WY Antelope Horn Growth?

[JLS]

By the time October rolls around, the buck has a start on the upper portion of the horn under the exiting horn sheath. It’s critical after the rut for the bucks to have access to good range and mild weather to rebound from the strenuous rut before winter sets in. Then mid-November triggers the slipping off of the old horn shell, exposing the new horn growth. By the end of March or mid-April, the upper part that includes the prong and curled tip is grown.

In mid-May through July he really puts on horn length and mass below the prong. That includes mass around his bases. Sometimes you find bucks that have smaller bases then the second circumference, which is usually just below the prong. This growth pattern can happen if the spring is dry and vegetation is short. However, if by mid-June the rains come with equally heavy vegetation growth, then horn length and heavy circumferences below the prong will develop. The mass and horn growth below the prong continues until about the 1st of August. Looking at this, it’s important that the summer months of June and July have good moisture and in turn available new growth vegetation for heavy and long horn growth. After sometime in the first part of August the horn will harden up for the coming rut.

If a buck is in very poor body condition going into the rut, his condition will continue to deteriorate during the rut. Physiology dictates he will shift energy resources away from horn growth.

If a buck is in very good body condition score going into the rut, but then faces a hard winter, he will likely have developed good prongs and hooks, but may fall off in horn length and lower mass.

 

[bullbugle307]

With the chance of looking like a fool .... elk and deer are antlers (bone structure). Antelope, as you probably know are horns (modified hair). Antlers grow from the end outwards. Horns grow from the bases, and like your fingernails. This may influence the rate and amount of growth. Just my thoughts.

Antelope are a unique case. As you probably know they're the only horned animal to shed every year. And as the reference material posted in this thread points out, they grow their prongs and upper curls FIRST (during the winter and early spring), followed by their bases which are grown from roughly may through the end of the growing season in August.

 

[JM77]

I live around pronghorns all year round, have watched the same buck over the course of severals years and see bucks grow their headset from start to finish every year. These are my observations in the area I live in in central Wyoming.

First, by now where I live, what you see is what you get. I cannot recall ever seeing noticeable growth after June or the start of hot weather. They are done here. The bigger bucks have marked out their territories and will stay there until rut, so I see the same bucks regularly.

Second, I never see years where there is an appreciable difference in overall size, no matter the growth or drought. We seem to have the same average sizes year after year, with a big one showing up every now and then. I have seen good and bad years for fawn crops.

Third, a buck I have watched for three years, that got bigger the second year, is the smallest he has been this year. We had a normal winter and wet spring.

But, none of this matters if you have a tag. Get out and scout, get out and hunt. There is a buck with your name on it somewhere.

 

[Bluffgruff]

Bless you for your eyewitness testimony, Jm77. I was beginning to feel like Ike Eastman was the end all be all for Wyoming pronghorn biology.

 

[bullbugle307]

Bless you for your eyewitness testimony, Jm77. I was beginning to feel like Ike Eastman was the end all be all for Wyoming pronghorn biology.

Clearly you know more than the Eastman's, whos thoughts on the matter happen to be in agreement with all of the published research. They've only been hunting and filming in Wyoming for three generations, and have killed and watched more trophy antelope than everyone in this thread combined. Maybe you should start your own show! I'm sure it would be a huge success. You could probably put them out of business in no time.

Sorry for the sarcasm, but you're coming off like a real "don't let the facts get in the way of the opinions type of guy" bluffgruff.

JM77, I don't doubt that in most years in Wyoming the antelope don't add much height or mass after it dries up. It makes sense. But that doesn't mean that they wouldn't add height and mass below the prong if we were to get a bunch of moisture through the June and July. That just never happens because we live in one of the driest places in the US through July and August. But seeing as how it's still June, there's still plenty of green out there, and this has been one of if not the wettest year in SE Wyoming in my 32 years of living here, I would'nt rule anything out.

 

[Bluffgruff]

I'll shoot my 13" buck in October who is 13" right now I'm fine with that.

 

[JM77]

Clearly you know more than the Eastman's, whos thoughts on the matter happen to be in agreement with all of the published research. They've only been hunting and filming in Wyoming for three generations, and have killed and watched more trophy antelope than everyone in this thread combined. Maybe you should start your own show! I'm sure it would be a huge success. You could probably put them out of business in no time.

Sorry for the sarcasm, but you're coming off like a real "don't let the facts get in the way of the opinions type of guy" bluffgruff.

JM77, I don't doubt that in most years in Wyoming the antelope don't add much height or mass after it dries up. It makes sense. But that doesn't mean that they wouldn't add height and mass below the prong if we were to get a bunch of moisture through the June and July. That just never happens because we live in one of the driest places in the US through July and August. But seeing as how it's still June, there's still plenty of green out there, and this has been one of if not the wettest year in SE Wyoming in my 32 years of living here, I would'nt rule anything out.

What I gave are my observations, in central Wyoming, living around antelope and hunting them for the last 47 years. Frankly, I don't hold much stock in what someone, who calls prongs "diggers", has to say about antelope, especially when I see something different with my own eyes. Quite honestly, I could care less how long the Eastmans have been hunting and filming in Wyoming. Maybe antelope grow their horns differently somewhere else, but within a circle around my home with a 150 mile radius, there are more pronghorns than everywhere else combined. Or maybe you would rather they be called diggerhorn antelope?

And while your kissing up to the Eastman's, do you have any idea how many "trophy antelope" myself, family and friends have killed and watched over the years? I think not. Here are a few my youngest daughter has taken near where I live.

 

[BuzzH]

I also watch a lot of pronghorn all year round that live across the street from my house.

There are 5-6 bucks that I've been watching for several years and my observations are in line with JM77...by mid-may horn growth is largely over. They aren't going to grow any significant amount after June 1. For the record, the place across from my house is not hunted at all, and its wayyyy better habitat, year round, than about any place pronghorn live in Wyoming.

I always laugh at the people that believe horn growth continues into July and August...just not a fact. Eli posted some pictures of a buck that showed some additional growth, noted by a "ring" that was very clear. I'm not doubting that the additional growth didn't happen, probably in a very dry place that got an influx of moisture/re-green situation.

But, I also went out in my garage and looked over 40+ European pronghorn mounts from Wyoming, Montana, and New Mexico as well as several other 78-85 inch pronghorn we have mounted...I didn't observe what Eli posted on a single buck. Even he said most bucks put on very little additional growth after June and the addition of 2 inches of growth was "rare".

Anyone that believes that all the 13 inch bucks they're seeing in late may/early June are going to be adding 2-3 inches and be 15-16 bucks in August are living in a state of denial on planet fantasyland.

We'll see what's shot this year, but I expect to see the usual crop of 11-13 inch bucks, by the hundreds, that are posted each year.

I also agree that anyone that relies on the Eastman's school of pronghorn biology isn't someone I find much credibility in. I tend to believe what I see and what my buddies that have killed multiple B&C heads are observing. If a buck isn't 80" by June 1, he isn't going to be one by Sept 1 either.

 

[JLS]

who calls prongs "diggers"

Listening to Mike Eastman is on par with shoving ice picks in my ears.

Idaho Fish and Game's take on horn growth.

A pronghorn's horn does not necessarily get larger each year and tends to top out between age 2-6. Nutrition and moisture seem to have influence on antler and horn growth as does genetics. The female also has a horn that grows similarly to the males, but is usually smaller. The male's horns are shed from October through December after the rut and are shed when new horn begins to grow underneath. The new horn is typically complete by late winter or early spring. Females tend to shed their horns in mid-late summer, but sometimes they can be more variable and collect stacked horns (like paper cups) over 2-3 years.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I may not be a member of the “first family of western big game hunting” & I haven’t referenced any peer reviewed antelope horn grown studies. But I start scouting in mid- late May. I’ve never notified any growth after June. Maybe things are different farther south but this goes for southern WY up to MT.

Pretty certain in WY, they are absolutely now “done” unless you can tell what’s at the bottom 1/4” of horn.

I’ll be there looking this week.

 

[JLS]

If a buck isn't 80" by June 1, he isn't going to be one by Sept 1 either.

If he hit June 1 at 79.5" he might. I think Mike's statements there are grossly exaggerated, but he has books and videos to sell.

 

[oilcan]

JM77 those are some great Antelope I especially like the one were she’s wearing the orange vest.

 

[HalfAce]

JM77, your daughter is an antelope assassin. Awesome line up of big bucks.

 

[The Hedgehog]

@BuzzH Eli said 3” of horn growth was rare, so 1-2” of length from June-August would not be rare....

his family has more large antelope heads than anyone on here

Wrong on 2 accounts..

 

[BuzzH]

@BuzzH Eli said 3” of horn growth was rare, so 1-2” of length from June-August would not be rare and a 14”-15” buck with good mass on the bottoms is a lot different than a spindly 13” buck.

Mike Eastman mostly just reiterated what was in the peer reviewed publication rather than put his own ideas out there. Not sure why he is not seen as somewhat of an expert on this as his family has more large antelope heads than anyone on here and also live amongst antelope.

I went to one of my antelope heads and did find a growth ring like Eli showed but a ring only makes it easier to see the growth. If a ring is lacking it doesn’t mean the growth stopped, it just means the growth rate didn’t change. Palm trees still grow but don’t have growth rings.

I thought the peer reviewed publication and Eli’s great post clarified this issue, but I guess not.

I really don't care what you think, you're just flat wrong.

Its absolutely ridiculous to think that bucks that are 12-13 inches in mid May are going to grow to 15-16 inches by the end of August. If even 1/4 of the bucks that were 11-13 inches in May grew 2-3 inches until August, we'd be over-run with B&C contenders. Yet, that just isn't the case.

I'm also not big into comparing palm trees and pronghorn horns...but what I do know is what I see, year after year in Wyoming.

There is simply NOT going to be an influx of B&C bucks or even 14+ inch pronghorn this year in Wyoming. Its going to be a sea of the usual 10-13 inch bucks, with a smattering of 14+ inch bucks, and a handful of honest B&C bucks.

 

[BuzzH]

Wrong on 2 accounts..

Yeah, I don't get where people come up with Eastman's having all these B&C pronghorns?

I guess writing a book equals B&C entries?

Maybe I just need to pay closer attention to palm trees.

 

[The Hedgehog]

375 - you need to get out some more yourself and stop arguing about stuff you only read about.

 

[huntin24/7]

In the time ive spent in eastern Montana, I can't say that ive noticed much of any growth beyond June, or even may for that matter. I heard range conditions were pretty good this year in most of wyoming back in may. Is there much truth to that?

 

[BuzzH]

The range in Wyoming right now is very good...green all across the I-80 corridor. This time last year, it was dry and brown.

 

[huntin24/7]

The range in Wyoming right now is very good...green all across the I-80 corridor. This time last year, it was dry and brown.

Thanks buzz. Great to hear. Can't wait to start looking for some big central wyoming lopes.