Pronghorn Judging?

elks96

Long Time Member
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So this is the first year ever that I have had a good pronghorn tag. I have never spent much time judging lopes, but this last weekend I realized that despite trying to use the rules and measure against the ear etc. I saw tons of lopes that all looked the same in terms of score...

I looked at 138 antelope bucks last weekend and only had 2 that seemed to have it all mass, length, curls and cutters. But sadly both of them were only quick glimpses...

My question is this..
When hunting lopes do you reach a point when you have looked at so many that you just know that’s a big one? I mean deer, elk etc. I can pretty much tell
Immediately if they are worth a hard look, but unless they were absolute dinks I had a really hard time deciding if I should look twice at an antelope buck...

Thoughts?
 
I would say yes!
When I hunted Wyoming 2 years ago for my buck, I probably looked at 30+ bucks a day...
When you’ve looked at that many over 4 days, you’ll know!
I did anyway...
The mass to me is what made my buck look big. Most mature bucks will be about the same length, cut and curve the same, but the big ones have mass, and look big!
Hope that helped?
 
I am not an expert at judging Antelope so that’s basically what I do. I spend as much time as I can looking over the Bucks in unit and then go after the biggest looking one I can find. Obviously this is not ideal because I probably pass higher scoring Bucks doing this but I usually end up happy with what I take.
 
I am not an expert at judging Antelope so that’s basically what I do. I spend as much time as I can looking over the Bucks in unit and then go after the biggest looking one I can find. Obviously this is not ideal because I probably pass higher scoring Bucks doing this but I usually end up happy with what I take.

That’s kind of what I am thinking. My unit is pretty huge and this last weekend it was stupid hot and a full moon all night. I know that I did not see even 1/2 the bucks, but season starts soon so I will be back out...
 
Your numbers seem about right 138 bucks and 2 that looked big. I spend around 30-50 days every year scouting/hunting goats the last 8 years and I find 4-6 bucks that I feel are next level bucks! I'm no expert nor have i been hunting the very best units but are good units. When they are big you know it right away! If you gotta look at them for more than a min or 2 trying to make him bigger your probably gonna be disappointed when you walk up to him. Ive made that mistake a few times! If you have covered a good portion of your unit and feel those 2 bucks are the biggest on there i would concentrate on finding them and getting it done. The season is long enough if your not sure on his size pass until you find that special one!
 
They are tricky to guess, but if you see a big one you’ll know!! I find pronghorn guide service pretty handy, The have videos of bucks they let you give it a shot at scoring them, then let ya know how close you are. Give those a shot and do as many as you would like, give ya all types of horn configurations!! No tag this year!! But have seen some goats I’d consider big and all in diff areas so that think it’s gonna be a good year to have a tag. Congrats and good luck hope to see some good results ?
 
And there in lies the rub with antelope hunting.




The difference between avg, and great is a couple inches.



The true trophy in antelope hunting is on your grill, and from the hunt being so easy its very beginner friendly. Its a great social hunt, where you can camp out/hunt with kids, wives, and friends.
 
I don't think they're all easy to judge, even if they score above 80...my opinion.

After 3 days of looking at hundreds of bucks, my son and I found one that looked heavy but he didn't seem that long. My son had the tag and he didn't seem that interested. Then the buck moved up with another group of antelope and his body looked twice as big as the bucks around him. Upon further examination we realized his head dwarfed his horns, so we snuck up on him and killed him. He net scored 85".
Yup, BuzzH is right!!
 
After 3 days of looking at hundreds of bucks, my son and I found one that looked heavy but he didn't seem that long. My son had the tag and he didn't seem that interested. Then the buck moved up with another group of antelope and his body looked twice as big as the bucks around him. Upon further examination we realized his head dwarfed his horns, so we snuck up on him and killed him. He net scored 85".
Yup, BuzzH is right!!
That happened to me one year but like a dummy I didn’t pull the trigger on the heavy one. I had a unit 64 tag in Wyoming and looked over hundreds of bucks and wound up shooting a 77+ buck. The one I should’ve shot was a little shorter but extremely heavy looking back I’m sure that was an 80+ inch goat. I’ll be hunting them again they’re in Wyoming in three weeks I’ll try to make a better decision This time.
 
Some of the really big ones in Wyoming have big bodies too which can make early season judging difficult as they are solo during that timeframe. Like 25% bigger than other mature bucks. Even was a story in Eastmans years past...guy passed on the buck. 2nd shooter took him...bam 84 inch Boone and Crockett buck. I know of several guys that have taken monster buck over in WY that were like this.
 
Anyone that hunts antelope often likely will agree that just as soon as they think they have field judging antelope bucks down they get fooled with ground shrinkage. I've been hunting antelope since I was a kid growing up in Wyo. It doesn't happen often but I sometimes get fooled!

Mass is a giant chunk of pronghorn score. If you mess up on mass measurements you are likely doomed! If a buck doesn't have mass all the way to the tips he likely won't score that well. Most of the B&C bucks I've harvested in Wyo have bases close to the magical 7" mark. The 2nd thing I look for is prongs. Generally speaking a Wyo buck has to have at least 5" prongs to be close to B&C. There aren't very many bucks in the units I've hunted in Wyo that are over 15 6/8" in length. If a buck's horns lack in one area he'll have to make up for it somewhere else.

Generally speaking, after looking over hundreds of bucks if you have a question whether a buck will make B&C I would likely keep looking. It's always important to look at bucks in detail through a spotting scope from different angles. Sometimes it may mean waiting 30 minutes while he's staring you down to turn his darn head! I hardly ever shoot a buck without getting several angled views...it can certainly change things in a hurry!

Some guys swear by using ears, eyes, and nose lengths as reference for horn length, mass, and other measurements. I've lost count of how many times this has gotten me in trouble with ground shrinkage! I've found that antelope are similar to humans. Some may have longer noses, bigger eyes, and shorter ears in the same general area.

I know a couple hunters that turned down a buck along a major road several years ago. When I looked at the same buck from different angles I immediately could tell he was a monster with incredible mass. His prongs were a chunk longer than first expected because his incredible mass kind of hid prong length. I told my buddy in the truck if he didn't shoot him I would! There was no ground shrinkage when we walked up to that buck. He scored just over 85 B&C.

Sometimes there are bucks that get overlooked and passed up because they may not appear to have mass, prongs, etc and their true measurements are tough to see from certain angles. As an example, some bucks may have oval horns while others may have round horns. Round horned bucks may not appear to be very heavy from a front or side view. A super narrow =spayed horn that is oval shaped might look heavier than it actually is when viewed from the side. A front view may show that he isn't as massive. Are you confused yet?

Some bucks may look super tall but don't have any curl. Some may have an incredible amount of heart shaped curve that hides their true length. Some bucks when viewed from the front my look short because they curl backwards. Some bucks may have a wider spread so may appear short from a side view. There are so many different horn confirmations! It usually takes a lot of time and practice to figure many of these things out. If you hunt the same area year after year you start figuring out tendencies for super bucks in that particular area. Some units will likely never produce bucks with 7" bases or bucks with 6" prongs.

I would agree that when you see a monster buck you likely will know it. These bucks usually have the same horn confirmation that everyone seems to like. There usually aren't many of them in any given unit because they usually don't live very long lives unless they live in super remote and isolated country.

I would also agree that 80 or 82"+ bucks just aren't that common. Some units may not even have 1 B&C buck in it in any given year so it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Some years (like this year in Southern Wyo) winterkill may be super tough on older age class bucks and there may not be any B&C bucks in one of the best historic B&C units in the state! There is always the chance that 1 may have made it through! Drought can also severely change things....which is another long story!

With all that said, I would crawl out on a limb and say pronghorn are one of the toughest game animals to field judge properly. Good luck to everyone with tags this year!
 
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"There aren't very many bucks in the units I've hunted in Wyo that are over 15 6/8" in length"

I will agree with this Jim's.

But when you talk to alot of guys in wy they have killed a hand full of 16"+ bucks then when you see them they are 12-13" hahahaha makes me laugh every time I hear he was atleast 16"!

The 8 years ive been in wy i have seen 2 bucks that was for sure 16" the one was pencil thin and never got shot. The other my dad killed and is a 87" giant!
 
Thanks a ton guys. You all gave me some confidence in what I saw and at the same-time doubt. I am hoping to be out there next weekend and sort out a good buck. I ran out of summer and lacked scouting time, but in the unit I will definitely find a decent one. I also have a doe tag for here at home so I will have meat and can wait until I am really sure of my target...
 
Ground check about 50 and you'll have a pretty good idea what your looking at. Only people i know that can judge them well have seen a ton of them hit the ground. Thats the best way to learn
 
Ground check about 50 and you'll have a pretty good idea what your looking at. Only people i know that can judge them well have seen a ton of them hit the ground. Thats the best way to learn
you are right.......but who of us get that chance???
 
After 30 years of hunting them in 4 different states I finally feel like I know a big one when I see it. The challenge in a unit with lots bucks is that after you see a lot of small ones the medium (70 ") bucks look big. Everything is relative and thats what makes it a challenge. All that said don't let a few inches determine the quality and enjoyment of your hunt. Give yourself a little time to look around then shoot one you like and be happy.
 
Also.... you hear a lot about 80 inch bucks. Most of those don't survive the "tale of the tape" if you know what I mean;)
 
When judging you want good mass all the way up, especially above the prongs. For length I like 2 1/2 times the length of the ears and for the prongs I want at least double the mass. If points are your thing then remember that mass and the prongs are more important than the length. A 14" vs a 15" is only a 2" difference, but no mass vs good mass can be a 6" difference easy.
 
I cant judge antelope very well. For me the trophy is when I get one with a bow. Also when one makes me say wow I know I am looking at a decent one.

I prefer the archery hunt cause I have time in August thus is why I shoot first one I can stalk within range. When rifle opens for antelope I am to busy chasing other game. Maybe that's why my biggest goat is only 70-72 inches. :unsure:
 
you are right.......but who of us get that chance???

IMG950427.jpg


Fun to look at 3 in a just a few days that are well past average:

D5050F1D-0076-4A25-95FF-2816D3659EF9.jpeg
 
After reading the first post, my only advice is to never ever shoot one that "has it all" on only a quick glimpse. You'll almost certainly find out that it didn't.
Agreed!
Even when they look bigger than any other buck you’ve seen, still get a better look...
But to me, it seemed pretty distinctive?
 
The prongs are sometimes a bit longer than they may look on super massive bucks. Also, when prongs curve they also seem shorter from a side or front view. Photos can also be deceiving so it's a little tough judging the buck in the photo above.
 
When I shot this one I thought for sure he would score 80 or a little above but lack of mass put him just under 80 , those prongs got my attention.
 
This one broke 16 with 7” bases. He stood out from the dozens and dozens of bucks that I looked at.

View attachment 11407
Wow. I never would have guessed anywhere near those numbers. I would have estimated 14 with mid 5+ for base. Must look crazy heavy with huge back curl from the side. Are those official measurements? Got any other photos for us antelope idiots?

Here’s one that broke 16 and had 7 inch bases. Well into B&C all time and officially measured & entered.
3250A260-8396-4987-9168-A2A96EF2D49B.jpeg
 
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Wow. I never would have guessed anywhere near those numbers. I would have estimated 14 with mid 5+ for base. Must look crazy heavy with huge back curl from the side. Are those official measurements? Got any other photos for us antelope idiots?

Here’s one that broke 16 and had 7 inch bases. Well into B&C all time and officially measured & entered.
View attachment 11422
I was really unsure of his mass as well, but I saw him 5 straight days and he always stood out. His lower mass was surprising to me until I walked up to him, because he always faced me every time I saw him. They’re the hardest damn critters to judge.
He is 16 3/8 on the long side, and 15 7/8 on the short side.

C704CB88-414C-4700-B8F1-5F20FAD08ED7.jpeg
 
Wow. I never would have guessed anywhere near those numbers. I would have estimated 14 with mid 5+ for base. Must look crazy heavy with huge back curl from the side. Are those official measurements? Got any other photos for us antelope idiots?

Here’s one that broke 16 and had 7 inch bases. Well into B&C all time and officially measured & entered.
View attachment 11422
He’s got some mass
 
It's nearly impossible to judge an antelope by a profile picture of just it's head. The closer horn always appears much larger in comparison to the far side.

Pictures of bucks from above are also deceiving. The photo of Spaz with that record book monster he's holding, are much easier to judge. Still, multiple pictures with different angles of the whole antelope are best for photo judging.
 
I agree 100% with JM. Pictures can be super deceiving. You've probably seen photos of fish held at point blank distance from a camera with stretched out arms that look outrageous while the same fish taken from several feet away look like a minnow!

Obviously it's just as easy to take photos from a terrible position of a humungous buck that really don't show off a bucks true mass, prongs, etc. It usually takes me an hour or more to take lots of photos of a buck, bull, ram, etc. I usually only have a couple out of a pile of photos taken that do the critter justice. JM was right on that it is wise to take multiple pics from different angles, It's also a good idea to take photos from super close and far with different backgrounds.
 

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