Curious how many guys chase the antelope with the bow in August/September timeframe? I'll be going after them this year with my bow in August in MT, since I'll be permanently located out there by then (YESSSS!), and was wondering how many people actually do it, and what kind of competition could be expected. It's right around the corner.....
How many guys bowhunt Antelope?
- Thread starter MT Bound
- Start date
publichunter1
Well-known member
I am hoping to in CO if I get drawn this year.
JohnCushman
Well-known member
It's the only way to hunt antelope 
BlakeA
Well-known member
There is definitely competition. I would avoid weekends especially early on.
I tried last year in September. Any hunting is fun, but archery antelope, it turns out, is way down on the scale of fun for me. I loved that everywhere I looked there were antelope with no other hunters in sight, but I didn't love that every stalk brought me into the middle of giant patches of cactus. I only had one day to attempt it on the way home from elk hunting, but after about 5 failed stalks I sat down, plucked the cactus out of various parts of my body, and then poked around some rocks looking for rattlesnakes for the rest of the day. I think in an area with less cactus it could be a hoot but it just wasn't worth the pain for me. To be fair, I didn't expect to get a chance to chase them so I left my heavy gloves, knee, and elbow pads at home. I'd definitely try it again if I got the chance and was more prepared.
I know sitting waterholes in blinds is a great way to go about it, but I just have no interest in sitting in a little enclosed blind with so much country to explore. I'd much rather spot and stalk with a rifle than sit in a blind over water with a bow.
I know sitting waterholes in blinds is a great way to go about it, but I just have no interest in sitting in a little enclosed blind with so much country to explore. I'd much rather spot and stalk with a rifle than sit in a blind over water with a bow.
Elkwhisper
Well-known member
One of my favorite hunts each year.... I do it all spot and stalk, and it is definitely a game of numbers. I expect / hope to get a shot out of about one in ten stalks. That said, drawing your bow and popping up in the middle of the prairie, rarely goes unnoticed, and it seems I usually have at least one "practice" shot a year where a buck will duck my arrow before I connect.
Sometimes you can get lucky and everything comes together right out of the gate, but in my experience persistence pays off when it comes to speed goats with the stick and string.
Sometimes you can get lucky and everything comes together right out of the gate, but in my experience persistence pays off when it comes to speed goats with the stick and string.
Fire_9
Well-known member
I love chasing them with my bow. The cactus sucks, it's hotter than hell, and you have a decent chance of finding a snake but I think it's a lot of fun. You can chase them all day long too. If you can get one to decoy, you'll be hooked...
Blueniner9
Member
It's my favorite way to hunt them. It is definitely a game of numbers, as you will put in a lot of stalks per shot opportunity. Get a decoy, and you'll never want to hunt them another way!
JohnCushman
Well-known member
I have pretty good luck flagging them instead of using a whole decoy.
Depends on if I draw the muzzy tag or not. I could have rifle hunted this year but my wife had such fun with the muzzy last year that she convinced me to try it. She got her buck with a variation on flagging. Its about 50/50 whether I draw the muzzy tag, and if I don't, I get probably one weekend to try archery.
Vectordawg
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- Oct 17, 2016
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What is flagging? What kind of snakes do y'all have in MT?
JohnCushman
Well-known member
Waving a white handkerchief to simulate a doe's rear end. Lots of times I will tie a white walmart bag to the antenna of my truck and park it in some sagebrush or cholla and then come in from the upwind/flanking side of the herd while it has their attention in the breeze.
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Vectordawg
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Thanks!
Khunter
Well-known member
spot and stalking antelope with bow is very high on the favorites list.
Kiwi
Well-known member
Yeah, I bow hunted Antelope 2 years ago in WY. Had the place to myself and after many failed attempts shot a nice buck spot and stalk.
FishN4Eyes
Well-known member
Me.
That's the only way I hunt antelope these days.
Mine is all spot and stalk.
I've been lucky the last five years and killed bucks every year.
Hoping to make it six in a row.
No monsters but all decent bucks and two right at 14" which is a pretty good antelope for the areas I hunt.
Good luck, it's addicting and I love kicking off the bow season in mid-August.
That's the only way I hunt antelope these days.
Mine is all spot and stalk.
I've been lucky the last five years and killed bucks every year.
Hoping to make it six in a row.
No monsters but all decent bucks and two right at 14" which is a pretty good antelope for the areas I hunt.
Good luck, it's addicting and I love kicking off the bow season in mid-August.
Brian in Montana
Well-known member
I've killed 3, all decent bucks, by sitting in a ground blind by a water hole. I've never tried decoys, but id think you'll have the best luck with that in the rut, mid to late September as opposed to August. Most guys I've seen decoying don't appear to do it very well. They just seem to move around too much and get the goats all spooky and stirred up. I would imagine most bigger bucks have gotten a little decoy-shy in the easy to access areas.
The Hedgehog
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- 11,597
It's almost as much fun as clubbing baby seals.
Lonesome_God_outdoors
Active member
I do here in Wyoming
Hold on a minute... I don't think it is even a close second to clubbing baby seals. Maybe in the running with shooting wolf pups! There just something about the hollow thud when the Louisville Slugger makes contact with a baby seals melon..
