for many years I would hunt an antelope hunt but I prefer in late fall or in winter. There are special reasons why throughout the West the hunting takes place only in September / October and not later?

I am not sure why antelope seasons are set so early.

I am booked for yet another antelope hunt in New Mexico this year and it starts on August 27th.

The later you go, the greater the chance that the antelope will have shed their horns. There are quite a few places that offer combos of deer and antelope in November, say, but these dates are mostly a compromise with a great chance of (many/most) buck antelope already having shed.

- mike

The big reason for the early hunts is to take advantage of the rut. Pronghorns rut earlier than deer usually.

Late August thru to the second week of October is when the goats are most active. Starting around the end of October the bucks begin shedding the outer horn sheath so all that is left is the core.

and they migrate out of their summer range when the snow starts falling and the harvest of individual populations can't be as precise
when they are collected en'mass on the winter range

very interesting. I was convinced that the antelope he would not lose the antlers

Antelope here begin to lose their horns (outer sheath, as stated earlier) around the first week of November. The 5-week season starts mid-October so by the last 2 weeks of the season (where it overlaps with deer/elk) it is not uncommon to find many bucks missing one or both horns.

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very interesting. I was convinced that the antelope he would not lose the antlers

They don't lose them the same way red deer or elk or whitetails or fallow do.

Pronghorn's, as they are not really an antelope have an outer horn sheath. It is made up of hair that is basically glued together on the outside of a bony core.

When they shed the sheaths, the remaining core is only about 1/3 maybe 1/2 the size of the outer sheath.

All of the above, plus the roads can turn to greased snot later in the season.

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All of the above, plus the roads can turn to greased snot later in the season.

eh' gads!! spoken like an "experienced" antelope hunter.
The september danger is crawling on your belly after a buck and hearing the rattler
go off nearby.
had to crawl around more than 1 that wasn't willing to give up "their" shade on hot days.
All part of the experience and yea
the buck i was chasin was worth crawling thru
the cactus,sage and buzz tails.
You got the antelope bug? Mario.

thanks guys. Now I understood.
Ravenr,
what bug?

the "bug" is the want to hunt antelope?

Ravenr, sorry but the slang is quite difficult to understand for me. Yes I want to hunt an antelope I dont konw when and where but is an animal that I like very much.

Hunting speed goats is a disease/a habit/a jones, pick your favorite or common terminology for an addiction.

Pronghorns and the areas where they live are really special.

If I were have to chose only one animal to hunt for the rest of my life, it would be Speed Goats.

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If I were have to chose only one animal to hunt for the rest of my life, it would be Speed Goats.

those exact words have come out of my mouth

my for my limited experience in the West (5 o 6 hunts), my first choice would be the elk but the pronghorn is the only animal I never hunted there.

That is a very good choice Mario! In the rut when they are bugling and coming to a cow call is fantastic fun!!!

I'm agree. One of the best

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Originally posted by Topgun 30-06:
That is a very good choice Mario! In the rut when they are bugling and coming to a cow call is fantastic fun!!!

Never heard a Speed Goat bugle?????

Colorado offers a 2nd Antelope season starting in early Dec. I think it's doe only and you would have to get a left over tag.

I once shoot a antelope buck during the last week of MT season and when I grabed his horns to pull him onto my game cart they came off in my hands!

If you have a chance to see a clean antelope buck skull there are two bone "horns" (somewhat dagger like I guess is one way to discribe them). These appear to be part of the skull. The black "sheath" which we see as "horns" is, I believe, a modified "hair". The sheath grows out from the horns. For a long time I heard that antelope did not shed their "horns" since the base section is also black when the animal is alive, at least the ones I've seen are. So on winter range the bucks still appear to have their "horns".

In fact I saw a herd in New Mexico in january and the horns looked there

The horn cores are still there. the outer horn sheaths are not.

A buck with horn cores measuring 10 or 12 inches long, would most like have actual horns making B&C with the sheaths on them.