Will be spotting and stalking as that's a big part of my reason to hunt somewhere in the west. But there will be a blind in the truck if the cards somehow fall that way.
Killed by using decoys. Don't have the patience to sit water, and decoying/spot and stalk is way more fun. Just make sure you get close before putting up the decoy or they take the does away instead of charging you.
A wise man once told me spot and stalk antelope is the most fun you can have with your pants on. If I can choose between sitting in a blind roasting like a rotisserie chicken and probably killing a pronghorn vs spot and stalk and likely not killing one I’ll take spot and stalk all day long.
That’s probably why I haven’t killed one yet though. Tomorrow morning can’t come soon enough so I can get served another slice of humble pie…
Again, thanks for all replies. Back from the hunt, now my turn.
I did a mix of both sitting in tent, sitting in natural blind, and stalking. All great fun, even though I ate my tag. Stalking is exhilarating and tough particularly with a herd of does with the buck. Though I thought a tent on water would be terribly boring, it is not bad, and man, I wish I could have made it work. I couldn’t find a consistently used water source that wasn’t pond/lake size. Stalking was really fun, but ideally finding a lone buck would be much easier. Best I did was 96yds on a buck with 8 does. That’s a lot of eyes, and it was always the does who busted me.
Bottom line: Anyway you hunt, Archery antelope is doable and fun.
Two days into my first pronghorn archery season I’ve learned a few things already spot and stalking.
- Even when not running, they move much faster than I expect. I’ve gotten busted a couple times because I thought I’d gotten ahead of bucks but had not.
- They’ll bed in the open bottoms. As an elk and mule deer hunter, my instinct is that they’ll bed 2/3 of the way up a hill, but they consistently drop off and bed low.
- The buck decoy is more hindrance than tool right now. I’ve spooked a couple bucks with the decoy. Maybe because it’s early, maybe because they see pressure.
- The next stalk is just around the corner. If you blow one, move on.
Started this season sitting water. Didn’t have a single lope come in. Too many water sources I believe. Ended up spot and stalk the last two trips out. Missed two on Sunday and got it done today at 45 yards after 15 yard crawl. Slow and steady. Use the terrain and be ready. Can’t wait till next year!