I’m pretty good at judging Deer and Elk but Don’t have a lot of experience with Antelope.
Thanks
Field Judging Pronghorn Mass
- Thread starter RomDawg
- Start date
Thanks
I appreciate your "reality-check" perspective. 80+" IS a lofty goal, especially for an inexperienced pronghorn hunter like myself. But I don't think it is a ridiculous goal based on how Randy Newberg hunts pronghorn, and based on my conversation with the WGDF biologist and PMs with other forum members for the unit. By no means am I going to base the success of the hunt on whether or not I harvest an 80+" buck. I'm going to have fun and I'm going to try to shoot the biggest buck I can find.
The purpose of this thread is to get a better fundamental understanding of what goes into scoring pronghorn bucks so I can make an educated determination in the field this fall.
Also, based on my measurements, my OR buck scores 70.5" with 12" long horns. It's obviously not an official score but I highly doubt I'm over by 8-10"...
The purpose of this thread is to get a better fundamental understanding of what goes into scoring pronghorn bucks so I can make an educated determination in the field this fall.
Also, based on my measurements, my OR buck scores 70.5" with 12" long horns. It's obviously not an official score but I highly doubt I'm over by 8-10"...
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Thanks Buffs35. I really enjoy practicing on their website but hadn't searched for them on Instagram.
I'm no expert and I've learned a lot listening to the folks above in this and other threads.
I am a pretty visual person, and i find i get more comfortable the more i study pictures of big bucks. This is a page i like to look at.
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chuckchili
Well-known member
I personally like the looks of this one. Nice shape and curve with sharp points, even though the prongs are below the tops of the ears. He's a real nice specimen in my opinion.
Here's my guess at score (and some reasoning) of the one pic:
Horn length = 12" (horns look twice as long as ears)
Prong length = 4.5" (bases don't look much longer than twice the eye socket which is 1.5-2")
Base = 4.5" (bases don't look much wider than the eye socket which is 1.5-2")
1st Qtr = 5.5"
2nd Qtr = 3-3.5"
3rd Qtr = 2"
Total Score = 64" ??? (not very heavy)
Horn length = 12" (horns look twice as long as ears)
Prong length = 4.5" (bases don't look much longer than twice the eye socket which is 1.5-2")
Base = 4.5" (bases don't look much wider than the eye socket which is 1.5-2")
1st Qtr = 5.5"
2nd Qtr = 3-3.5"
3rd Qtr = 2"
Total Score = 64" ??? (not very heavy)
This is a hard angle to try to guess length because I can't really compare total horn length to length of ears and it looks like his prongs are really close to his head. He seems heavier to me than the first, and if that is the case then his prongs are likely longer too. I'd guess 69-73"?? I really like the curl at the top.
BuzzH
Well-known member
I know the score on these...
Next 3 are the same buck:
Next 3 are the same buck:
Art Vandeley
Well-known member
Buzz, I'm guessing 83.5" on the top buck..
WyoDoug
Well-known member
I have been hunting antelope all my life since I turned 16 and I am 64 now. However, I am a meat hunter so my priority is always packing the freezer. Wife and I love and live on game meat when we have it. I will however, when I have multiple tags like I had the last few years is save my Type I for the best possible buck antelope I can get. However come that last day of hunting season, which for me is going to be Oct 14 on the Type 1 tag and Dec 31 on the doe/fawn tags. I start hunting antelope (archery) from a blind on August 15 and do some scouting as soon as the base natural resources department lets us on base to do that. I usually carry my binos in my pickup and look at potential targets for that type 1 tag well ahead of hunting season and try to figure best spot to set up my blind before dawn each day.
I don't hunt the way Randy or trophy hunters would hunt in that I will settle for one with descent meat before I let a tag go unfilled. But as far as judging, because I have cataracts, I don't see the eyes as well as most of you so I go almost entirely by the height of the horns compared to height of the ears. Generally, a set of horns twice the height of ears or more is my preferred goal at start of the hunt. At end of the hunt I will generally take one 1.5 times height of ears or I will take a doe if the Type 1 is "any antelope" which it is in my hunt area.
I don't hunt the way Randy or trophy hunters would hunt in that I will settle for one with descent meat before I let a tag go unfilled. But as far as judging, because I have cataracts, I don't see the eyes as well as most of you so I go almost entirely by the height of the horns compared to height of the ears. Generally, a set of horns twice the height of ears or more is my preferred goal at start of the hunt. At end of the hunt I will generally take one 1.5 times height of ears or I will take a doe if the Type 1 is "any antelope" which it is in my hunt area.
2rocky
Well-known member
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- Jul 23, 2010
- Messages
- 5,137
Buzz he's a shooter period. score be darned...
Thanks BuzzH! How'd I do?
First buck (2 photos)
Horn length = 16" (the second photo shows the length of the tops)
Prong length = 6.25"
Base = 6.25"
1st Qtr = 7.5"
2nd Qtr = 3.75"
3rd Qtr = 2.25"
Total Score = 84" (82-86" ???)
Second buck (3 photos)
Horn length = 15.5"
Prong length = 7"
Base = 6.5"
1st Qtr = 8"
2nd Qtr = 5.5"
3rd Qtr = 3.75"
Total Score = 92.5" (91-94" ???)
First buck (2 photos)
Horn length = 16" (the second photo shows the length of the tops)
Prong length = 6.25"
Base = 6.25"
1st Qtr = 7.5"
2nd Qtr = 3.75"
3rd Qtr = 2.25"
Total Score = 84" (82-86" ???)
Second buck (3 photos)
Horn length = 15.5"
Prong length = 7"
Base = 6.5"
1st Qtr = 8"
2nd Qtr = 5.5"
3rd Qtr = 3.75"
Total Score = 92.5" (91-94" ???)
I know the score on these...
Next 3 are the same buck:
I don’t think the first two photos are the same buck.
2rocky
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I think getting too wrapped up on field judging antelope (and other antlered critters) is like looking at a hay field and predicting what it is gonna test and how much tonnage it's gonna produce. You still gotta get it baled before it rains.
guessing scores and measurement is fun, but don't let it talk you out of putting on a stalk. I'd take a dead 65 incher over a 90 incher I had pictures of through a spotting scope.
Our State Bowhunting Broadhead shoot had a 50-50 Jackpot where you looked at a couple of euro mounts 500 yards away through a spotter and put in a score guess. That was fun.
guessing scores and measurement is fun, but don't let it talk you out of putting on a stalk. I'd take a dead 65 incher over a 90 incher I had pictures of through a spotting scope.
Our State Bowhunting Broadhead shoot had a 50-50 Jackpot where you looked at a couple of euro mounts 500 yards away through a spotter and put in a score guess. That was fun.
2rocky
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- Jul 23, 2010
- Messages
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A good visual on circumference versus length.
vikingload
Member
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80+ in my opinion isn't a lofty goal at all as long as the unit your hunting has the potential for that growth. I've found watching some videos of folks explaining how to judge helped me a lot, but the best was actually doing it in the field. My advice would be to make sure you look at each antelope from 3 views. Sometimes looking straight on their horns look good, but to the side you see how small their prongs are. I've also found that the back view can really give you a good view of their mass.
Highfastflyer
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- May 17, 2021
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Could you please share just for educational purposes. Both are great ones but would be nice to get the measurements. First one looks about 15 tall and 5 1/2 inch prongs but hard to judge mass. The 2nd one has amazing character.I know the score on these...
Next 3 are the same buck:
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Bowhunter413
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Yeah, heading on my first goat trip this year and would be awesome to get this info
ImBillT
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I’m with Seeth on this one. You may have over measured a tad(although that isn’t the best picture for trying to score) AND setting a goal of 80” is a good way to come home empty handed, or with a buck that disappoints when you put the tape on him.
Estimating mass is not easy. Some pronghorns will only get one measurement below the prong. Most will get two, rarely you’ll get three, and if score is all you’re looking for, that can be a HUGE boost. Generally, if he is WIDER than his eyes, and will get two mass measurements, place a check mark in the mass box, and look at the rest of his attributes. If you absolutely must go home with a B&C buck, then you may want to get better at estimating mass than that.
IM NO PRONGHORN EXPERT
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