After 13 years of putting in here in Utah I finally drew my first pronghorn tag. I have spent the all this time year after year watching big bucks in this unit. As soon as I found out I drew and still celebrating I have spent everyday available and every weekend to scout even harder for that buck I have been waiting for. Luckily I have found him and I have a couple pegged just in case he never shows or falls to the archery hunt and everything was going great UNTIL!!!!! Last Friday night the hunting gods threw me the biggest set back my unit exactly were I have spent all this time is now on fire!!!! With only a week left until opening day im lost not sure what to do now. I went out last night as close as I could to see the damage and saw very little and the fire has pushed alot of livestock into surrounding areas. The fire is about 5% contained in a highly fuel infested area. My question is if I stick to my plan will the animals return to their areas and I assume they will be very skittish and harder to sneak on because of all the action in the last couple of days? I also want to thank Bigfin I was in communication with you about this hunt while you were on your deer hunt here a couple of weeks ago I hope you got some redemption after the heartbreaking miss you showed me. Any info from you guys here is truly welcomed and I hope you all enjoy success on your hunts I look foward to reading the stories and aweing at the pictures of all your hard work thanks guys!!!!!
Needing some words of encouragement!
- Thread starter Bwhntr9
- Start date
VAspeedgoat
Well-known member
I have no first hand knowledge for you but I do know this. The best hunters I know, rarely stick to a plan. Chances are, those animals have shifted somwewhere, even if its only a little. Due to the proximity to opening day, spend your time scouting fron the truck with binos or better yet a spotting scope. This may take a lot of in season scouting but everybody is in the same boat in your unit. The bucks went somewhere and the does will have to get bred. Out work the other hunters that just shrug and say, "It'll be alright, I'll just stick to the plan." Who knows you may find a better buck now. Good luck, and make sure you post the pictures of your buck.
Only thing I can say is, "stay with it". I have been surprised at how quickly animals return to an area that has burned. I'm not sure about your particular, but I agree with VAspeedgoat in that they have shifted to another area, but you may be surprised that they haven't "left the country". Good luck!
Southwind
New member
I can tell you that many a time when dealt a set back, it wasn't long before success came knocking. You get down and frustrated and feeling hopeless and the next thing you know the opportunity presents itself and you are on cloud nine with an animal on the ground.
Play the hand you got and never give up!
Play the hand you got and never give up!
406LIFE
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2016
- Messages
- 3,130
My experience with Goats and fire (limited as that is) is that they won't be back unless there is grass. This late, it would probably be best to start scouting around. I don't imagine he has gone to the next state, so just start glassing again. FWIW, even fires are part of the hunt. The challenges that we face are often times completely indeterminable. Will there be a blizzard, with EHD kill off all the bucks, will there be a PETA demonstration blocking my access, etc. To quote Tom Hanks in League of Their Own, "There's no crying in baseball." Wait, I meant "The hard is what makes it great."
GL.
GL.
Thanks everyone your encouraging words and insight will stick with me all week, hopefully I will be able to post the fruits of my labor and have the knowledge to help the next hunter down the road. You guys are awesome and thats why I love this site I really appreciate all the help I can get.
Bukwild3
Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2016
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- 261
Have absolutely no idea about your situation. I have never hunted them. This will be my first year. What I can say is, as the cliche reads, usually when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.... Well I I'd make a John Daly personally! But, one thing I do know is on my hunts when everything that can go wrong goes wrong I usually stick it out. And looking back on those days I can think of plenty of instances where I had a very sucessful hunt! You know, the kind you tell around the camp fire that people call B.S! Good luck to you and I hope your hunt is all that you have dreamed of!
LopeHunter
Well-known member
Know the unit's boundary's since you may be venturing to the edges to find surviving habitat and food which will be sagebrush as well as any grass or alfalfa they can find. My moose unit's primo habitat burned last month so I feel a bit of your pain. Good luck on your hunt!
duckhunt
Well-known member
Thats bad luck alright. I hope your hunt turns out successful.
I had a similar experience in Wyoming about 5-6 years ago. It certainly was disheartening to stand on a ridge and looking out over miles of blackened prairie, knowing that the land always held animals in previous years. We definitely had to work harder for our bucks that year, but as we moved around, we discovered that there were islands of green in the sea of black, and most of these areas held animals.
Thank you guys!!!!!!
Unreal opening day! This is the buck I had followed for the last 3 1/2 months and the week of the archery in August was the last I had seen him. Then the fire right before the opener I was so convinced he was dead or gone. It just so happened I stayed the course and followed my gut and heart and the hunting gods have smiled down on me this time! This monster was alot more than I had thought he was. They threw a tape on him last night and with 16 3/4 in tall 7 in bases 6 1/2 in cutters and carries all his mass from the bottom to the top and the coolest 2 1/2 in Ivory tips to top off this awesome animal he rang in a green score of 87 4/8 I dam near shit myself lol! It just dosent seem real. I just want to thank all of you that helped me stay positive and confident this goat is for all of the Antelope junkies you guys rule and I now know the addiction to these amazing animals!
Unreal opening day! This is the buck I had followed for the last 3 1/2 months and the week of the archery in August was the last I had seen him. Then the fire right before the opener I was so convinced he was dead or gone. It just so happened I stayed the course and followed my gut and heart and the hunting gods have smiled down on me this time! This monster was alot more than I had thought he was. They threw a tape on him last night and with 16 3/4 in tall 7 in bases 6 1/2 in cutters and carries all his mass from the bottom to the top and the coolest 2 1/2 in Ivory tips to top off this awesome animal he rang in a green score of 87 4/8 I dam near shit myself lol! It just dosent seem real. I just want to thank all of you that helped me stay positive and confident this goat is for all of the Antelope junkies you guys rule and I now know the addiction to these amazing animals!
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Bukwild3
Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2016
- Messages
- 261
Congrats on the great buck. Hope you made a John Daly to celebrate! Should be a great story to tell in the future!
VAspeedgoat
Well-known member
Wow, awesome job, awesome buck!
