Dumb question?

[Ktm500]

How good is an antelopes nose? This will be our first time hunting them and we are from the Midwest.

 

[Gumbo]

As good as a deer's, you have to play the wind.

 

[WCB]

They will smell you. However....in my experience you can get away with being smelt more so than a deer. They wont leave the country. Even sitting at a blind I have had them come in smell me then circle and come in.

 

[Clarkdale17]

I’ve been getting busted all weekend by their nose. Seems to be the more pressured antelope that are getting out of town when they smell you. Some of them could seem to care less.

 

[voltage]

They can smell, but it’s not a huge deal. I would rather have great cover and a marginal wind than marginal cover and a great wind. This is especially true with a rifle.

I shot an antelope on Thursday at 455 yards. For 5 minutes, the wind was blowing straight at a group of 8 as I waited for the buck to turn broadside. They didn’t care.

 

[Jimss]

I ALWAYS keep wind direction in mind...even when rifle hunting. I stalk antelope the same way I stalk elk, deer, sheep, mtn goat, and moose. All big game have excellent noses!

 

[kcm2]

Much better than you think. Play the wind.

 

[Rich M]

It really depends on what you are using - rifle? Not an issue. Bow? maybe an issue.

As stated earlier, I'd rather have stalking cover than wind.

They rely on their eye sight - you'll figure out how good that is quickly. Your head pops up over a rise and poof, they gone. Wiggle a finger at an antelope 300-400 yards away when it is kinda looking towards you and see what happens.

You're gonna have fun.

 

[JeffP_Or]

All of the above is very true and certainly dependent on what else is going on - from my somewhat minimal experience, I have had better luck keeping the sun behind me and hampering their eyesight. No sun or sun is high midday? Use that juniper to hide under as they come and go on travel routes - plan accordingly. Only have tall sage? Scratch a depression and sit/go prone in it to drop your profile [warning here - I believe BLM rules state NO PIT BLINDS; act accordingly and level it all back out as warranted].
Yes, they pause at the scent. Yes, they can wander off/change trajectory at scent. They can just as likely return later. But I've found them to be much more reactive to eyesight for the most part unless highly pursued and ave had many that did not care when scent was going straight to them [especially groups].

You will have a good time - enjoy it!

 

[ganngus]

I usually play the wind, however, 90% of my busted stalks are from their eyes.

 

[therealtadams]

Interesting

 

[huntngolf]

Seems like antelope need to see whats there before taking off. Their nose will alert them to something but they will usually try and see what it is. Not like deer that will bolt from scent alone. From my experiences at least