Pronghorn

Zim

Very Active Member
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2,286
By a glance at the odds, I think I finally got the points to have a legit chance for a NR rifle pronghorn tag. I think for unit 10 anyway. I’ve only been there to shed hunt once, since I live in Indiana. Wanted to get some current opinions about this unit and thoughts about how much scouting time I should invest in the days prior to my hunt to have a good DIY hunt. Have had two great elk hunts and three deer over the years. Kinda applied for speed goat as a throw in on my applications. Wasn’t sure if I’d ever actually draw. Thanks.
 
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Haha oh well if that’s the case I can wait. Got plenty of other options. Don’t need another dink hunt like I had in Oregon this year!
 
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How many points you have, Zim? There are a few other units that are producing some quality (80”+) goats.
 
Actually I think 25 now but I can’t confirm because the AZFG portal is down. Can’t view my dashboard. Toprut just posted 2020 stats and it looks like it jumped up a point.
 
Unit 10 has dropped in quality badly. It is not what it was. Most people chasing that tag, think it still has the quality of 5-10 years ago and don't realize that those days are gone... Just some food for thought...
 
AZFG portal finally fixed. Man I had a pile of data either wrong or completely missing. I highly suggest everyone to try logging in and fixing issue now rather than waiting just before the draw.

I have 25 pronghorn points as of now.
 
how big of a buck are you looking for? if you have time to scout a lot or money to pay an outfitter I think you can kill just as good of a buck in other units around the state. Heck, there have been a couple of really big 85+ inch bucks killed in 4b the last couple of years on the archery hunt. If you are going to do DIY then obviously it's hard to turn up those big bucks. But if you are going to go guided there are other units with really big goats that they can find for you. So unit 10 isn't the only unit in the state especially since it has declined.
 
I am sitting one point behind you. Wondering if quality will pick up in a few years in a lot of areas once the trailcams become illegal?
Where in Oregon did you hunt?
 
Not to hijack this thread, but what are the odds for a resident with 18 points, getting a tag in 7, 8, 9, or 10? I've only eaten antelope once, I remember it being great, and I'd like to get one myself before I'm too old to hunt.
 
Put in for unit 7 I saw a lot everyday ,last Oct I got a mature buck on day 6 it was a very fun hunt I had 23 resident points.
I wanted to hire a guide but couldn't so I drove up there and figured it out, they are crazy and I hope 1 day to go do it again.
 
Not to hijack this thread, but what are the odds for a resident with 18 points, getting a tag in 7, 8, 9, or 10? I've only eaten antelope once, I remember it being great, and I'd like to get one myself before I'm too old to hunt.
Archery should be fine but rifle / muzzleloader will be tough
 
how big of a buck are you looking for? if you have time to scout a lot or money to pay an outfitter I think you can kill just as good of a buck in other units around the state. Heck, there have been a couple of really big 85+ inch bucks killed in 4b the last couple of years on the archery hunt. If you are going to do DIY then obviously it's hard to turn up those big bucks. But if you are going to go guided there are other units with really big goats that they can find for you. So unit 10 isn't the only unit in the state especially since it has declined.
I heard of a few in the mid-80’s taken with archery over the years in 4B.....however, the ones that I officially measured didn’t come close to that. Best one was 80”.....which is still a big pronghorn
 
I heard of a few in the mid-80’s taken with archery over the years in 4B.....however, the ones that I officially measured didn’t come close to that. Best one was 80”.....which is still a big pronghorn
my cousin killed an 87" buck in 2019 with his bow. didn't have it officially scored because he doesn't care but it is a giant goat. 87" is obviously green score. either way, it is big enough it would die on almost any hunt in any state on any year.
 
I am sitting one point behind you. Wondering if quality will pick up in a few years in a lot of areas once the trailcams become illegal?
Where in Oregon did you hunt?
Money, I’m looking big or go home, but realistic for a DIYer. I can devote a week scouting, plus hunt the full season.

LIK2HNT, I hunted Warner in Oregon. And posted a review in ifish.
 
my cousin killed an 87" buck in 2019 with his bow. didn't have it officially scored because he doesn't care but it is a giant goat. 87" is obviously green score. either way, it is big enough it would die on almost any hunt in any state on any year.
? It’s amazing how much they shrink when they are officially scored. Even more so with the “I don’t care about score crowd”

waiting 25 years for an antelope tag, that’s rough. Hope it works out for you!
 
? It’s amazing how much they shrink when they are officially scored. Even more so with the “I don’t care about score crowd”

waiting 25 years for an antelope tag, that’s rough. Hope it works out for you!
he doesn't care about score because he's only been hunting a couple of years. it could have been a 65" goat and he would have been pumped. The buck just happened to hit the water hole he was on. it was his first antelope hunt ever and he drew it with 2 or 3 points. yeah they do shrink in the 60 day drying period but he is a no doubt giant goat. But there really are people out there that don't care what an animal scores, even if it is a Giant. I vowed long ago that i'll never enter an animal into the book even if it's a giant because I hunt for me and me alone and honestly don't care how high he is in the book. I firmly believe that P&Y as well as B&C have hurt hunting and helped make it all about inches. it's good to know how to field judge and score so you know what you are looking at, but it should never be the motivating factor in my opinion.

Rough score only matters to put an animal in perspective so people can tell how big it actually is. Official score only matters to rich people and people who hunt for the wrong reasons. It's not hard to score an animals correctly, if you have a brain in your head, and have the appropriate score assigned to them. Even with official scoring there is cheating and fudging the numbers. I worked for an Arizona taxidermist that would deep freeze the big antelope for guys that wanted them officially scored. He would freeze dry them basically and then the "official scorer" would show up and measure it and put it in the book like all was good.
 
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he doesn't care about score because he's only been hunting a couple of years. it could have been a 65" goat and he would have been pumped. The buck just happened to hit the water hole he was on. it was his first antelope hunt ever and he drew it with 2 or 3 points. yeah they do shrink in the 60 day drying period but he is a no doubt giant goat. But there really are people out there that don't care what an animal scores, even if it is a Giant. I vowed long ago that i'll never enter an animal into the book even if it's a giant because I hunt for me and me alone and honestly don't care how high he is in the book. I firmly believe that P&Y as well as B&C have hurt hunting and helped make it all about inches. it's good to know how to field judge and score so you know what you are looking at, but it should never be the motivating factor in my opinion.

Rough score only matters to put an animal in perspective so people can tell how big it actually is. Official score only matters to rich people and people who hunt for the wrong reasons. It's not hard to score an animals correctly, if you have a brain in your head, and have the appropriate score assigned to them. Even with official scoring there is cheating and fudging the numbers. I worked for an Arizona taxidermist that would deep freeze the big antelope for guys that wanted them officially scored. He would freeze dry them basically and then the "official scorer" would show up and measure it and put it in the book like all was good.
You kinda went all over the board there. So you hate the system yet use the system? Wouldn’t that make you a hypocrite?

No one cares about the book till they kill a book animal. ?

You’re painting with a broad brush regarding the kind of people who are interested in record books.

I’m curious what you mean regarding rough score matters? To who? To gauge what? Score doesn’t necessarily relate to age. What if the areas bucks top out at 75”? Do you preface it with what the animals top out at where you were hunting?
 
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You kinda went all over the board there. So you hate the system yet use the system? Wouldn’t that make you a hypocrite?

No one cares about the book till they kill a book animal. ?

You’re painting with a broad brush regarding the kind of people who are interested in record books.

I’m curious what you mean regarding rough score matters? To who? To gauge what? Score doesn’t necessarily relate to age. What if the areas bucks top out at 75”? Do you preface it with what the animals top out at where you were hunting?
All I mean is rough score helps us know what we are looking at. I do score animals and know how to score animals because it helps me field judge animals on the hoof. I pull the trigger when I see what I like and regardless of score I am happy with whatever I am blessed enough to take. I don't mind people scoring animals but when score is the only thing that matters it is a problem. I can assure you the record books will not ever have my name in them regardless of what I kill. I don't have a wall full of B&C size animals, but even if I did none of them would be entered because that is not why I hunt. I've killed two elk that make P&Y with my bow but they'll never be entered.

I think age is a much more important factor and typically bigger animals are more mature but not always. Not every area can produce a giant and not ever giant is old. We killed three deer in New Mexico this past fall and the biggest buck was actually the youngest deer. I have a former boss that killed a 229" deer that was aged at 4.5 years old. Yet i've killed a 172" deer that was 9 years old. I don't think you can really judge age based only on the size of the animal. But the size typically will help you know if the animal is fully mature or not. Not always but often.

Sure, some people hunt for the right reasons and still enter their animals in the record books. But most stone cold killers i've ever been around only care about hunting and killing what make them excited not matter what anyone else thinks. I don't care if people enter their animals into the book. But I do care that score has become the only factor that matters in an animal when hunting is so much more than that. I've seen so many people kill an animal that they are excited about until they score it and suddenly they don't like it anymore... sad really.
 
All I mean is rough score helps us know what we are looking at. I do score animals and know how to score animals because it helps me field judge animals on the hoof. I pull the trigger when I see what I like and regardless of score I am happy with whatever I am blessed enough to take. I don't mind people scoring animals but when score is the only thing that matters it is a problem. I can assure you the record books will not ever have my name in them regardless of what I kill. I don't have a wall full of B&C size animals, but even if I did none of them would be entered because that is not why I hunt. I've killed two elk that make P&Y with my bow but they'll never be entered.

I think age is a much more important factor and typically bigger animals are more mature but not always. Not every area can produce a giant and not ever giant is old. We killed three deer in New Mexico this past fall and the biggest buck was actually the youngest deer. I have a former boss that killed a 229" deer that was aged at 4.5 years old. Yet i've killed a 172" deer that was 9 years old. I don't think you can really judge age based only on the size of the animal. But the size typically will help you know if the animal is fully mature or not. Not always but often.

Sure, some people hunt for the right reasons and still enter their animals in the record books. But most stone cold killers i've ever been around only care about hunting and killing what make them excited not matter what anyone else thinks. I don't care if people enter their animals into the book. But I do care that score has become the only factor that matters in an animal when hunting is so much more than that. I've seen so many people kill an animal that they are excited about until they score it and suddenly they don't like it anymore... sad really.
Couldn’t agree more! Good luck in the draws!
 

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