Antelope Hunting

[WindLaker]

To all,

A friend and I are going to South Dakota Antelope hunting this fall. Still not sure if gun or bow.

Has anyone here hunted BP for 'lope? If so, did you use the same strategy as bowhunting? Hunt over water holes?

Thanks in advance

WindLaker

 

[longcruise]

Either bow hunting or bp hunting for them is dependent mostly on the terrain. Where I hunted them the hills were rolling with a lot of deep wahes with tall sage brush. In that type of country you can spot and stalk successfully. If you get into short grass prairie that's pretty flat the stalk is going to be pretty tough if possible at all. Hunting water holes is a good strategy on antelope especially during a dry year. Sometimes it's hard to "claim" a water hole if there a many hunters in the area.

I heard one story of some guys who made their own waterhole with one of those plastic kiddy pools. They set it up a few days before season. Supposedly the antelope came to the smell and they were able to take them from a blind with bows. That's a second hand story. I'm only passing it on! :wink: Seems like it could be a baiting issue in some states.

Two other tactics that work are decoys and fence line hunting. Especially during the rut you can bring bucks to doe decoys or doe decoys with a small buck decoy. I don't suggest doing it during a rifle season and would think hard even in a bp season. Have used them in the bow season with no safety concerns whatsoever. Decoys don't have to be complicated. Silouettes cut from plywood work.

Fence line tactics work because antelope prefer to cross fences at the same places. They often cross where two fences come together in a corner. They go under the fence. They don't jump them. There are extremely rare occasions where an antelope will jump a fence but you can pretty much count on them crossing beneath the fence at a prefered crossing point, even when pushed. If you have a hunting partner, you can find these crossing points and put a hunter there who is completely hidden. The other hunter goes to the opposite side of the antelope and approaches them. No need for running, shouting or noise makers. Just approach them in such a way that the fence crossing your partner is at will seem to be the most logical escape route.

Just a few ideas for you. Terrain is the most important aspect in getting close to an antelope.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Years ago, in the annual hunting issue published each September, Muzzle Blasts had a wonderful story of two men who successfully hunted Antelope in Wyoming, with Flintlocks. One took his at 35 yards, and the other at 50 yards. Both used gulleys to crawl towards their quarry out of sight, to get that close. That would normally indicate they were hunting slightly rolling hill country, and not the much broader, and flatter country. However, I remember them commenting that even in the " flat " country, there were always small cut banks, and gulleys that could be used, if you crawled. I only remember that comment, because here in Midwest Illinois, we really do have " FLAT " country, and I have also observed that even in the flattest of miles, you find small gulleys, and even ditches that can be used to get down out of sight of deer when hunting and stalking them.

Remember that antelope are curious, and even a stick with a colorful scarf stuck on it to blow in the wind will have bucks coming over to check it out sometimes. That was apparently a well used Indian decoy trick used to get antelope within range of their bows and arrows. It apparently still works. The real problem is to park that jeep or truck out of sight, and get far away from it( a couple of hundred yards) and then GET DOWN! Although antelope are not necessarily spooked by moving trucks, they do seem to recognize People on two legs as being danger.

 

[huntertrapper]

you a stick bow hunter or still a wheel bow man?, well, i know some people hunt over water but also, on some other sites guys will manage to stalk em and shoot with flinters and stick bows, anyway good luck and hope to see some good pictures.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I began using a 25# fiberglass Recurve bow I got back when I was 10 years old. It shoots wooden arrows, but it worked well enough to anger my buddy, who was into strings and pulleys. He bought and set up a 35# Compound bow for me for carp hunting, and I used it successfully to shoot a few. Since he died, I have not found anyone interested in hunting carp with a bow and arrow. I have 2 bows, one 35#, and the other 42#, both recurves, fiberglass, that I rescued from an antique shop in Kankakee, Illinois a few years ago. They shoot just fine, but are really more than is needed to kill carp. The three bows I have that are fiberglass are just barely recurves, with most of the recurve being in the tips, with straight limbs. I grew up making stick bows from any available saplings, and made new ones everytime the bows dried out enough to either break, or lose their " snap". I have plans to make my own stick or straight bow, but have not done so. I am still suffering from a chronic back ache that limits a lot of things I can do, and one of them is to draw a bowstring back very often!

I know of guys who hunt carp in ponds, and in the shallows of lakes when the spawning season is in effect each Spring. Some shoot out of john boats, and some use bass boats as a shooting platform. Some are bank shooters. Locally, some 30+# carp have been taken from ponds, but the largest carp brought in on one contest from a creek or river was half of that. The big ones stay down in the deep holes where you can't see or shoot them.

I use carp hunting to slow my movement down for Fall Deer hunting. You learn to move very much slower walking in the water, and I find its good training for stalking, or moving into or through the woods in the Fall when hunting deer. Since you can hunt carp all year around, you can use this as an excuse to have some very cheap fun, minutes from home, while learning, or relearning your stalking skills.

A live carp skewered on a barbed arrow at the end of a strong fishing line( I use 70lb. braided line) is a handful, and the carp breech the water like whales, or marlins. Enjoy! :thumbsup:

 

[huntertrapper]

yes carp are good stalking fish. i killed one last year that i shot with just an arrow, i hit it through the spine, and it slowed down considerably enough for me to get up and eventually grab and kill it. my dad shot 3 last year, id hit one but didnt find it. even when i had shot compound i shot instinct and fingers, we had a reel but it broke while a catfish the size of a dog was in front of us.... i plan to huntem with the only longbow ive made while my friends will be using there wheel bows.

 

[bigbore442001]

More than a decade ago I shot a record book antelope with a handgun in New Mexico. I had to get close because of the limitations of my choice of firearm.There is a trick I learned that would help you out.

I call it the cow trick. I did go with a guide who had a plywood cut out shaped like a cow. It was painted brown white on one side while black and white on the other. We held it up in front of us and walked towards a great looking antelope. They have excellent eyesight but that must be compromised with depth perception. There is a trade off in all things. We must have looked like a cow in spite of a set of blue jean legs and a set of camo legs.

I got to withing forty yards of a buck and took him cleanly with a single shot 30-06 handgun.

I would look at making my own "cow" for such a close range hunt.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Antelope can't count legs! Well done. :thumbsup:

( Will Gere made that point to Robert Redford in " Jeremiah Johnson" when they used a horse to get close to an Elk.)

Yes, Antelope like all prey species, have lousy depth perception. Their eyes are mounted at the side of their heads, preventing them from seeing forward, and using " Binocular vision " to triangulate distance. That doesn't mean they don't see well, or recognize movement. The " trick " in using a cow decoy, is not to move any faster than a wandering cow. That is usually a " slow walk " pace, with many stops to taste and eat the available grasses. If you are going to make your own, make it with a head that can move up and down , and with a rope for a tail to make a stiff but flexible tail for reality.

If you watch cows enough, you will note that when they are happy and eating, the tail moves very little. The most movement you will see of a cow's tail is when its warm, and the flies are bothering it. Then the tail becomes the fly swatter. If the flies are not out, don't expect to see much tail action.

Like other prey species the tail moves before the head comes up. And, the tail often moves before the cow begins walking again. The cow, like the antelope, will take a look around for other animals and predators, when its head comes up.

If the antelope move, the cow will stop and watch them, trying to figure out if they are prey or predator, and prepare to flee.

If the antelope run towards the cow, the cow will run, too, in the same direction that the antelope are running. The cow figurs that something is chasing the antelope. However, if you are within 50 yards of the antelope, the cow is likely to face the potential threat, and look for it. It can easily stomp a coyote that would pose a serious threat to the antelope.

Watch the winds. If they pick up, get down off the high ground. Not only will it make it difficult for you to hold that piece of plywood up, but cows get out of the winds when they can. They rely on their hearing to warn them of potential threats, as much as do antelope. Winds destroy both their hearing, and their ability to smell other animals.

 

[MercerLake]

:v I watched a hunting partner make a long aproach to a buck while he was holding an "antelope" decoy between him and the buck. The decoy was simply painted on a piece of burlap that was fastened to a set of crossed sticks like a kite frame. He made it within 30-40yards after a 400+yard approach. Probably would flap some in a stiff breeze, but it worked for him. I never got a chance to use it as we ran out of antelope and season. Next time! :v

 

[longcruise]

I'll caution you on the use of decoys if there is a modern firearms season in progress. Even a cow decoy could jeopardize your health if another hunter decides to shoot at the antelope that you have moved in close on. :shocked2:

Also, here is a tip for hunting over water holes. When an antelope comes in to water, they are usually pretty slow and cautious. Once they are standing at the water they will usually look around a bit for danger. At the very least, the lead doe will do all that for them. But, here is the final trick they have that has probably been embedded in their brains by the evolutionary process over many years of being ambushed at water holes. They will usually drop their head to drink but at the last second quickly raise their head and look around for danger. If satisfied, they will go ahead and drink.

And, finally :wink: , here is a story about a friends bow hunt for antelope. He was hunting from pit blind over a natural water hole and had placed a foam doe antelope "confidence" decoy at the edge of the water. A small herd of does and fawns came in following a very slow moving and cautious lead doe. Once at the waters edge, the doe decided something was not right and blew the retreat signal and the herd moved quickly to the top of the ridge above the water hole. Once on top, they looked back and the lead doe was somewhat perturbed that the decoy had not followed her orders to retreat. She very slowly and deliberately made her way back down to the water hole and proceeded to huff, snort and stamp her feet at the deke. Finally, she got frustrated and kicked the decoy over and left. :haha:

 

[WindLaker]

Huntertrapper,

I use a stickbow. I sold my bow with training wheels many years ago :grin:

Thanks for the tips. If successful, I'll post pix for sure.

WindLaker

 

[MikeChapin]

...
Remember that antelope are curious, and even a stick with a colorful scarf stuck on it to blow in the wind will have bucks coming over to check it out sometimes. That was apparently a well used Indian decoy trick used to get antelope within range of their bows and arrows. It apparently still works. The real problem is to park that jeep or truck out of sight, and get far away from it( a couple of hundred yards) and then GET DOWN! Although antelope are not necessarily spooked by moving trucks, they do seem to recognize People on two legs as being danger.

That depends on the local laws. In Wyoming "Flagging" antelope is illegal.

I have taken antelope many times with a ML with none at over a 100 yards. Working waterholes and places where you can conceal yourself work about the best. Water holes work early but when hunting pressure goes up they will start watering at night.

Also try to get there on the first day while the animals are not spooked up yet. After a few days of hunting season it is tough to get in closer than about 300 yards. You can do it but it takes a lot of work and a bunch of patience.

 

[wirehairman]

That depends on the local laws. In Wyoming "Flagging" antelope is illegal.

It is also illegal in Montana.