I have only been speedy hunting once (last year and it was a doe) but saw quite a few. I will also be relying on the folks that will be guiding/driving us around. I am just happy that I am going to get to hunt this year as this might very well be it for the year for me. Can't wait to get up there and get to it
You'll have a great time no matter what.
To clarify some things about pronghorn scores, representative animals, etc.
For starters for anyone to make the claim that in a day or two of looking you "should be able to find one over 80" is a joke. An even bigger joke when those making the claim don't even know for sure where you'll be hunting, what kind of access you have, etc. Keep in mind when these types of statements are made, that in the last B&C recording period, there were 129 pronghorns entered in Wyoming that made 80" or better. That's in a 3 year period, so an average of 43 entered per year. Considering that Wyoming issues around 35,000 buck antelope tags/year, and harvest is in the 25,000 range...pretty easy to do the math on how many bucks are entered that officially score 80+. Basically 1 out of every 550-600 antelope killed will be entered and score 80, that's a wake-up call to those throwing numbers around that they don't understand. Are there some additional bucks killed that make 80 net and not entered? Sure, but even assuming that another 40 a year are not entered, you're still looking at 1 out of every 300 antelope bucks killed, officially making 80 net.
So, point being, be very cautious when asking for advice on what you "should" be able to find, score wise, in the area you plan to hunt.
To me, "representative" pronghorn is a pretty wide net to cast. It really depends on what kind of access you have, how much time you have to hunt, how well you can judge them, etc. etc.
But, in very general terms, an HONEST 75 inch buck is a good bar to set for a very good representative buck. These types of bucks will stand out in any hunting unit in Wyoming compared to a vast majority of bucks you'll see. They will likely be in the 14-15 inch range, 6 inch mass below the prong, 5.5 above the prong, and 5 inch prongs. That will get you in the neighborhood of 75.
This is what a 75 inch buck will look like. A friend of mine shot this one a couple years ago. For the unit he was hunting, considering the time he had to hunt, some physical limitations, last week of the season, etc. etc...he would have been crazy to pass it up. I don't remember all the score specifics, but I do know it was 15 inches and pretty close to the numbers I Iisted above on the rest.
When you compare that buck to the one on the bottom of my first post, there is flat no way that the buck in question is anywhere near "mid-70's" It would have to hurry to make 70...small prong, no mass, and no length is never going to add up to 75.
If you're hunting this fall, and you want a representative animal...you will see a lot of bucks like that one. If you're looking for mid-70's, don't bother even tapping the brakes on the truck for a second look...drive on by to the next one.
The best advice I can give you is to first of all have fun, pronghorn allow for a very fun hunt. Look a bunch over, keep your expectations realistic, and don't worry about score. Remember that killing a true B&C pronghorn is a tall order, they just aren't around every piece of sagebrush out there.
Good luck.
