Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game antelope on the water

hey guys i have not hunted antelope much at all but me and my dad pulled up to a water hole on saturday and we found a nice buck (i think) with 4 does and he busted us before i could get a shot this was at 1209 so for the last 2 days i have sat on this water hole until 1 (cause i have to work at 4) i have not seen him or any other bucks for that matter i have had 7 does come in tho so i know antelope are useing it and they do not know i am there but today i got a coyote this morning good target practice but some people tell me that somtimes antelope will not water for 3 to 4 days some times does any one hunt them a lot and could help me put some kind of patern to them i broke my leg or i would try stalking them but i can not realy do that so i am stuck waiting for them to come to me and this is the only water for about 8 miles that i know of any tips would be great thanks guys

Patience

Before the rut, bucks have very low moisture demands and water infrequently. I've never kept track of known pronghorn bucks, but I've seen California bighorn rams stay on a single peak for 3 days without coming down to water.

Pronghorn ewes, with their lactation demands will water every day if it's handy. If not they can easily go 2 or three days as they are good at harvesting moisture laden forbs in even the driest of conditions.

thanks man i thought so cause i have not seen the same group twice do you think maybe they are watering later in the day after i leave

Or somewhere else...

o dont say that

I don't see pronghorn doing much traveling after dark. When I've put a bunch to bed, I can usually catch them in the same location in the morning. Great day light vision, but I have walked right into their midst in the dark.

Here's a link on water requirements about page 5.

Pronghorn Symposium 2006
Water. Pronghorn water requirements and water consumption will vary seasonally
and from day-to-day depending on physiological state, physical activity, ...

Pronghorn water

A bit of surfing also brings up some other articles.

well he came in today and he had about 14 does with him this time the bad news is that a cafe died yesterday that had been sick so there were dogs coming in every 30 min or so well my buck and a dog thought it was a good idea to come in at the same time so none of them got a drink going back in tommorrow hopping they will be back i took the cafe back to the rancher so maybe the dogs will not come and run off my buck this time

What unit is your tag?

072 074 075 in nevada

I've hunted antelope in a bunch of other areas here in Nevada, but I haven't in those units. I've seen some very nice ones across the highway in 076.

Covering a known watering hole is a good idea. But, with all the moisture and cooler weather we've had this year it isn't as critical as it has been in hotter/drier years.

Good luck. Hang in there.

k guys i have been on the same water hole this hole time and never went a day without seeing one antelope and now i have went the last two days and have not seen one it has not been to hot but nothing has came to water you guys think i should move or stick with it i only have tell the 20th

Sounds like they might have figure out that someone is about.

yep well they did i had 14 does come in but no bucks well any one want to come over for some tag soup

Bell89815:
I spent 3 days this past week with a buddy after pronghorn here in SE Oregon. We were on very well proven ground where I've helped with about 8 different hunts over the years. We repeatedly worked about 150 square miles both afoot and with heavy glassing. We saw hundreds of pronghorn, but found no bucks of substance. Some groups held 40 to 60 animals and there were also a few solo bucks around. About 6 successful stalks were pulled off, but the targets rejected due to their small stature. Even though we had 3 more days to go, partner ran out of patience and took a smallish but well formed example.

Since returning, I've chatted with two other folks hunting in different units and they were having trouble simply finding animals. One of the taxidermist that shows up each season said 90+% of what came in this season were 13 inchers or less. I've passed a couple of other tables set up beside the highway, and from the rig saw no trophy class horns exhibited. My guess is this last winter might have been a bit tough on the older breeding bucks and it was the less stressed yearlings and 2 yr olds that made it through.

Sorry about the soup. I have enough preference points to do any pronghorn hunt in Oregon, and am in a quandary as to what to do. I was planning on disposing of them next season but may hold off.

ya the way i look at it is if it was going to happen it would of if not there is always next year and well thats waht i have to look forward to is next year but i still have a deer tag to fill this year

Next year sounds good. Unfortunately for us in Oregon, the next opportuntiy is typically 10 to 12 years down the road. Good luck on the deer,

ya i hope that it does not take me that long to draw a tag but thank you i hope to get i good buck this year

Coyotes do too, on purpose. If 2 coyotes can ease a herd into a fence corner they will lay and hold them there till dark.

Whats a cafe?