1 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: As a guide and hunter, I've spent thousands of days 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: in the field. This show is about translating my hard 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: won experiences into tips and tactics they'll get you closer 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: to your ultimate goal success in the field. I'm Remy Warren. 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: This is cutting the Distance. Welcome back to the podcast everyone. 6 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: This week, we're gonna focus on tactics for one of 7 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: the first hunts to kick off out West, and in 8 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: my opinion, probably the funniest hunt around is the prong 9 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: horn antelope. Now, prong horn hunting is really fun because 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: you see a lot of animals and you get a 11 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: lot of opportunities. This is a great first Western big 12 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: game hunt, but it's just one of my favorite hunts 13 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: to just go out and have a good time. I 14 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: think prong horn, though, can be very difficult because they're 15 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: the fastest land mammal and they have such incredible eyesight. 16 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: But that open country they even makes getting close tricky. 17 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna break down my top spot and stock 18 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: tactics by first understanding pronghorn behavior and then turning that 19 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: into how to trick their defenses. Before we go there, 20 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: I want to share a story of one speed goat 21 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: that just didn't see me coming. Now, when it comes 22 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: to pronghorn hunting, I think that if you trick their eyes, 23 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: you've pretty much got it in the bag. They use 24 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 1: their eyes as a main defense and they can see 25 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: for a very, very very long ways. So a few 26 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: years back, I just had this idea. I was actually 27 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: doing this show called Apex Predator. Maybe you've seen it, 28 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: maybe you haven't, but I'll just kind of give you 29 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: the synopsis of this particular episode because it ties in 30 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: really well with pronghorn hunting. So on the show, it 31 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: kind of like saw the way the animals specialized in something. 32 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: This one's particular episode was about the octopus, the way 33 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: it can camouflage itself and change its shape, and then 34 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: I translate that into like a hunting tactic or the 35 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: way that we could exploit that that skill set. And 36 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: so by doing that kind of came to the conclusion, Okay, 37 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: we're gonna build a gilly suit and then I'm gonna 38 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: stock an animal that has the best ice snate. The 39 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: purpose of a gilly suit it's one to camouflage you, 40 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: but also to break up your outline and then used 41 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 1: in combination with stocking real slow moving real slow. You 42 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: kind of go under this level of perception where whatever 43 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: is out there doesn't see you because you look like 44 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 1: a bush. You're blending in perfectly, and you aren't making 45 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,839 Speaker 1: big movements. You're moving slow and just melding into the 46 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: surrounding habitat. So I decided to test this out and 47 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: go to Wyoming with this gilli suit. So I had 48 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: a friend mine there was an army sniper that actually 49 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: borrowed his gilly suit and then you know, brushed up 50 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: with local herbage from wherever I was hunting. So I 51 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: went to Wyoming and started brushing up, tying things into 52 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: the suit and just really making it look like the 53 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: surrounding habitat. And while I was out there, kind of 54 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: part of the hunt, but I just really wanted to 55 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: see how close I could get to some antelope. So 56 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: there was some prong horn laying out in a cut 57 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: alfalfa field like sweet, so I brushed up with just 58 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: like putting alfalfa, tying in on it, getting really green looking, 59 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 1: and then just crawling up to this dough in this spawn. 60 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: Actually left my bow behind because I knew I wasn't 61 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: gonna shoot one. I had a buck tag, but I 62 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,399 Speaker 1: just wanted to kind of give it, give it a run, 63 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 1: see if I could trade it, how close I could get. 64 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: And in this open field on these antelope, I literally 65 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: crawled within feet of these two antelope. Why I hadn't 66 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: hunted with a gilly suit before, I don't know, and 67 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: actually haven't hunted with one since. But we go out 68 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: and we start hunting, We're seeing a lot of antelope. 69 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: But I needed that right scenario where I wanted to 70 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: test the suit. I didn't want to just go shoot 71 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: an antelope like if it's broken train or whatever. I 72 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: wanted to use the suit to lend in to kind 73 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: of test that aspect of it. So I finally got 74 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: a good scenario where there was a prong horn out 75 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: on this bench that came up and started crawling in. 76 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: And needed it to be stationary long enough to actually 77 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: give it a good try. So crawled in, ended up 78 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: getting within range. The buck started feeding, drew back anchored, 79 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: put my pen ory need to do release the arrow, boom, 80 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: perfect shot. Buck ran down in the bottom and quickly expired. 81 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: And it really uh, I mean, I thought it was 82 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: pretty cool because there have been so many times before 83 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: where I chased antelope and been blown out or they 84 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: see me within range or something like that getting that shot. 85 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,679 Speaker 1: But it was really cool to be able to trick 86 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: their eyes kind of in plain sight, kind of in 87 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 1: the open, and kind of hunt those antelope that previously 88 00:04:51,120 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: seemed very, very unhuntable. I think one of the things 89 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 1: that makes hunting pronghorns so cool, aside from just how 90 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: unique they look, it's just how different they are and 91 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: kind of their habits from many of the other animals 92 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: that we chase. Now, a lot of animals use a 93 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: lot of cover, whereas the prong horn is kind of 94 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: the exact opposite. Its main defense is its eyes. Its 95 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 1: eyesight is so good. I mean, I've heard it referred 96 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: to like looking through a pair of eight or ten 97 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: power binoculars. Now, when you think about that, you can 98 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: be miles off and really see some stuff pretty well 99 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: through pair ten power binoculars. So if you think about 100 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: these prong horn have that kind of capability, that kind 101 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: of eye sight, then it kind of lets you understand 102 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: why they choose that open country, that open terrain, because 103 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: they can see so far and it makes it very 104 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: difficult for things to sneak up on them. And if 105 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: you've never spot in stock archery hunted antelope, you can 106 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: learn and really fast how hard it is to sneak 107 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: up on them and how good their eyesight really is. Now, 108 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: that doesn't mean that some pronghorn, whether they're if they're 109 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 1: spooked up or on edge, they'll see you a mile 110 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: or whatever away and they just start running other ones. 111 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: Maybe they haven't been chased, maybe they've been hunted. You know, 112 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: they have a certain range where they don't want things, predators, 113 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: anything to get within that range. So they might not 114 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: care about that person walking a mile out, But when 115 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: you get within four or five hundred yards, that's when 116 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: they're real keyed in and really spook off and run. 117 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: Another defense of the pronghorn is their speed. I mean, 118 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: they're the fastest land mammal outside of a cheetah. Uh So, 119 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: I guess they're the fastest non predatory land mammal. I mean, 120 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: I don't know. I've been driving through the desert and 121 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: you can they love to raise your vehicles sometimes and 122 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: you can. You can get up to some pretty high 123 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: speeds and they're they're just booking it across the desert, 124 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 1: across the flats. I've even seen little young antelope just 125 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: hauling across the desert, so they move really fast. They 126 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: use their eyes, and they love that open country. Another 127 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,840 Speaker 1: thing is their eyes are kind of positioned on their 128 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: head where they're pretty high up on their head where 129 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: you think about a deer whatever. They're a little bit 130 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: more forward than a prong horn. They can almost see. 131 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: They technically can see behind their head. They just there's 132 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: a small area behind their head that they can't see. 133 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: So they've got a very good field of view and 134 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: they've got really good eyes sight and they're really fast. 135 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: So that makes them extremely tricky to sneak up on 136 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: because they prefer that open country, that open habitat. So 137 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: the nice thing about it is it makes them very 138 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: predictable and easy to find. You can look for if 139 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: if you've never hunted prong horn, you go, well, how 140 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: do I find prong horn? You just say, look for 141 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: the most open, flat country you can find, and that's 142 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: probably where you're gonna find the majority of the antelope. 143 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: It's because that's the best habitat, the preferred habitat where 144 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: they can use those defenses to protect themselves. Now, they 145 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 1: aren't particularly sensitive to wind as much as other animals 146 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: like if the wind swirls or something like that, they 147 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: don't like to smell predators. If they smell you, they 148 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: will run away. But you can get away with a 149 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: little bit more because they're using their eyesight more than anything, 150 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: and sound not necessarily too keen in on sound if 151 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: you if you break a stick or whatever a long 152 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: ways off. It's not like a mule deer where their 153 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: ears perk up and they whip their head over and 154 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: they're really worried about it. They're mainly using their eyes 155 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: as a defense. That's not to say that they won't 156 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: use the other ears and smell, because you can definitely 157 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: get winded by a prong horn. You have to keep 158 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: the wind right. But I think that they're just a 159 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: little bit less sensitive than something like an elk or 160 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: meal deer, where if that wind swirls for a quick second, 161 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: they might just snort, blow their nose and look around. 162 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: So if you factor in how a prong horn uses 163 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: site as its defense, then you can say, okay, well, 164 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 1: the logical way to harvest one is to trick its eyes. 165 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: Hence the me doing trying and hunting with a gilly 166 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: suit or you know a lot of guys hunt water 167 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: holes and blinds because they can't instarily see through the blind, 168 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: So you're if you can trick in antelope's eyes. I 169 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: always say this every time I go out. It is like, 170 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: if I can trick their eyes, if I can figure 171 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: out a way to trick their eyes, get past that 172 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: major defense, I'm going to be successful. And over the years, 173 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: I've actually found a lot of success spot and stock 174 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: antalope hunting. Last year was I was talking with some 175 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: friends about it and I was like, man, over the 176 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: last five years, I've antalope hunted spot and stock one 177 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: day for each tag and been successful. My thing was like, 178 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: I'll give myself one day to go out. I chase 179 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: every antalope buck I can see and on just like 180 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: over the counter general area antalope tags and I'm successful. 181 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: I'm like, that's pretty good for something that seems pretty difficult. 182 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: And then last year, I mean I said that, and 183 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: do they just gave the school And I've been schooled 184 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: many years, but I was just on like a hot 185 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: streak five years in a row, um just kind of 186 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: fitting it in between some other hunts. But last year, 187 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: you know, it's just it went to prove man, I 188 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: kept having to say, over it over. If I can 189 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: just trick their eyes, I'll be successful. And that's really 190 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: the key. So what I like to do is I 191 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: like to break down successful antelope pronghorn hunting, especially spot 192 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: stock hunting on ways that I can trick the eyes. 193 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: So I have five main ways that I like to 194 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: think about tricking their eyes. So the first is topography. 195 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: Then we've got crawling, we've got obstructions, and then we've 196 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: got a decoy or a silhouette. So let's start with topography. 197 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: You might see a billion antelope out in really open country, 198 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: but that doesn't necessarily mean that you can get close 199 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: enough to shoot one with a boat or even with 200 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: a rife. Sometimes, oftentimes if I am having trouble let's say, 201 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 1: closing the gap, closing the distance on a prong horn, 202 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: and I'm seeing a lot of them, I will generally 203 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: go and kind of switch up my tactics and look 204 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: for better country with less animals, but that better broken 205 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: country where I can get some topography, maybe up in 206 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: the hills a little bit, maybe somewhere where there's a 207 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: little bit more brush or a little bit more cover. 208 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: I know I won't see as many antelope, but I 209 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: kind of have this idea of if I do see 210 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: some prong horn, then I have a higher likelihood of 211 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: getting close and making a shot, whether it's with a rifle, 212 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: whether it's with a bow. I try to hunt for 213 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: the country as much as I am the animals. Now, 214 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: it's really hard to get away from those areas where 215 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: you're seeing prong horn all the time, you're seeing lots 216 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: of big bucks. Those definitely draw me in like a 217 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: magnet as well. So if I can, or if I'm 218 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: having trouble where I'm seeing a lot of antelopes like 219 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: this just is not conducive to getting close, then I 220 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 1: try to focus on finding areas with more broken topography 221 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: where the antelope are gonna make a mistake and I 222 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 1: can capitalize on that mistake. They're gonna drop down into 223 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:11,559 Speaker 1: a little creek, they're gonna go over a rise, They're 224 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: gonna be behind a bush or near a tree, and 225 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: that's when I can capitalize. I can move in quick, 226 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,839 Speaker 1: make my stock, make my play, and get a shot. 227 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,079 Speaker 1: But that's not the only way. So there's other ways. 228 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: Even in that flat, open country, you just have to 229 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: think about tricking their eyes well, one of the easiest 230 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 1: ways to trick their eyes is by going slow, by 231 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: getting low, and by crawling where you're kind of below 232 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,679 Speaker 1: that threshold of oh, that's not a predator. That might 233 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,839 Speaker 1: be some movement, but they might not actually see the movement. 234 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: You can move slow, you can crawl, and you can 235 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: get below that plane of oh, there's a big predator 236 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: coming at me. I have made crawls and successful stocks 237 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 1: on antelope that are bedded out in the flat open. 238 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: Maybe I wouldn't even say three or four inches of grass. 239 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 1: I cammed up actually like a gilly suit. One thing 240 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: that I did learn is just the idea of breaking 241 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: up that outline really works. So I think that, especially 242 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 1: if I'm crawling, I don't necessarily have to be fully 243 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: brushed up. But sometimes I will take some grass and 244 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: some other things and stick it in my hat to 245 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: kind of my head that's going to be up trying 246 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: to break up that outline of that round head. You know, 247 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: maybe even a different kind of hat will flip my 248 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: hat one way and all stuff some stuff in there. 249 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: I've actually had like this hat that's it's it's like 250 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: the dorkiest kind of hat you could ever have. You know, 251 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: it's like a round brimmed hat, but it's got some 252 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,079 Speaker 1: like spots in the top where I could stuff grass 253 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: and other things. And I found that that actually works 254 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: really well, especially for crawling, because it breaks up that 255 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: outline of just this head popping up looking all the time. 256 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 1: Then I start from long ways away. I don't want 257 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: them to see me at any point of the stock. 258 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter how far out. I know that they 259 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: can see a long ways, so I like to get 260 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: out of their sight for as long as possible. If 261 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: I see an antelope one or two miles away, my 262 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 1: whole thought is I'm not going to get within sight 263 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: of it. So if it's a long well, I mean, 264 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: if it's really flat whatever, I'll go to that point 265 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 1: where okay, I can get out of sight, or I 266 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: know that's I'm coming in from behind it. It's not 267 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: going to be looking. Then I'll get down and I'll 268 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: make that crawl. I've made some really really long crawls. 269 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: But as long as that analope has stayed bedded there, 270 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: I can generally get in, crawl in and get a shot. 271 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: It's just going really slow, barely moving, and you know, 272 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: being under that level of perception. Now the next thing 273 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: is looking for obstruction. I was thinking of, you know, well, 274 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: last year one of the best antelope books that I 275 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: got to stock and this is just heartbreak here. But 276 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: he was bedded out in the open, but there was 277 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: this like willow bush out in the middle, and it 278 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 1: was it was just because there I didn't there's is 279 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: like the only antelope I saw. This is a giant 280 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: block by himself, like sweet, and they're just having to 281 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: be like this cluster of willows. Now, I wish I 282 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: would have planned a little bit different route because there 283 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: was actually a creek that ran past them that I 284 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: could have used that I didn't know about until later on. 285 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: But having those obstructions, having something to block their eyesight 286 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: makes it really easy now when I do have an 287 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: obstruction when I'm moving in on an antelope. I kind 288 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: of think of antelope hunting as like two speeds. It's 289 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: that super slow crawling or just flat out running. There's 290 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: very little in between. And the reason is because when 291 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: they're in an area that gives you an advantage when 292 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: their eyes are blocked when they go over that rise, 293 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: when they're behind that bush, I like to cover ground. 294 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: I don't want to get caught out in the open, 295 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: So when they give me an advantageous chance, I want 296 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: to be as close as I can, as fast as 297 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: I can. So a lot of times, once they've dropped 298 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: over that rise, once they've gone out of sight, I 299 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 1: just haul, I just start moving. And that's a really 300 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: good way to close the gap, close in. And then 301 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: as soon as things start to change, boom, the game 302 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: changes and it might go back to that crawling or 303 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 1: using that topography, going really slow, getting low and being 304 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: out of their eyesight. Now the fourth method, it's just 305 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: kind of tricking their eyes by not necessarily being hidden 306 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: but being seen. I've done this a couple of different ways. 307 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: One way is using an analope decoy. Another way is 308 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: using some other form of silhouette, like a cow decoy 309 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: and elk decoy. I guess it's not a decoy, but 310 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: like a cow silhouette, like a beef cow um in 311 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: elk decoy or something else. I've had varying successes with 312 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: the decoy tactics. So during the rut it seems to 313 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: work the best I know that they can run in 314 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 1: they see that decoy, they get all fired up a 315 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 1: lot of the areas I hunt, they're just so pressured 316 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: that it doesn't really work that well. I think that 317 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: they know something's up, Like I haven't had a lot 318 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: of success in certain areas with it, and then other 319 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: areas where maybe they don't get as much pressure. It's like, man, 320 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: you can't you can't shake them off of it. So 321 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: the reason that I use the d I still carry 322 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: the decoys or the silhouettes a couple of reasons. The 323 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: first is mainly for me to be able to trick 324 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: their eyes. So if I have to cross out in 325 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:28,360 Speaker 1: the open, or I've got to close the distance between 326 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: me and a prong horn that's out, and it's like 327 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: the only way to get to a spot where I 328 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 1: can get out of sight is to cross this open 329 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: and I don't have the time to crawl and be 330 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: real slow, or you know, I've just been crawling all 331 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: day and my neck and body is just aching, and 332 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 1: I just need to get into a place where I 333 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: can then take my time and crawl in. I'll use 334 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 1: that decoy or that silhouette to just break up my 335 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: outline where it's like they see it and it's it's 336 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: actually like, hey, you can notice me but I'm not 337 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: a threat, and so the way that use them. Um. 338 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: I've also used like a cow silhouette where it's like 339 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: a beef cow, especially in areas where there's a lot 340 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 1: of cattle. One thing I found with those is more 341 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: often than not, you'll get like the whole hurt. If 342 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 1: you're actually in a paddock with cattle, you might get 343 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: the whole herd of cows like running towards you, and 344 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 1: it creates a big scene that the antelope kind of 345 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 1: don't really like, so they might move them off. But 346 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: if you don't have cattle right in your vicinity, it 347 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: can be a really good way to get close. Now 348 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: what I don't do with the silhouettes. I've tried this, 349 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:37,439 Speaker 1: you know. I haven't had good success with like just 350 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: putting it up and walking toward him. But I have 351 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: had a little bit of success where if they're moving 352 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,160 Speaker 1: one way, I kind of angled toward them in that 353 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,640 Speaker 1: general direction, but never go directly toward them, like I'm 354 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,360 Speaker 1: I'm like this idea that I'm going to walk past them. 355 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: I've never been able to hold a silhouette and get 356 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: within range or get a shot. Maybe there's people that 357 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: have it just hasn't worked like that for me, but 358 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: I have used successfully to get into a place out 359 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,679 Speaker 1: of site where I can make a stock. Now, I 360 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: had a buddy of mine that borrowed my cow silhouette. 361 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,959 Speaker 1: Him and his wife were walking across this open just 362 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 1: so they could get to a place where they can sneak. 363 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,719 Speaker 1: The bucks saw the cow silhouette and just charged in 364 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: and ran, and she shot at like point blank. It 365 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: was actually a rifle hunt, and I think she shot 366 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 1: it with about twenty yards something like that. I can't remember, 367 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: but uh, that buck just ran from about a mile 368 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 1: or a half a mile away straight to them. So 369 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 1: it does happen like that. But for the most part, 370 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: I use those decoys and silhouettes to trick their eyes 371 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 1: to get into a place where I can either use 372 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: another obstruction crawl or use the topography to get close 373 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: to make my shot. I definitely would suggest if you 374 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: were to go on your first Western big game hunt, 375 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: or you're just looking for a really fun hunt spawn 376 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,199 Speaker 1: stock pronghorn antelope hunting with a bow is a lot 377 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,399 Speaker 1: of fun. Prong weren't hunting with any with a rifle, 378 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: with a muzzler whatever. It's all a lot of fun. 379 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 1: And it's a lot of fun because there's a lot 380 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: of action. You see a lot of animals. Where deer hunting, 381 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: you know, they hide in the middle of the day. 382 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: Prong worm hunting is from sun up until dark. You're 383 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: in the action. They're moving around all day, even on 384 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: hot days. There's always something to do, there's always something 385 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,199 Speaker 1: to chase, and it makes it really fun. And I 386 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: think it's probably one of the hunts where there's a 387 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: higher chance of success, especially if you've got a rifle. Now, 388 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: when you've got a bow, it's kind of the great 389 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: equalizer because they can see so well it's hard to 390 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: get really close to them. But I would say that 391 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: there's a lot of opportunities, so you get a lot 392 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,160 Speaker 1: of stocks in, you get a lot of practice, and hey, 393 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: if you bloat on one, go find another. That's what 394 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,479 Speaker 1: makes it so great. But while spotting, stock, bow hunting, 395 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: or even just rifle hunting can be a lot of fun, 396 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: there's a lot of other tactics that are really effective 397 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,159 Speaker 1: for prong horn and hunting over water can be probably 398 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,439 Speaker 1: the most efficient way to target a certain buck or 399 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: a big buck, or even just to get close and 400 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: have a higher percentage chance of success. Now, water hole 401 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: hunting can also be effective for a lot of different species, 402 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 1: from mule deer, white tails, elk, I mean sheep, pretty 403 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: much any Western big game animal you can find ways 404 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: to effectively hunt water. So next week I'm going to 405 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,919 Speaker 1: cover some water hole strategies for successful pronghorn hunting as 406 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 1: well as other species. So until next week, stay sealthy.