Ep. 668: Foundations - The Most Underrated Western Hunt There Is

lot more popular to hunt. The problem is, the difference between a giant antelope and a good one is like ten inches, and the biggest diaper butt you'll ever see on the horizon won't score more than the average two year old white tail in a place with shitty genetics and poor soil. The thing is they are a hell of a lot of fun to hunt. They are also a real test to your skills, and they are delicious, and they offer several different styles in which you can

kill one. How many of you find listeners like avocados. I know that the current advice on how to become super wealthy is to stop eating avocado toast, which I guess was a fad, But it's kind of like the hackneyed financial advice that the distance between you now, as a brocass young person, and someone who I don't know wants to host parties on your private yacht is simply to ditch the Starbucks every morning. If only it was

that simple. Avocados are superfoods. They contain omega threes of C and E vitamins of folic acid, which is good if your preggers. They contain magnesium potassium, are rich in soluble fiber, and on and on. In other words, avocados are good for you. They are also kind of wild for starters. The avocados you might see turned into some delicious guacamole have been grown in orchards here in the

United States for like one hundred and ten years. Before that, they were grown in Central and South America for like five thousand years. But even before that, the avocado has a real origin story. Up until about thirteen thousand years ago, this fleshy fruit grew in the wild no surprise there right, Well, what is surprising is that it evolved as an awful lot of seed bearing flora has to get its seeds

away from the parent plant. In this case of tree, you don't want to be a cute little avocado sapling fighting for sunlight and other resources while growing at the base of your parent tree. It's not going to work out very well, you know, unless you're dropping metric tons of seeds in a spray and prey method like oak trees. This is just a great way to not pass on your jeans. Instead, avocado trees through who knows how many

thousands or millions of years figured something out. The megafauna of the time thoroughly enjoyed eating avocados and the ones and by that I mean the avocados with slightly bigger, denser pits survived the trips through the digestive tracks of these megafauna, and then they got pooped out in a new spot with a fresh batch of fertilizer to boot.

So those giant ground sloths and wild horses, mammoths and other big old mammals ate the avocados and then walked off to do what animals do, or at least they did over time. The avocado jeans that ended up getting passed on were those with the pits that could survive the journey. Even when those megafana went the way of the dodo, the avocado survived, and they still have those giant wooden ball type pits, even though they no longer

really need them. This is an evolutionary holdover. Evidence of these long forgotten traits and anatomical characteristics is found in all kinds of animals. Boa constrictors, for example, have pelvic bones and back legs. Even though they are tucked inside of a normal snake body, they are visible with an X ray. Some whale embryos have well developed beginnings of legs too, but they usually disappear with growth. Not always, though, and whales and dolphins have been caught with stumpy legs.

Some great gray owl chicks are born with little owl hands at the end of their wings, and humans aren't immune to this either. We have wisdom teeth, body hair, and occasionally a tail that can be up to like five inches long, which is i'll say it, totally freaking bananas. And then there is the prong horn, who can outrun any predator by such a wide margin that it's almost laughable. Honestly, antelope are so much faster than anything that can currently

eat them that it's almost strange. But it's not. When you evolve to deal with the North American version of a cheetah, you had to be fast or you would be lunch. That's it. And even though that predator is gone and has been gone for a long time, the speediness of antelope remains, which I think is pretty cool, and they aren't unique just in that way. They're also

pretty crazy with their migrations. Some of them migrate like up to one hundred and fifty miles, which is second only in distance to the migration of some caribou herds in North America. Their eyesight is unreal as well. Some biologists compare it to looking through ten X binoculars at all times. Their speed and eyesight makes them confident because well, they're super hard to get close to, and if you do get close and screw up, there'll be three counties

over before you can swear too much. This is an asset for them, but also a liability if you, as a hunter, learn to use it against them. Anloe also boasts a pretty unique paint job. While most deer species are born with natural camouflage that work so freaking well in a variety of environments. The antelope is brown and bright white. They are highly visible, which might be because they don't care if you know they're there or not, because they can see you first and run away seventeen

times as fast as you can. Maybe that paint job is just there to taunt you a little bit. Maybe it's like when Mark used to wear bright green and orange jumpsuits while he and his buddies used to do yo yo tricks for crowds up to seven people at one time. They wanted the attention and they look damn good getting it. Now. The anelope isn't that cool, but

he's pretty cool. He's also a hell of a lot of fun to hunt, and you know what else, I think he's the most underrated Western game species out there. Everyone wants to go after elk in the mountains or meal deer, which is pretty understandable in my book, but

those opportunities are getting harder to come by. Analope opportunities are becoming somewhat limited as well, But there are still affordable DIY hunts out there that you won't have to build fifteen twenty years of points to get to and I think you should consider these hunts before they are gone as well. I really do. I think analope hunting is one of the most unique hunts you can do. And I want to start with a highlight reel why

I think so. I want to get the good stuff rattling around in your brain before I give you the bad news about antelope, So here it goes. Analope are pretty easy to find, the easiest big game animal to find that I've ever hunted. To be honest, they just don't hide a whole lot. They aren't really nocturnal, so they do most of their anlope stuff in the daylight. And that's a good thing. You can be in the game all day long on antalope if you have the fortitude to hunt them all day long. An Analope are

delicious too. In fact, if you take care of them. I think they're the best eating game animals out there, at least out of all the animals I've eaten, which is quite a few at this point. I know people will claim that elk or white tails are better, but antlope is the clear winner. If you don't lead the

hide on for three days after you shoot him. If you get him skinned in on ice pretty quickly, it's unbelievable meat, and the only downside to it is there really isn't much of it to start with compared to the other stuff we hunt. You can also hunt antalope quite a few different ways, but the two most popular styles are one that is really fun but also super difficult spotting and stalking, and one that is mostly horrible from start to finish and can also be pretty difficult

sitting water holes. Here's the thing about the two. Spotting and stalking an antlope is fun, but it's real difficult with a bow. With a gun, it's actually pretty easy. Provided you can walk over flat ground for enough miles with a bow, you're in for a challenge. I don't think there is a DIY domestic type of bow hunt that is tougher, but then again, I haven't done them all. I think spotting and stocking antelope with a bow ranks right up there with killing a good buck on public

land in any state with high hunter numbers. It's no joke. With a rifle, you know, it's not a joke either, but it's nearly a foregone conclusion for a competent hunter who can shoot. And that's not a knock on it either, it's actually an endorsement. If you aren't sure you're cut out for Western hunting because you don't want to climb mountains and don't like eating expensive tags, well, buddy, I've

got good news for you. The antelope is out there, and getting a rifle tag isn't terribly difficult in a whole bunch of different states. Now, you might have to play the points game for a few years, but you'll get your chance, and when you do, you'll find that not only are they easy to locate, but if you can shoot straight, you'll see they are as delicious as I say, and they're easy to get out of the field.

The biggest antelope on the prairie might weigh what a yearling doe does in Michigan, so getting them out of the field isn't much of an issue. This is honestly a bigger component of a Western hunt than most folks give it credit for. We often overstate our physical abilities when we were at sea level and not standing at nine thousand feet over a dead animal that weighs four times your average whitetail buck and needs to be carried to a truck that is five miles away. That's a

different world, and it is not for everyone. Most people, on the other hand, could get an antelope out of the field without having a major chest grabber or pulling a hammy. And that's not nothing, my friends. There are a lot of awesome things about antelope, but now it's time to take our medicine. Antelope hunts are usually hot. If you bowhunt them, it's damn near a guarantee that

you're going to sweat your knackers off. Mid August openers are the norm, and if you wait till September, you might get a break of a couple of degrees, but it isn't going to be much. Pronghorn also have the annoying habit of living in places where trees are more rare than finding a hunting cameraman who isn't the loudest person you've ever met. You won't get to lay up in the shade African Lions style, while though day progresses in the cooler temperatures, are finally delivered upon the scorched

wasteland that antelope call home. On a spot in stock hunt this is a concern, but it's pretty easy to keep a cooler full of cold water in the truck. On a water hole hunt from a blind, well, you're in for a real treat. There's nothing quite like it, and if you're into suffering, you better get out there and try it. The rub here is that it's the best way to earn a high odd shot at an antelope. It's just that you'll pay for it, kind of like how most people view all day sits for running white tails.

You know, the idea is simple, and the theory is sound. Put in your time, all of your daylight time where the odds of a cruiser are high, and then eventually you'll be rewarded. But talking about this stuff is a hell of a lot easier than going through it. The idea of a water hole analope hunt is like that. It sounds easy, and it should be, but let me tell you something, it sucks. I've never killed one that way and haven't really given it my best effort, to

be honest. I have sat dark to dark in quite a few blinds on the prairie, and I've seen plenty of goats out there. I just haven't had the right one come in. I have also found spots with like a lone cottonwood over a pond that antelope will occasionally swing in to drink from. That's marginally better because the view is nice and you're not stuck in a hot canvas box all day. If you do find that, it's a pretty good option. Plus, analope don't look up well.

They probably do, but they aren't as hip to the whole tree standard tree saddle game as your average white tail fawn in Pennsylvania or South Carolina. I think the best way to plan an analope hunt is to keep an open mind. Now, if you're going to rifle on them, it's pretty simple. Got learned to glass like I talked about in the last few episodes, and then figure out how to get in range when you see them. Pretty

damn simple, pretty damn fun. But if you want to bow hunt them, I'd plan around whatever style you think will suit you best. But I'd also have other options just in case. Even if I'm dead set on walking one down with my bow, I usually have a blind in the truck. I might have escouted a few water sources or run across a tank out there somewhere when I'm roaming around, but either way, it's just worth having the option. And the reason for this is simple, You're

probably going to really suck at stocking them. I do. I'd say it probably takes me like ten or twelve stocks on average to get into bow range, and even getting there isn't the end of the deal. They will spot you often and they usually won't stick around to let you range them, draw, settle in, and execute a perfect sixty seven yard shot on an animal that requires precise aiming. Now, this is another point I should probably get into. Rifle shots seem to be pretty much what

you'd expect. It's not that hard to get within maybe two or three hundred yards of an antelope, which is where a flat shooting rifle with a decent rest is damn near a sure thing. Spotting and stocking antelope with a bow on the other end, it's a different story. Forty yard shots are a gift, especially if you only have four or five six days to hunt, plan to shoot farther than you would with white tails. Just trust me on that. You might also want to try a

decoy to increase your odds. If you're hunting September, this can be a hell of a lot of fun. A small buck decoy or a dough decoy can sometimes get them running in, but you get a lot of goats that, for whatever reason hit the brakes at like sixty yards and acts an awful lot like they aren't going to stick around long. This This is panic time, and it leads to dumb shots. A better bet if you're going to decoy is pay attention to the herds you can see.

Is there a stud buck running off some dings, then you're in the right scenario. Is there just a herd with a buck or two that seems to be feeding and loafing but not interested in fighting or playing grab ass? A decoy to them might be the signal to move off a few miles. Now, if you have low standards, and I think you should, a group of young bucks can be a decoyer's best friend. They often respond pretty well and it's pretty exciting when they do so. Either way,

you have a few decoy options. You can go out there and you can use something like a Montana decoy. I've used those quite a bit. Or there's bow mounted options like the Ultimate Predator decoys. They both work, but if you use a bow mounted one. Just make sure to practice with it beforehand. They're designed really well and they can work really well, but it's just like a slightly different shooting experience that you should be comfortable with before you head out there. And make sure you have

the right gear too. Now this is a shameless plug, but you want really breatheable, insanely lightweight clothing like our first light trace options. If you don't buy them, that's okay, buy something that is built like them, because you don't want anything even remotely heavy or insulating on an antelope hunt.

In fact, it's a good idea to take your potential antelope clothing and wear it out while you're doing some summer scouting or tree stand work back at home, just so you know whether you've made the right choice or not. I can't stress this enough. Also, make sure you have decent optics and a quick drawway to get to your rangefinder. Antelope move fast, hunts unfold quickly, and popping a quick reading off of a buck so you can get a shot is important. This goes for bowhunts, of course, but

also rifle hunts. They're a small target and you don't want to guess ranges or take the wrong reading with your rangefinder. You want to know the exact distance so you can hold for it. There's a lot more stuff I could cover with antelope, but this is kind of an overview why I think everyone should consider a hunt for them and what you should expect if you do. It's not for everyone. If you really hate the heat and August bowhunt might not be in the cards, but

maybe an October rifle hunt it could be. If you want to experience a really cool Western hunt that will cost you less both financially and physically in general, and won't require as much of your time as a mule deer or an elk adventure, the pronghorn is your guy.

Consider it, think about it, get out there if you want to do it before it gets too late, and of course check in next week because I'm going to be talking about how we are all hypocrites when it comes to hunting, so we should just try to be nice. That's it for this week. I'm Tony Peterson. This has been the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. As always, thank you so

much for listening, We truly appreciate it. Here If you want more of a hunting fix, whether that's white tails or elk ormal deer, or training dogs or whatever. Head on over to them meat eater dot com and you'll see all of our series that we're putting out, the video series, podcasts, you'll see tons of articles. There's so much information there. If you want to scratch at it, go check it out. Thank you, m