Pronghorn Doe Wyoming

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Super interesting, and brings up some interesting questions. Anyone ever used an NV "horns longer than ears" antelope tag on a doe? Doe tags in states like WY should be good to go on any doe regardless of horn length, right?

So WY is "doe/fawn" not "anterless" so any pronghorn that has female parts down south is legal regardless of how long the horns are. The fawn part is a bit wishy washy in WY if its a buck fawn. Fawn is "a young of the year antelope". Bucks are "male antelope with visible horns and dark cheek patch at the base of the ear." I self inquired/reported when I shot a buck fawn once because the regs in WY leave a lot of gray there (where as CO for instance clearly says a buck <5" horns is considered legal under the doe tag). Anyways the game warden was a bit critical of the one I shot, making me sweat a bit, (it had ~3/4" of horn showing above the hair and I clearly considered if a fawn) saying there was some black on its face but in the end said he'd consider it a fawn. I had shot it at 350yds and didn't see the black and was surprised seeing the set of nuts when I rolled it over, lol. Going forward I've avoided any trace of black on the face if I can help it and so far haven't dropped another buck fawn.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Prone is dang near impossible because of all the sage brush.

Depends on your area and how you set up. I hear all the time folks saying they rarely can get prone in a real hunting situation, where as I almost always get prone in real hunting situations, esp. pronghorn with a rifle. I typically am hunting the shittier tags so not much cover/sage. Belly crawling over a rise or out of a ditch for a prone shot is more typical in my case for pronghorn.

 

[Crghss]

I crested a hill 220 yds from the heard. I was bent over walking, how they didn’t see me I’ll never know. Belly crawled to 140 yds to a position where I could see through the sage. Saw a doe go stiff looking at me, figured that was close enough. Then took the shot, prone.

 

[sndmn11]

This is the grass cover in the unit we have been hunting (10 points to draw rifle), it gives no issues for prone.

My wife's pronged doe and my dad's buck when he had 2hrs to hunt before needing to head for an airplane.

 

[RSather528]

Depends on your area and how you set up. I hear all the time folks saying they rarely can get prone in a real hunting situation, where as I almost always get prone in real hunting situations, esp. pronghorn with a rifle. I typically am hunting the shittier tags so not much cover/sage. Belly crawling over a rise or out of a ditch for a prone shot is more typical in my case for pronghorn.

I think this year the lowest amount of points for a buck tag in this unit took 5 with a number of 8 point applicants taking tags as well. Aside from google earth and OnX the day or two before season starts is all we will have to see what we are working with.

I crested a hill 220 yds from the heard. I was bent over walking, how they didn’t see me I’ll never know. Belly crawled to 140 yds to a position where I could see through the sage. Saw a doe go stiff looking at me, figured that was close enough. Then took the shot, prone.

Sounds like an ideal situation! Sun in their eyes?

 

[RSather528]

This is the grass cover in the unit we have been hunting (10 points to draw rifle), it gives no issues for prone.

My wife's pronged doe and my dad's buck when he had 2hrs to hunt before needing to head for an airplane.
View attachment 303057
View attachment 303058

Might fine looking pronghorn! What distances were each of those taken at? Not a whole lot of anything to close the distance on as far as cover at least from the pic angle. Ever run into snakes while crawling around?

 

[sndmn11]

No snakes that I have seen, the elevation is high.

@KickinNDishin was about 175yds and I think my Dad's was 230yds. I think there might be video on here somewhere of my Dad's stalk.

There are plenty of gulleys and hills for cover in that unit. We have bowhunted it for does since that rifle hunt, and 80yds is the norm for stalking. I have a rifle buck tag this year.

 

[wytx]

Super interesting, and brings up some interesting questions. Anyone ever used an NV "horns longer than ears" antelope tag on a doe? Doe tags in states like WY should be good to go on any doe regardless of horn length, right?

Yes, any doe is good in Wyoming on a doe tag, horn length does not matter. Look for the black cheek patch to confirm it is a doe with horns.

 

[OXN939]

Yes, any doe is good in Wyoming on a doe tag, horn length does not matter. Look for the black cheek patch to confirm it is a doe with horns.

Oklahoma even has a graphic made up for differentiation. Thanks for schooling me up on some ungulate biology, guys!

 

[RSather528]

Oklahoma even has a graphic made up for differentiation. Thanks for schooling me up on some ungulate biology, guys!

Found that just last night when googling horned pronghorn does. That black patch will definitely be key for us to look at.

Are there any tips from anyone about identifying if a doe is mature if it was alone? If it had a fawn with it or is in a herd we could figure it out and pick the largest bodied but besides body size comparison is there anything else?

 

[Crghss]

I think this year the lowest amount of points for a buck tag in this unit took 5 with a number of 8 point applicants taking tags as well. Aside from google earth and OnX the day or two before season starts is all we will have to see what we are working with.

Sounds like an ideal situation! Sun in their eyes?

You know, I had not even thought about that. But through dumb luck the sun was in their eyes. I make sure I was down wind but didnt think about the sun.

 

[sndmn11]

Found that just last night when googling horned pronghorn does. That black patch will definitely be key for us to look at.

Are there any tips from anyone about identifying if a doe is mature if it was alone? If it had a fawn with it or is in a herd we could figure it out and pick the largest bodied but besides body size comparison is there anything else?

If they don't look like close to a young whitetail doe, then wait.

 

[RSather528]

Update: She was able to punch her doe tag this morning, had small horns too. We had a few stalks throughout the morning but ended up at 150-ish yards above a group of antelope just before noon. On this final stalk we had a young buck run at us numerous times within 10 yards while we were sneaking up to the group, it was wild! At a different location we had a nice buck or at least what I thought was a good one lay down 250 yards from us.