2024 Antelope meatpole

[Marshfly]

Ne nm is a hurting in a bad way population wise.


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Sure is. When I lived in Louisiana we drove that Clayton-Raton stretch every summer a couple of times heading to the mountains. Saw goats everywhere. This was pre 2020. I had to drive that back and forth for a trip back down there late August this year and saw very, very few pronghorn. It was pretty saddening. I spent the night in Clayton and chatted with some hunters at the hotel and none of them had seen much if anything.

 

[WRO]

Sure is. When I lived in Louisiana we drove that Clayton-Raton stretch every summer a couple of times heading to the mountains. Saw goats everywhere. This was pre 2020. I had to drive that back and forth for a trip back down there late August this year and saw very, very few pronghorn. It was pretty saddening. I spent the night in Clayton and chatted with some hunters at the hotel and none of them had seen much if anything.

I’ve hunted the same place every year for the last 7 years, I’d say the population is down 70% in the last 3.


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[YellCoAR]

Unlimited landowner tags I am sure is the issue. So how long will that continue. I predict longer than the 2 to 3 Non-resident draw tags. I wonder if there are enough bucks to bread the does. I saw several doe groups with out a buck and never saw a group with more than one buck. I also saw no young bucks in groups or even alone.
Oh well a lot of money in selling hunts at $4,500 to $5,000. But that will not last either.

 

[justin davis]

I feel the same, I’ll do it again. Next time I’m making it last more than one day!

Hoping they taste good, prepping some antelope Phillies right now.

Antelope is my favorite meat

 

[WRO]

Unlimited landowner tags I am sure is the issue. So how long will that continue. I predict longer than the 2 to 3 Non-resident draw tags. I wonder if there are enough bucks to bread the does. I saw several doe groups with out a buck and never saw a group with more than one buck. I also saw no young bucks in groups or even alone.
Oh well a lot of money in selling hunts at $4,500 to $5,000. But that will not last either.

There’s 20% the bucks there were 3 years ago, we’ve been the only group hunting 29k private acres for 7 years. The last 3 we’ve had to deal with trespassers and other nonsense. Ne nm is so sparsely populated I’m guessing allot of locals buy tags and use them as travel tickets to hunt every piece of unoccupied land they can. Thing is you can put a goat in a rig in under 5 minutes, so it’s way to easy.

I’ve heard rumor there’s been a blue tongue die off as well, which would align with get sheer lack of does as well.


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[TurkeyReaper69]

There’s 20% the bucks there were 3 years ago, we’ve been the only group hunting 29k private acres for 7 years. The last 3 we’ve had to deal with trespassers and other nonsense. Ne nm is so sparsely populated I’m guessing allot of locals buy tags and use them as travel tickets to hunt every piece of unoccupied land they can. Thing is you can put a goat in a rig in under 5 minutes, so it’s way to easy.

I’ve heard rumor there’s been a blue tongue die off as well, which would align with get sheer lack of does as well.


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NE NM is where I was, it really was pitiful. I keep looking back on the trip, I saw more Pronghorn on I-40 in the TX panhandle than I did during my scouting and hunting days in NM.

I am very agitated at the unlimited private land tags.... Especially in a unit with a patchwork of public and private lands. It's ridiculous that to hunt on public lands you are met with extremely low draw odds to hunt the same antelope the state is authorizing unlimited private tags on.

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

Who needs Sitka camo and Crispis, when you can wear plaid pajamas and cowboy boots?

I had one day to get it done in MT and decided to bring my 3.5 year old along for the ride. Logged a great memory together—hopefully the first of many more to come!


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[Greenhorn]

MT hunting with my kids was pretty great this year. Spent a total of over 20 days scouting/hunting the 2 different units we hunted, starting before the application deadline. My daughter edged out my son on the best buck, leaving me in last place. But I also got a doe during archery where my son hunted, having drawn the B tag for there this year. We've all got some antelope meat for the year & my daughter has decided to do a shoulder mount of her buck.