Decoy Pronghorn early August?

[Khunter]

What do y’all expert archery pronghorn hunters have to say about decoying for bucks first week of August?

Have a NV tag with season opening August 1st and kinda need to hit it that first week to make room for Aug 16th UT elk hunt opener.

Did successfully decoy a nice buck in Ut one year on August 17th but Aug 1st seems pretty early but never tried thus this query.

Thx in advance for 1st hand accounts. Bonus points for including pics of formerly living pronghorn decoyed to their demise.in early August!

 

[mevertsen]

Not sure about decoying that early. They will be heavily tied to water or ag fields.

I have a hunt starting August 15th (muzzle loader). I haven't decided if I will hunt water or field edges yet.

Good luck.

 

[Khunter]

Not sure about decoying that early. They will be heavily tied to water or ag fields.

I have a hunt starting August 15th (muzzle loader). I haven't decided if I will hunt water or field edges yet.

Good luck.

Thx. I do not generally hunt water but do on occasion. Just so much prefer spot/stalk or decoy action.

 

[JohnCushman]

I start archer hunting the 15th of August. I've had really good luck flagging them with a white pillow case. Me second P&Y buck There was a sparse clump of sake brushes and I tied the pillow case onto a chunk of sage he could easily see and set up downwind behind another bush about 20 yards away. He saw the pillow case and headed right to it. His attention was on the case and I was able to come to full draw and actually stand up behind the bush and shoot him at about 25 yards.

 

[David Gough]

Not sure about decoying that early. They will be heavily tied to water or ag fields.

I have a hunt starting August 15th (muzzle loader). I haven't decided if I will hunt water or field edges yet.

Good luck.

Those early muzzleloader hunts intrigue me. Will probably apply for some of them once I'm out of the penalty box.

 

[mevertsen]

I was hesitant.

But I figured WTH. Its a local unit, and I can hunt the entire season. With it being that early, they are still very easy to pattern, and the rut not started, so pretty calm.

This is my 4th buck tag I think, 1 archery, 2 rifle tags. I've filled both rifle tags, not the archery. Plus a few doe tags, all in the same unit group. Should be fun.

 

[2rocky]

Might as well try it! Maybe on a younger buck you don't mind spooking or educating. Most antelope tags are in a target rich environment so if it doesn't work, on to the next one ol' son......

 

[David Gough]

I was hesitant.

But I figured WTH. Its a local unit, and I can hunt the entire season. With it being that early, they are still very easy to pattern, and the rut not started, so pretty calm.

This is my 4th buck tag I think, 1 archery, 2 rifle tags. I've filled both rifle tags, not the archery. Plus a few doe tags, all in the same unit group. Should be fun.

Less hunters in the area too. I'll be helping a buddy with his archery pronghorn tag.

 

[SilentKid0423]

I’ve done some pronghorn hunts and the white pillow case/white game bag has gotten them within 75 yards for me in September. Once they are that close they start to figure out what’s going on. Worth a shot!

 

[Rackmastr]

I've found that decoy timing certainly hits a point where the rut gets to the right point and bucks will go from being 'interested' to plain out charging down a decoy. In Alberta, thats around Sep 15-18th usually, and the switch can flip in a matter of a day or so. Once its flipped, it can be an amazing week or so of peak rutting/chase activity and success goes WAY up with decoying.

All that being said, I'd imagine smaller bucks or maybe even bigger bucks who are curious may respond a bit to decoys, but not in the same way that a rut hunt usually works. Always worth a try though!

 

[mmazour]

Agree with the others that rut timing works so much better (usually mid-later September) for decoys on goats and getting them to just barrel in. So it works BETTER then for sure. I have dabbled in using it for archery around our Aug 15 opener and it definitely did not work as well. But antelope are curious and respond to come check stuff out that they see is different....have had them spot a hunter on a stalk and actually come over as well....so worth a try occassionally, but wouldn't count on it. Most likely will work on more juvenile ones though and not the big bucks.

 

[Khunter]

Appreciate the responses. Odds are I will share the good the bad and the ugly of the hunt here on HT.

My unit is 'only' 2.8 million acres south of Elko. NV assembles some ginormous unit groups.

 

[wolfpup]

I could always get young bucks to come to a decoy or white handkerchief early in the season for pure curiosity. I would never be able to close the distance though to under 80 yards. I was hunting wide open pastures with no topography to help. I had so many spot and stalk failures that it became not fun any more. It's a blast though!

 

[sneakem]

In my experience bowhunting early August, a good majority of the bucks are still kind of bachelored up. Not sure that decoying would be a super effective tactic. I generally find that they respond a little better after about labor day. I have no experience in NV, but plenty in other states...

 

[BuckhunterBen]

@Khunter Any luck?

 

[Vic Colfari]

I've taken about 16 with a bow, all spot and stalk/ambush/decoying. Early season decoying will create curiosity, but never that full rut action where they will cross 100s of yards to chase off "the other buck". I find that at very first and last light and just showing some of the decoy (hide behind sage or the edge of the hilltop, etc.) can elicit a buck to come in to see what is going on.
I shot a buck within minutes of morning shooting light in late August a few seasons ago, and he let me approach from an angle, and as he fed, I would slowly move. It worked and he fed within 51 yards. He would pop his head up, look, calm down, feed, look, etc. That example also has about 20 other instances where I brought up the decoy and every antelope within 200 yards left the county. So it goes. Just get out there and if the decoy is spooking more than not, ditch it and work on spot and stalk set ups if possible. You will get one!

 

[Khunter]

@Khunter Any luck?

Nope. Posted a hunt thread all about it.

 

[mc338lapua]

I start archer hunting the 15th of August. I've had really good luck flagging them with a white pillow case. Me second P&Y buck There was a sparse clump of sake brushes and I tied the pillow case onto a chunk of sage he could easily see and set up downwind behind another bush about 20 yards away. He saw the pillow case and headed right to it. His attention was on the case and I was able to come to full draw and actually stand up behind the bush and shoot him at about 25 yards.

 

[mc338lapua]

i DID THAT SEVERAL TIMES, SEEMED TO WORK BEST ON CLOUDY DAYS