Growing record book pronghorn ?

PronghornHunter · Nov 17, 2003

This is something I have been thinking about for quite a while. In the world of whitetail there has been some controversy over growing record book animals on private ranches using different feeding suppliments then selling the hunt and turning someone loose to shoot the animal then having it officially scored for the record book. Some claim this doesn't follow "fair chase" rules for taking record book animals and Boone&Crockett has been looking into this themselves.
I am wondering about the big record book antelope that are being taken in Arizona and new Mexico? How many of these bucks are taken on private ranches (big money hunts) and is their diet being supplimented in any way to grow these spectacular horns? I am just curious about this.
I have taken several big bucks here in Wyoming and have only seen three bucks in my lifetime that would go in the mid or high 80's. I do know that geographics and genetics have a big part to play.
Antelope hunting is my favorite animal to hunt and I would love to be able to take one of those big boys from Arizona but to have to pay big dollars wouldn't seem right for me. I am not stiring up trouble here just want some differnt opinions and maybe be better educated in the proccess.

Cleric · Nov 18, 2003

What exactly is B&C looking into? Are they trying to find ranches that are breeding pronghorn for trophy potential or are they just trying to find people that are supplementing feed? Or are they only looking into this for deer at the moment?

Lots of ranchers supplement feed for their cattle that the pronghorn on their ranch will eat. But does it make them grow larger horns? Who knows? To my knowledge no ranch or rancher has ever truly attempted to breed or grow larger pronghorn. Some in New Mexico have supplemented different types of feeds and protein blocks, but that's all I know of that they've ever done. And these few ranches haven't been able to produce giant pronghorn on a consistent basis. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyone else know?

I do know that I've seen many antelope over 90 inches and none of them would have cost me any money to shoot. However, I would have had to draw an impossible tag.

jims · Nov 18, 2003

I don't claim to know much about NM or AZ antelope other than those 2 states seem to produce more 85+"ers than just about any other place. I would venture a guess that most of AZ's super antelope are harvested on public land while in NM it is the other way around. It is a matter of beating the odds and drawing a tag in AZ, while in NM it is a matter of having $! I dispise NM's public drawing system for rifle antelope tags and think it is a bunch of crock not knowing where you'll be hunting and with no options on what ranch you can hunt (I had to get that in here)!

I have a feeling genetics has a lot to do with the super bucks produced in both of those areas. Nutrition also plays a key role. Drought can also make or break horn growth in those areas in any given year. In fact, where WY has to worry about winterkill, AZ and NM worries about drought conditions. Early season moisture often makes or breaks horn growth. I really don't know if coyotes are as much a problem in those 2 states as Wyo either?

I haven't really heard of anyone supplimenting antelope to get better horn growth so really don't think that is a factor in bucks that are currently being harvested in those states. AZ is super conservative in the number of tags they allocate so bucks are allowed to grow to a ripe old age (true with deer and elk as well). In NM, ranches are given a certain number of tags by the NMG&F. I would venture a guess that many of the higher quality ranches are conservative in the number of tags they hand out to their hunters so the bucks can grow big as well.

I've heard it only takes 3 or 4 years for antelope to grow horns of B&C proportions so genetics, weather, nutrition and other things are very important in producing super bucks.

I'd sure like to see Wyo get some of those AZ or NM genetics! Can you imagine what kind of bucks could be produced! If you want to chat I can be reached at: [email protected] I am somewhat of a pronghorn finatic!

nmtaxi · Nov 18, 2003

The reason that all the big pronghorn in NM are taken on private property, is because that's where all the hunts are. The only pronghorn hunts on public property in NM, are the bow hunts, handicap hunts, and one muzzleloader hunt in unit 52. If you draw a rifle tag in NM, you will be assigned to a private ranch. You will see huge antelope on public land, because they are never hunted.

PronghornHunter · Nov 18, 2003

They have only looked into this with some deer. It seems some people were complaining about private ranches growing big whitetail then charging exorbitant prices for a tag then turning the hunter loose into a fenced in area and I mean a small area,to shoot the buck then have it scored and entered into the book. To me this does not fall into the fair chase catagory.
Now if someone payed big dollars to get a 90 inch goat on private land and the hunter actually had to spend the day driving and stalking in an area this is fine but if they are taken out into an area that is fenced within a few hundred acres and no way for the animal to escape this is different. If the animals are free to roam from private to public land this is okay.

PronghornHunter · Nov 18, 2003

Jims, I am a real fanatic when it come to hunting pronghorn. Even during the off season I'm out in the sage brush looking at goats. I didn't hunt deer or elk this year because I was too busy scouting for the big one. I spent from the middle of August to the middle of October hunting antelope. I have only drawn two permits in the area I hunt since 1992 so I had to take advantage of it.

fairchase · Nov 18, 2003

Sure geneitics play a big role in horn development, but the biggest reason why more book pronghorn come from southern states is because the winters there are mild. In some cases the southern winters offer huge benefits in the quality of things like forage and the ammount of water. Not to mention the quality of life and the ease of living. In the northern states, the harsh winters drastically shorten the life span of antelope who have to fight brutal elements for 5-6 months a year to survive.