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antelope

wytex

Well-known member
Joined
May 17, 2016
Messages
3,084
Location
Wyoming
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This guy has a good start. Nice prongs and mass with a couple of months of growth left to go. He should be pushing 14-15 inches by July.
Noticed the bucks in this difficult access area are tending to have some nicer prongs this year than we have seen in the last few years.
 
I don't think you'll notice much of a change in antelope horns from now to hunting season. I'd say if that buck grows an inch in length, it would be lucky. I'd guess him at 12" tops.
 
I'll take that bet. He be 2 plus inches taller by July. They are growing horns until July. He goes maybe 11 inches right now.
 
I don't believe Mike Eastman on anything but I do believe in the principles in this publication '' Pronghorn: Ecology and Management " by O"Gara and Yoakum.
They grow horns until late July into Aug.
But I'll keep posting so we'll see.
They start growing as soon as sheaths are shed and continue from the bottom up. By now they are adding horn length below the prongs and a little mass.
We see these antelope almost every day so I'll keep posting and we'll see.
 
They may keep growing, until the second they are killed or shed their sheaths. But the fact is, the rate of growth is very low, now. Certainly not inches. Where is Eli Grimmet to chime in? Love how Eastman recommend to wait until August. So silly. Them diggers and cutters is big on that bad boy..
 
Just looking at his face, he seems like a pretty young buck. From what he is already sporting in cutters and nice hook on top, seems like one you would want to keep your eye on for the next year or two.
 
He looks to be a 3 1/2 year old or so to me but that I can't judge very well without other bucks around him. Once you get some standing side by side I can judge age classes kind of by body size . He hangs out the same area every time we see him so I'll try to keep tabs and get a pic with some younger bucks, he hangs with 2 younger guys. He does cross the road to drink so he may not last till hunting season.
Decent prongs for sure but he is a ways from a true trophy. Just thought I would share a pic of a decent buck for you all to ponder.

In all fairness, greenhorn 2 more inches of growth would be a stretch and those Grimmet guys know how to find the big ones.
 
Im curious, do pronghorns grow their horns fairly constant throughout the growing season or will some grow faster earlier and others later?
 
Looks like at least one of our local antelope areas has better prongs this year. We've been noticing several decent bucks with above average prongs for this area. This is a difficult access area but can be drawn with 0 PP in the special draw.

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I don't think you'll notice much of a change in antelope horns from now to hunting season. I'd say if that buck grows an inch in length, it would be lucky. I'd guess him at 12" tops.

I've watched antelope for 40 years on my property, I'm not going say they are done by the middle of June, but they darn sure don't grow much from now until September. A particular buck I found in early May one year, put on a good inch of length by early July, but he gross scored 87 and was 16 6/8 long. He was definitely the exception that I have seen in growth from late May through summer. My observations are that once it gets hot, antelope horns don't grow much. But I have no proof of this, take it for what it's worth; about four decades of observation.
 
I spent some time looking for antlers in Wyoming last weekend. Not much luck on antlers. Spent a day in the area I hunted last fall, where I believe I saw well over double digits on B&C bucks last fall, but only saw one decent one last weekend. Lots of goats, but horns aren't doing so well I think maybe 1) the early tough winter, or 2) I just didn't look hard enough.

Did hit 3 other units and saw some dandy bucks, in places that take far fewer points to draw. Doubt they'll grow much, but here's 4 nice bucks. That last one, crappiest photo is a true giant. I didn't apply in the unit that buck was in this year, but might someday.

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I'm going to predict that far fewer B&C bucks will be taken from Wyoming in 2017, when compared to 2016. Just a guess.
 
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