My wife took her second Antelope today (does) with her Ruger Express rifle in 25.06. I'm really proud of her. She is an excellent shot.

I've taken (3) so far this fall; (2) bucks and (1) doe. I have one tag still left (doe). I used my Ruger Hawkeye SS/syn 280 Rem. for both bucks and my Dakota Classic Deluxe 25.06 for the doe. I will use my Ruger Express 25.06 for the final doe, if I'm luckey enough to fill the tag. I love using all of my favorite small bore rifles if I can every fall for deer/antelope, and elk give me a chance to use my medium bores.

Hoping everyone's hunting season is safe & successful this fall.

Congratulations to you and your wife!

good job,.. wish I could go Antelope hunting,.. around here its white tail & wild hogs

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Congratulations to you and your wife!

Thanks Cougarz!

quote:

Originally posted by vines:
good job,.. wish I could go Antelope hunting,.. around here its white tail & wild hogs

Thank you vines.

You'd really like antelope hunting I think. My wife and I were just discussing this on the ride home yesterday. Our main three quarry each fall is Antelope, Deer and Elk. We both agreed that Antelope was our favorite hunt. Most would probably suspect Elk would be the one, but we feel differently. Maybe it's the pleasant shirt sleeve weather one hunts Antelope in, or the stalking/planning when a herd is spotted. Maybe it's the easy drag to the truck! It's certainly the easiest to toss in the back of the truck! And of course, we get more Pronghorn tags than any other, so there's more hunting to enjoy.

For a number of years we thought Elk was the best tasting of the three, and Antelope number two, but no more. We truly love the taste of Antelope the most now, and Elk a distant second. Deer has always been number three for our taste buds.

Hope you can make it out west one day to give it a try.

Every day is a good day when you're antelope hunting! Congratulations to you and your wife.

I probably have more fun on antelope hunting trips than just about any other. We make a big family and friends trip every couple of years to do it.

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
For a number of years we thought Elk was the best tasting of the three, and Antelope number two, but no more. We truly love the taste of Antelope the most now, and Elk a distant second. Deer has always been number three for our taste buds.

Sour cream stroganoff is tailor-made for antelope...

quote:

Originally posted by TomP:

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
For a number of years we thought Elk was the best tasting of the three, and Antelope number two, but no more. We truly love the taste of Antelope the most now, and Elk a distant second. Deer has always been number three for our taste buds.

Sour cream stroganoff is tailor-made for antelope...

TomP, you've surely got that right! Love that stuff.

However, our favorite is simply cheeseburgers on the grill. And for us, that is the acid test for all game meat. It can be covered up with various sauces and recipes, but the truth for us, lies in a plain burger on the grill. And for us at least, nothing compares to Antelope in a cheeseburger, except for Moose that I have enjoyed in Alaska (hunted by my friends). Sadly, our access to Moose in Colorado is extremely limited. So, Antelope gets the nod on our kitchen table.

Bon Appetit!

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
Every day is a good day when you're antelope hunting! Congratulations to you and your wife.

I probably have more fun on antelope hunting trips than just about any other. We make a big family and friends trip every couple of years to do it.

Thanks Frank!

You're absolutely right. Every day is good day when Antelope hunting. It's just so darn fun. Even when they beat me and I go home empty handed, it's OK, as the stalk is so much fun, I really don't care. Plus, the success rate is so high, your spirits are never squashed too badly. It's just another day out in paradise for a probable score. In Colorado, the government stats put Pronghorn success rates the highest, followed by Deer, and then finally Elk. It's hard to get depressed Antelope hunting.

Can you give me a comparison on what it taste like? I had a piece at a wild game dinner once and it had a strange taste to me please not like chicken.
Thanks

Congratulations. Glad to see your wife enjoys hunting too.

I agree that moose is the best. Elk is next. Then deer, then caribou and last is antelope in my books. Funny how different our taste buds can be. Antelope does make good jerky in my books, all those mentioned do that.

quote:

Originally posted by hivelosity:
Can you give me a comparison on what it taste like? I had a piece at a wild game dinner once and it had a strange taste to me please not like chicken.
Thanks

hivelosity,

As carpetman1 stated, it's funny how different person's tastebuds are, so I suppose it's impossible for me to tell you how Antelope tastes, or if YOU would like it. I have a good friend in Iowa who hunted one years ago in his youth. He said it was horrible and tried to make chili out of it, but couldn't even eat the chili! I many times wonder if these animals were dressed and cared for properly. I have NEVER had a bad one yet. We take about 4-6 Antelope every year. Frankly, these such stories are a mystery to me. Honestly!

I have been eating it for about 25 years now, and to me, it is as good as beef; steak, hamburger, etc. I like my meat cooked medium rare, and I believe that is a secret to cooking/eating wild game. Beef served well done is not my favorite, but really undesirable in wild game. Of course, that is just what my tastebuds tell ME.

I barbeque my wildgame. Steaks, backstraps, tenderloins, etc. are covered in olive oil, and sprinkled generously with garlic salt and pepper. That is all. As good, or better, than beef for us. I have served it to many guests, and they all ask for seconds. Sometimes thirds!

Nope. Doesn't taste like chicken...

Assuming quick and proper care of the meat --
Pronghorn diet often is high on sagebrush ! The oils in the sagebrush are the problem. Comparing average Pronghorn to wheat field Pronghorn there is a world of difference .Wheat + Pronghorn is delicious !! Sage +Pronghorn is terrible !
Some recent studies of taste showed that some people are very sensitive to certain flavors and to them those flavors are horrible . Maybe sage is on my list...Spinach and Brussel Sprouts are !!

The antelope I shot was in sage brush and was running. I do take pride in field dressing and proper care of game.

I found caribou to be gamey, yet one guy that lived in Northern Canada said he preferred caribou to moose. Different strokes different folks.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
The antelope I shot was in sage brush and was running. I do take pride in field dressing and proper care of game.

I found caribou to be gamey, yet one guy that lived in Northern Canada said he preferred caribou to moose. Different strokes different folks.

I think you're right carpetman1. We all have different tastebuds. I have some foods that I love, that others hate (not talking antelope). I hate raisins, bananas & watermellon. Some love them all. As the saying goes, "There's no accounting for some people's taste."

For about 25 years, my wife and I have been hunting & eating Pronghorn from Colorado & Wyoming. At an average of 5 a year, I guess that amounts to around 125 Antelope. As I said above, not one of them were 'bad'; on the contrary, they were delicious. None of them were in big time wheat country, although there are fields around. They were in sagebrush country, all 125 of them, but as I watch them graze, they are eating prairie grass. Of course I'm not watching them 24/7, so I don't really know in total what they eat. A few of them I have shot on the run.

Strange as this sounds, I'd like to taste a 'bad' Pronghorn for myself, just to experience what these stories are all about. If I agreed, at least then I'd understand. Or perhaps, I'd love the meat that another person detests.

Maybe carpetman1 nailed it: different strokes for different folks. Is'nt it amazing that I would rate it #1 in game meat, while others would rate it last, or simply couldn't eat it at all?!

The taste was not bad just different than what I was expecting. I have had about ever type of wild you can think of the worse was greasy old possum.
It may have been a sage flavor I experienced.
It was made like a roast with potatoes onions and carrots and was cooked well done.

Surefire--Olives are certainly a food you cannot say you like or not. Virgin olives might be lying and after all the virgin olives are the ugly ones. Extra virgin are extra ugly and supposedly an olive chaperone watched them and verified their virginity. Have you ever met an olive chaperone you trusted?

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
Surefire--Olives are certainly a food you cannot say you like or not. Virgin olives might be lying and after all the virgin olives are the ugly ones. Extra virgin are extra ugly and supposedly an olive chaperone watched them and verified their virginity. Have you ever met an olive chaperone you trusted?

I DO love olives! Does that explain my love of Antelope meat?

Taste involves the food , # of taste buds, saliva chemistry, and in large part - it's a brain function !!
I now remember a sage antelope .Normally I save the bones of animals for soup .The antelope soup was terrible .I added rice but that didn't help so I had to throw it out !

Taste is surely a strange thing. I love Antelope and some hate it. I had heard from many that Zebra meat was inedible. I shot a Hartmann's Zebra in Namibia and the cook presented me a backstrap steak. I was hesitant to stick a piece in my mouth, and when I did, I tasted the best meat I have ever had in my 66 year life. Better than any steak in the best restaurant. I was gobsmacked. We are all so different, is all that I can conclude.

If you liked zebra, would that mean you'd like horse?

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
If you liked zebra, would that mean you'd like horse?

I assume so carpetman1. I've heard it's a delicacy in some countries, but we Americans are too attached to horses, I believe, to consider them as human food. In fact, when I shot the Zebra, the lady of the house and cook, asked if I wanted to try it. She said Europeans eat it and love it, but Americans were usually put off by the thought. I said I'd try anything once, and am I ever glad I did! I had seconds and thirds, and would have had fourths, but I was too stuffed to go any further.

I am a dog lover, and I have trouble thinking of them as food also. In my twenties, I picked up my Korean instructor at his home with my car to go shopping. I had my German Shepard in the back seat. When my instructor got in, he looked at my dog and asked who he was. I said 'he's my pet.' He looked at me confused to say he didn't understand 'pet'. I replied, 'dog friend'. He replied, 'I think eating better'.

So to quote you, "Different strokes for different folks".

Zebra filets are not bad.

I don't care for antelope either unless mixed with pork and made into german sausage...which is good...or in jerky.

The only game meat that I nearly could not swallow was elephant. Smells bad when cooking, tastes bad, almost impossible to chew up.

Yet, native Africans love ele.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Zebra filets are not bad.

I don't care for antelope either unless mixed with pork and made into german sausage...which is good...or in jerky.

The only game meat that I nearly could not swallow was elephant. Smells bad when cooking, tastes bad, almost impossible to chew up.

Yet, native Africans love ele.

Well, that cuts it I guess. My tastebuds must be whacked.

When I was in Zimbabwe, I was hunting Lion, my friend Elephant, and my other buddy Buffalo. We were all successful. When my friend got his Elephant down, we watched the show. The skinning, cutting, etc. Immediately, many small fires were started, and Elephant strips of meat were layed upon them. Everyone was happy at their work as they cut, chopped and ate. None of the PHs ate any of it and I was content to just 'watch' the event.

When all was finished, the help all jumped on the big loading trucks and we were in the process of pulling away, when the big truck of workers stopped at our Toyota hunting truck. One of the skinners bent over and handed me a piece of barbecued salted Elephant meat with a big smile on his face. I didn't want to eat it necessarily, so I took it and smiled and said 'thank you!' The trouble was, the truck didn't pull away. It sat there with about a dozen camp help waiting for me to pop that Elephant into my mouth, all with wide smiles, awaiting my declarations of delight. I was stuck. So, I did. I don't know what I was expecting, but the surprise on my face obviously showed clearly. My eyes widened, and I too had the same smile that they all had. It was really good. A little coarse, but the flavor was barbecued steak, no mistake. They all smiled back with my approval.

I have to correct a previous statement. I told the cook in Namibia that I'd try anything once. However, I made it clear in Zim, that I had no desire to try my Lion. Luckily, no one thought to 'cook it up'!

Congrats on the antelope hunt.

From NA, antelope, moose and axis deer are my favorites. But this house usualy has plenty of deer and elk venison. We get one antelope a year, but would like to focus on it a little more to stock the freezer.

In Africa, eland and zebra were spectacular.

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
Congrats on the antelope hunt.

From NA, antelope, moose and axis deer are my favorites. But this house usualy has plenty of deer and elk venison. We get one antelope a year, but would like to focus on it a little more to stock the freezer.

In Africa, eland and zebra were spectacular.

Hey, maybe I'm not nuts after all.

Axis deer, eh? Now there's one I've never tried. If you like Antelope and Moose as I do, then maybe I'd love Axis deer. Gotta go now and find an Axis hunt...

The key with antelope is taking care of it properly. Easy to ruin it.

Yes, you need to go on an Axis hunt. You will not be disappointed with the tablefare. I have heard nilgai is fantastic also.

Many years ago, I shot a "Sage brush" speed goat near Dillon, MT. It even stunk the kitchen up while cooking it. "YUK". Since coming to Alaska a half century ago, I like moose and caribou the best. I prefer to get them in the winter. An old dry cow, moose or caribou is wonderful table faire. I have had caribou that actually smells sweet while you are cutting it for the freezer. I even like Eland steaks and Cape Buffalo biltong. When I go to Florida and Georgia to shoot hogs we throw a leg on the Barbie when we get home to my step son's. It's all good.

Hmmm, the only antelope I've ever shot and eaten had been feeding on sage brush. They all tasted just fine.

The problem is when the hunter shoots one and let's it sit baking in the sun. They must be cleaned and cooled quick or they go bad just as quick.

Of course everybody has different tastes but I at least have never been able to notice much difference in them because of what they had eaten. We even had the wife of a good friend who was notoriously picky and hated any game meat come over for dinner comment on how much she loved it. We didn't tell her until later what it was.

Bottom line is it's how they are treated that determines how they taste.

I asked a lot of people if they would treat a prime beef the way they treat game after killing it.

The normal answer is no and they wonder why their wild game some times tastes bad.

Skin them cool them as fast as possible most well taste just fine.

For eating I'll take a younger animal any day over the oldest biggest for eating.

Great thread Surefire. I did not realize there were so many opportunities for multiple antelope in Colorado. You can bet I will be looking for tags in 2018 once I have a resident license here in New Mexico. I have been told that antelope, dressed and iced immediately with great care taken not to get hair on the meat, is reliable and even superior table fare. Hope this proves to be the case. I confess to being sensitive to "gamey" flavor, and don't care much for lamb, though.

Thanks Bill. You're right, it's been a fun thread. I'm amazed at all of the responses to the taste of Pronghorn Antelope. I posted this thread on the small bore topic as my wife and I use 25-06s and I also use a 280 Rem. somtimes. I made a side comment on the taste, and the thread took off. I hope I'm not in trouble with the mods! Well, it's really been interesting to me at least.

Concerning your comment on number of tags in Colorado, I need to clear that up. We get very few tags in Colorado, usually one every six years. I took a buck this year in Colorado on a landowner tag that I bought on the internet. That was nice as I did not have to enter the draw and be rejected, which is usually the case.

We also hunt in Wyoming where tags are much easier to get. There are more antelope in Wyoming than people, sooo.....

Good luck in your quest Bill!

Well lets rate birds in order of edibility. I'll start a disagreement here in that quail is better than pheasant.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
Well lets rate birds in order of edibility. I'll start a disagreement here in that quail is better than pheasant.

You'll get no disagreement from me on that count!

I hope this thread doesn't turn into a Coke vs. Pepsi debate...

Carpetman, I'd sure rather eat a quail or chukar than a pheasant.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
The antelope I shot was in sage brush and was running. I do take pride in field dressing and proper care of game.

I found caribou to be gamey, yet one guy that lived in Northern Canada said he preferred caribou to moose. Different strokes different folks.

We camp out, so always have a couple of bags of ice in the coolers. Each antelope gets one or two bags in the body cavity on the way out to the road.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Carpetman, I'd sure rather eat a quail or chukar than a pheasant.

+1.

And in my order, it's quail #1, chukar #2, and pheasant #3.

We train dogs (English Springer Spaniels) over birds, so we eat quite a lot of birds, especially Chukar and Pheasant. We used to hunt quail in Kansas a long time ago, and I remember well the excellent flavor of quail.

darn I started the bird part and can't say about chukkar as I've never eaten them. Ptarmagin and spruce hens would be way down on my list.

To me, ANY day hunting speed goats, bucks or does is a GREAT DAY!!!!!