First antelope hunt

[buffybr]

Several of us regularly hunt antelope on some block management ranches in SE Montana. These are basically walk-in hunts. I usually kill my animals 1 to 3 miles from the nearest road.

Although pronghorns aren't real big, the old saying of "the work starts after you pull the trigger" can apply to them if you shoot them several miles from a road. The easiest way that I've found to get them out is on one of those two wheel game carriers, like Cabela's sells for about $100. The carrier sure beats dragging the antelope out or carrying them out on your back.

 

[gcamp54]

If I have to walk in much distance, which is my plan, I plan to bone it at the kill site and pack out the meat and horns. I'm not sure if I am required to haul out any of the hide but I will check with Fish and Game before hitting the field. I have read that it is better to leave it on the bone initially but I'll have to weigh the pros and cons at that time.

Gordon

 

[MNbogboy]

Gordon,
The law says you have to have proof of sex in quota areas....The locals out there informed me that the head or horns of the buck are proof enough but with a doe you need a sex organ....We bagged in a zip-lock the skin around the sex organs from a doe lope we harvested...We boned several deer and antelope in the field....The meat really cools fast in those higher, arid and windy climates....Along with my favorite boning knife I carry a small tarp made from house wrap (about 4 ft square) in my pack....We lay the meat on the tarp as it is boned...the wind out there doesn't ever want to stop blowing so we tried to drag the animals to a more protected area to get some what out of the wind....dust and weed seeds are a pain...we left plenty of building wrap on the up-wind side and folded it over the meat to protect it from the dust and seeds the wind was blowing around....(also place the tarp upwind from where you are working...its amazing how much is stirred up as you walk around)....The blessing of boning in the field is the easy of transport back to camp....one person can easily pack the meat of a lope....and, if you have to, a whole deer isn't the worst pack in the world for one guy........The biggest disadvantage is the dirt the wind blows around...if you can get past that then you will get your meat cooler quicker and much less work when you are back at camp....

Good luck ,
Randy

 

[gcamp54]

Randy,
Great advise, thanks. Did you use a game bag to put the meat in for packing? I'm thinking I should get a doe tag just in case I kill a doe while I'm trying to harvest my buck. If that doesn't happen I'll have more fun hunting and some extra meat.

Gordon

 

[MNbogboy]

Gordon,
If your pack back to camp will take several hours I would suggest game bags (many guys purchase cheap pillow sacks and wash them good and use them)......If the trip back to camp will only take an hour or so I suggest just using gallon size zip lock bags (keeps the meat from drying out any more than it has while the rest was being boned and keeps it cleaner on the pack out)....Get the meat on ice as soon as you get to camp and I can almost guarantee it may be some of the best game you will ever eat......

By all means get a doe tag or two.....After you shoot your buck you can hunt for the doe lopes exactly the same way you would hunt for a buck lope.....Most likely there will be a buck in that group that will consider himself lucky but your hunt will be as equally rewarding for you and your group.....The tags are online now for only $34 bucks.....Thats the cheapest western hunt and definitely a lot of fun....with great tablefare as a bonus.....

My oldest son and I are hunting in A21 this year but I still plan to hunt A27 again some day as we had a great time there.....If you have picked up your maps you might notice the Red Hills on them that is where we hunted...PM me and I will look up the GPS coords for where we camped.....

Good Luck again,
Randy