Hunting Washington Forum
Community => Photo & Video => Topic started by: Seabeckian on December 26, 2012, 08:57:36 PM
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I have hardly spent any time around antelope in my years of hunting, thus I have no idea how to field judge one. This guy looked like a pretty good buck to me. He had about 30 does with him, and the scars to show he had earned it. To you professional lope slayers out there, how does he fair?
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The factors of pronghorn horn (not antler) measurement are (1) mass, (2) prongs, and (3) length. There are four mass measurements per horn, so they make up the biggest portion of the score. The horns on this antelope are relatively thin.
Prong length is another important factor. The prongs on this antelope are not exceptional.
Length is the last factor. There is very little curl at the ends. The horns on this antelope look to be around 12".
Those are nice pictures, but if you're looking for a trophy antelope, I would pass on this one.
One of the best books on this subject that I've read is this:
http://www.eastmans.com/shop/books/hunting-trophy-antelope.html (http://www.eastmans.com/shop/books/hunting-trophy-antelope.html)
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Bob hit it on the nail. My :twocents: are: go for a tall, thick horned fellow if you are looking for a big score. If you want one that is unique, well, that's on you to decide what a trophy is. I've never been one for scoring points, so I try to get one that is different from the norm, mostly because you'll never see another one like it. I'm really into freaks and non-typs, but that is just me.
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Good info. Thanks guys. We saw a few different groups and this was the only fair buck of all of them. I'm sure you know how it is judging an animal when you have nothing to compare too. The two other bucks I saw were literally half this guys size, making him out to be a giant. :chuckle:
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Had the same issues and out of all the bucks on the land we were allowed to hunt I shot this one as he was biggest and the dominant buck in that 1000 acre chunk
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http://www.biggamehunt.net/articles/field-judging-pronghorns (http://www.biggamehunt.net/articles/field-judging-pronghorns)
You also need to consider where you are hunting. If the area you are hunting has antelope that top out at 12" then you make a different decision from hunting in an area known for antelope going 14"+.
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I'd say I am pretty weak at judgeing them as well. I suppose its like any other animal, I have seen two that just blew me away of how big they seemed, and the rest just look like nice critters that I really couldn't tell the difference or which might be bigger. One was in southern Idaho and one was in New Mexico.
