LopeHunter
Well-known member
Going to have fun on this one. Plenty of 'lopes and I am not holding out for a giant but would love to find one with screwy horns. Duckwater ho!
Drew NV Pronghorn Rifle 131/145/163/164
- Thread starter LopeHunter
- Start date
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Awesome, good luck, how many points did it take?
Matt
Matt
treedagain
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2011
- Messages
- 514
I love Nevada antelope, to bad there is a 5 year waiting period. I have had 2 in the last 15 years both book goats. have fun and make the best of it.
good luck
good luck
LopeHunter
Well-known member
I had four points as non-resident after the 2015 draw so I think had 16+1 chances in this year's draw. Was my 2nd choice. I am happy with a 75" buck and that can be found in several NV pronghorn units.
I prefer to hunt more often for representative critters in units with plenty of public land that have a high harvest history rather than only try for drawing tags in the most popular trophy units. Might seem a small deal but the difference in 1 in 40 odds to draw vs. 1 in 80 are my odds are twice as good to draw a tag.
When I look back on my more memorable adventures, I had tag soup on some and shot representative critters on others. I have been able to stumble onto some trophy critters over the decades but was by happenstance in mostly middling units.
Good luck on your hunts!
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Hope you get a nice one or stubble on an absolute Toad!
Matt
Matt
LopeHunter
Well-known member
Thanks! Is my 10th pronghorn hunt in last 22 years. NV will be the 7th state where have hunted pronghorns. My favorite critter to hunt.
LopeHunter
Well-known member
Got the topo maps and read up some on the GMUs. Appears every valley holds pronghorns: Newark, Little Smoky, Big Sand Springs, Railroad, Duckwater, Jakes, Sierra, Antelope, Hot Creek, East Stone Creek and Little Fish Creek. I think I will start out looking along the 379 that goes through Duckwater settlement. Looks like a good road and can hike from the road to check out some low spots can not see from the road. Looks like 100F highs are possible in late September so will hike early and late in the day. Hoping to find a buck with odd horns. Only 4 months to go!
Storm Widgeon
Member
Keep us updated! Looking forward to hearing about how it goes!
LopeHunter
Well-known member
I will post pictures after I finish the hunt so around Sept 1. Got some very good intel on a spot to camp where are usually critters nearby. Also some info in case I want to take my fly rod with me. Trout for dinner does sound tasty. The guy I spoke to is in that sector annually for mule deer and elk seasons. I also spoke to a rancher who rarely has pronghorn mix in with his cows but is keeping an eye out for any non-typical horned bucks he might see this summer. I really enjoy studying all the stats as go to apply and then is like birthday and Christmas at once a dozen times a year when the results are posted for the states where I apply. Then I get to go see some fantastic country around the West when drive to the hunts. My to/from driving this fall will be 62 hours spread over 10 days for three big game hunts and a turkey hunt. I need to get some books on CD lined up!
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Sounds like you have a great fall planned, My time the last year and this year have been limited too Idaho, but I told the wife next year is the year we will get a Wyoming Buck tag in a great unit, with 6 points next year! so hopefully we will be out of state at least for 1 hunt, it would be nice too get a Mulie tag in NV, and i'll have too start collecting points for lope's there, have you been too idaho hunting lopes?
Matt
Matt
LopeHunter
Well-known member
I once hunted for mule deer in ID about 1995. Ended up being an early season hike but was nice country to hike around for a few days. Saw does and elk but no bucks. Was up in the mountains so far that one morning a vee of geese dipped below me to keep out of the wind.
Have put in for ID sheep or moose or goat the other years. No luck until this year. Drew an ID antlered moose tag for this fall so will be hunting near Idaho Falls in late Sept.
Have put in for ID sheep or moose or goat the other years. No luck until this year. Drew an ID antlered moose tag for this fall so will be hunting near Idaho Falls in late Sept.
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
You should put in for the Archery Antelope unlimited tag here in ID from Sept. 10-24, its an unlimited tag so you can still put in for the OIL tag(s). I too love antelope and in my wife's words they are beautiful animals..... and they taste great, so much fun too hunt, especially in the rut, I love decoying those crazy bucks... If you ever want too hunt antelope in Idaho just let me know.... Good luck in NV!
Matt
Matt
LopeHunter
Well-known member
Drew Oregon Pronghorn this week so will start in NV then drive up to OR to Masher River. NV opens two days before OR. Will be a wild week!
LopeHunter
Well-known member
Man, am a day late and dollar short as my left elbow started to flare up 3 years ago so no longer hunt with a bow. Agree with your wife. I shot a heart-shape 15"er with ivory tips in the Juniper unit a decade ago when was still an OR resident. Have it as a shoulder mount in my office now. I have two mountain goat shoulder mounts and the Juniper 'lope is just as awesome. The deer and elk mounts seem a bit bland if in the same room so have them out in the living room.
LopeHunter
Well-known member
I realized I never posted pictures. This hunt was the summer and autumn I had the bruised bone above my right knee. Amputation was one of the possible outcomes so as I waited to see if the bone marrow would give up the ghost, I learned to use a cane. That limited my ability to complete my hunts in 2016.
I drove to NV the day before season opened then camped for a night or two then moved to a beater motel in Ely. Tipped over a buck on Day 5, I think.
Gas station closest to where hunted first couple of days was a 30 mile roundtrip from edge of the hunt area. John Deere on Pump 2, fill 'er up.
Cowboy hat helps a bit when have out-of-state plates
Day 2 sunset
Knob rising out of the flatlands which I hobbled up using cane and rifle butt. Not a safety tip but I did unload the rifle first.
From being 100' or less above the sage I then could see a few strings of pronghorns feeding though the sage. Eventually one group was in range for my rifle and I connected. Leg was hurting by end of Day 1 so no way was going to be able to stalk. I have harvested over a dozen pronghorn bucks and many were larger but I endured more pain on this hunt than typical so felt as though this was earned.
Some of the pronghorn Euro mounts.
I drove to NV the day before season opened then camped for a night or two then moved to a beater motel in Ely. Tipped over a buck on Day 5, I think.
Gas station closest to where hunted first couple of days was a 30 mile roundtrip from edge of the hunt area. John Deere on Pump 2, fill 'er up.
Cowboy hat helps a bit when have out-of-state plates
Day 2 sunset
Knob rising out of the flatlands which I hobbled up using cane and rifle butt. Not a safety tip but I did unload the rifle first.
From being 100' or less above the sage I then could see a few strings of pronghorns feeding though the sage. Eventually one group was in range for my rifle and I connected. Leg was hurting by end of Day 1 so no way was going to be able to stalk. I have harvested over a dozen pronghorn bucks and many were larger but I endured more pain on this hunt than typical so felt as though this was earned.
Some of the pronghorn Euro mounts.
