info. I ended up getting a good one in the end that is a good couple inches bigger than anything I had verified scouting. He may be the better buck I had seen 2 weeks ago but bad heat waves prevented a good ID. Saw this one very well Friday night and had him down by 9:30 opening day. I ended up on the north end after spending 90% on the south end. I will post pics when I get them uploaded.


----------



## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Awesome!!! Congrats! Looking forward to pics.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Here he is. I haven't measured him real well yet but a quick look puts him at 15" long and around 73" total. He is well above what I expected going into the weekend after all of the scouting but was thrilled to get a chance that I was able to capitalize on.


----------



## muleydeermaniac (Jan 17, 2008)

That's a good lookin Goat! Congrats!


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

You spot and stalk or did you sit in a blind 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## Buckfinder (May 23, 2009)

Nice buck congrats!!


----------



## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

Nice buck, glad it worked out for you guys...


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

SW I killed him from a blind which is new for me for sure. 

Plotrunner, we are still looking for one more for my buddy so we may hit your area again this weekend.


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Congrats!


----------



## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

Awesome! Not many deductions, so he should score quite well. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity and you were certainly prepared. Congratulations!


----------



## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Congratulations. I'd say your dedication and perseverance paid off!


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I must say Ken you are as deadly with a bow as anyone I've ever seen. Do you ever eat tag lol?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Awesome buck Alpine! One of the coolest looking animals in North America in my opinion. Yours will make a fine mount for sure. I just read a study that concluded that antelope horn growth peaks around year 3 with many in the study reaching close to 80" by year 2. Amazing creatures.------SS


----------

