Rookie to Wyoming

Warrior27

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Joined
Feb 14, 2020
Messages
158
Location
Missouri
This will be my first hunting trip out west and will be hunting pronghorn. I'm used to the row crop fields and hollers in Missouri. I've read a lot about cactus of some sort and getting needles in your hands and knees from stalking. What's everyone's recommendation for leather gloves? I'd like something not big and bulky as close to your typical early season lightweight hunting glove. Thanks in advance for any input.
 
Like hunter67wa said, best way is to look before kneeling or going prone . I've got stuck in chest, knees and hands. That kind of cactus grows close to ground and hard to see. Blends in with other plants and grass. Knee pads work but I would get solid plastic not hard foam. I don't wear them anyway. Gloves, I just wear hunting gloves not leather. I rarely get stuck in hands. Last year I found a place east of town while lope hunting. I have never seen so much cactus in my life. You could not step without stepping on it. It had stuck I'm my soles and leather on boots. Made me thank God my dog wasn't there. We drug a doe out of there and I got so many cactus thorns in it it was painful to handle. It's lower legs were full of them from the start . Good luck and look around before you go down ! ;)
 
My opinion from my area. Piece of rope. Leather fence gloves preferably with double layer palms. I take it off my shooting hand to fire. Like he said above, our deer and hogs sometimes have the lower legs filled with thorns and cactus spines. Moving the carcass can be a "issue". Grabbing a leg can fill your hand with needles. The thorns will go through leather but it stops the little ones and you get some warning. Rope is for a drag loop and gets your hands off the stickers. I am very careful about prone, had an issue or two with sitting position that was educational and auto correct. Our cactus isn't that thick and you quickly learn to watch for and avoid it. Make sure you have a good light in case you have to do anything in the field after dark.
In our area, thin or cloth gloves aren't much use for stickers. Fine hair cactus spines go right through them.
It isn't as bad as it all sounds. Just have keep your eyes open.
I am allergic to rattlesnakes. Diarrhea and chills.
 
We're hunting similar terrain for pronghorn in eastern CO. IMO, gloves are essential since the best approach is hands and knees, then on your belly. I like slim leather for its' toughness. One thing I noticed about areas where crops have been planted and it may be due to the sandy soil out there, but holy cow, they can be full of heavy bullhead stickers! It would be very tough without gloves. Good luck
 
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Who cares about gloves. If yer crawling a bunch, you'll probably get bit in the face by a rattlesnake before you get poked by a cactus. I've come face to face with several. Stepped on one year before last...
I stepped on one years ago that bit the rubber sole on the end of my boot and got fangs stuck for a few seconds .
 
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