Antelope!!!

astepanuk · #1 04-09-2016, 04:28 PM

Who is excited for the upcoming antelope season sitting with Priority 13 cant wait. Wish I didn't live 8 hours from the area were going to hunt, How are the Goats looking they must have had a great winter with the Mild Weather.

elk396 · #2 04-09-2016, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astepanuk

Who is excited for the upcoming antelope season sitting with Priority 13 cant wait. Wish I didn't live 8 hours from the area were going to hunt, How are the Goats looking they must have had a great winter with the Mild Weather.

You can't grow a 15 inch goat in one year. The numbers are horrible down south. we get nailed with tough winters and then SRD throws too many tags out year after year. I would do some serious spring scouting where you are planning on hunting to be sure you want to apply first, or you will be greatly disappointed . Last fall I saw only 8 inch bucks, so they aren't even shooters this year. Many fellas I spoke with encountered similar findings in their hunting areas. Good luck!

elkhunter11 · #3 04-09-2016, 05:24 PM

I am a P13 as well, and the options are to draw now when larger bucks are harder to find, or wait and risk AEP doing something stupid like capping the priority at 10 in the next year or so. If they do that, it may take a few more years to draw, and that brings the risk of another potential bad winter, and perhaps waiting another five years.

hal53 · #4 04-09-2016, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elk396

You can't grow a 15 inch goat in one year. The numbers are horrible down south. we get nailed with tough winters and then SRD throws too many tags out year after year. I would do some serious spring scouting where you are planning on hunting to be sure you want to apply first, or you will be greatly disappointed . Last fall I saw only 8 inch bucks, so they aren't even shooters this year. Many fellas I spoke with encountered similar findings in their hunting areas. Good luck!

I have a high priority as well, I think I'll sit on it for another year until my grandson can go. The problem, I think, with the long wait for a draw is you will end up with very few trophy animals, if a guy waits 12-14 years for the draw, he will shoot any legal antelope on the 2nd to last or last day he has to hunt...

astepanuk · #5 04-09-2016, 05:28 PM

I've been waiting for years to finally hunt a goat I sure would love to get an 80" goat but I know id be happy with a 70" for my first one. I'm also packing Priority 8 for Archery antelope defiantly not afraid to strap the boots on and hike for hours to find a good goat.

whitetail Junkie · #6 04-09-2016, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hal53

if a guy waits 12-14 years for the draw, he will shoot any legal antelope on the 2nd to last or last day he has to hunt...

X2

whitetail Junkie · #7 04-09-2016, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

that brings the risk of another potential bad winter,

This....last few winters have been very mild,I'd be pulling the trigger on 806 or the wmu118,102 zone"......8 years to go for me

nube · #8 04-09-2016, 05:47 PM

I'm headed to New Mexico for one this year. Going to see some crankers in the area we are going i am thinking.

ram crazy · #9 04-09-2016, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

This....last few winters have been very mild,I'd be pulling the trigger on 806 or the wmu118,102 zone"......8 years to go for me

I wouldn't waste my time on 118/102. I know two fellows that drew that tag last year and they shot little guys. The numbers aren't like they used to be.

ram crazy · #10 04-09-2016, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astepanuk

I've been waiting for years to finally hunt a goat I sure would love to get an 80" goat but I know id be happy with a 70" for my first one. I'm also packing Priority 8 for Archery antelope defiantly not afraid to strap the boots on and hike for hours to find a good goat.

You would probably have to settle for a 70 incher.

astepanuk · #11 04-09-2016, 06:46 PM

We Shall See hopefully Ill be posting a picture next fall of a dandy Goat.

gpelker · #12 04-09-2016, 07:39 PM

hunted archery in 102 / 118, 2 years ago and the numbers were way down from when we had hunted rifle there 3 years previously, down by 75%!
we got 1 good goat - 73" out of 2, maybe seen 2 others over 70".
hoping this last winter will let the populations catch up again.

wildwoods · #13 04-09-2016, 10:08 PM

Still slugging out my priority.
Booked wyoming in August to skip the painful wait!

OP 8 hrs away?! Stinks for scouting that's for sure. Be sure to post when you tag out!!!

astepanuk · #14 04-10-2016, 07:39 AM

Your telling me we will be headed down a few days before the season to hopefully sit on a good Goat.

elkhunter11 · #15 04-10-2016, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astepanuk

Your telling me we will be headed down a few days before the season to hopefully sit on a good Goat.

When I go down, I try and find at least three potential pronghorns for opening day, so that I have a backup plan. It's not like I am going to be the only person hunting them in the area, and I have gone out in the dark, to find other people already waiting for daylight to try and take the same buck. Some people actually stay with a buck until dark, and sleep in their vehicle, so that they can be the first one come morning.

Hemi Ram Truck · #16 04-11-2016, 04:51 PM

oh man i cant wait till i can take down one of those guys

best of luck out there bud

elkhunter11 · #17 04-14-2016, 10:29 AM

I was on the fence as to whether to draw my tag this year with a P-13, but our courts just made the decision for me. I will apply to draw a tag this year, before I lose the opportunity, and that will definitely be my last pronghorn in Alberta. Unfortunately many Alberta hunters may never draw a tag, and those that do, will likely only draw one in their lifetime.

pinchy · #18 04-14-2016, 10:41 AM

809 was good for me last yr just east of medicine hat,landowners were very friendly

albertabighorn · #19 04-14-2016, 11:01 AM

Need a few more easy winters before we see the population come back and get to "pick" out which buck you want. Good luck on the hunt!

elkhunter11 · #20 04-14-2016, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albertabighorn

Need a few more easy winters before we see the population come back and get to "pick" out which buck you want. Good luck on the hunt!

The risk being that if a person waits to draw a tag, either AEP may change the system, or we might have another harsh winter. As well, we may see a significant increase in unlicensed hunters in the very near future, due to a recent court decision. So the options are draw while you can, and hope to find a good buck, or wait, and hope to draw a tag, and even then, the trophy potential may be even worse after a harsh winter, or after more unlicensed hunters start killing pronghorns.

wildwoods · #21 04-14-2016, 11:33 AM

If we keep getting these mild winters we'll soon have a camrose speech goat wmu choice.

BDAJ · #22 04-14-2016, 01:02 PM

I'm a P9 this year so I don't imagine my odds are great. Saw a few bucks last November down south that I would gladly take as my first Antelope.

Faststeel · #23 04-14-2016, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astepanuk

Who is excited for the upcoming antelope season sitting with Priority 13 cant wait. Wish I didn't live 8 hours from the area were going to hunt, How are the Goats looking they must have had a great winter with the Mild Weather.

Most of them winter in Montana. FS

NCC · #24 04-16-2016, 11:11 AM

I'm pulling my tag this year. If I can't find a decent antelope after waiting 12 years I'll eat my tag and go to Wyoming to find a good one.

waldedw · #25 04-16-2016, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I was on the fence as to whether to draw my tag this year with a P-13, but our courts just made the decision for me. I will apply to draw a tag this year, before I lose the opportunity, and that will definitely be my last pronghorn in Alberta. Unfortunately many Alberta hunters may never draw a tag, and those that do, will likely only draw one in their lifetime.

I hear you bud am a P11 this year so hopefully will get a tag, my last tag was in 2004 and I was a P4, my next tag will likely take a P16 or P18, which would put me in my 80's and given my current health battle I don't like those odds. Having said that I have taken 3 nice antelope in Alberta over the course of the last 30 years so I guess one should not complain to much, but this is the AO forum and we are allowed to complain.

Shepard.. · #26 04-16-2016, 09:39 PM

1)Get a really dam good set of boots and a really good spotting scope. Pre scouting is the key to a successful TROPHY antelope.

2)Watch for rattle snakes on hot days and prepare to walk and spot all day. The big leases and ranches in south country are mostly walk only and the roads you are allowed to access by vehicle are few and far. LoL.There is no North/South grid in the south country and the big guys know it.

3) Good luck. There are some nice trophies out there depending on how hard you wanna work and zone. Make sure your legit, 90% chance you will meet the local friendly F&W officer

albertabighorn · #27 04-17-2016, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The risk being that if a person waits to draw a tag, either AEP may change the system, or we might have another harsh winter. As well, we may see a significant increase in unlicensed hunters in the very near future, due to a recent court decision. So the options are draw while you can, and hope to find a good buck, or wait, and hope to draw a tag, and even then, the trophy potential may be even worse after a harsh winter, or after more unlicensed hunters start killing pronghorns.

Yeah you cant have it all ELK11