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After making a scouting trip I found that most of the water sources are dried up. However, I did find a large pond that holds water and has several tracks on one particular end. How close do I set my double bull up to that end of the water, and what about decoy placement to make sure they come to my end of the pond? I am open to any suggestions, Thanks!
I would set up within 30 yards of where they are coming into.
I wouldn't use a decoy.
1. a decoy may not be the best tool to attract pronghorns to the water. Water is the attraction.
My experience when hunting over water, especially prior to the rut, that pronghorns will be very suspicious of a decoy and may shy away.
2. Setting up your blind will depend on the wind taking your scent to where you might expect the pronghorn to approach the water. A 30 yard shot is not unmanageable.
I will be setting up my blinds 10 days prior to the opening day here in Colorado. One blind with be next to a mound of concrete that use to be part of the waterier and the blind could be set up the day before. The other will be in the wide open.
the wide open setup. The wind seems to ship every few days so I move the blind to take advantage to the wind direction or move to the other blind. The pronghorns do not seem to notice.
On this ranch the pronghorns drank around 3 pm and after. I very seldom sat all day and usually scouted and watched from the truck in the morning.
This drinking timetable surely can be different in other places.
I think some over think the lope !!! Ive killed them and never think twice about the wind blowing towards them !! Lope depend on there eyes not there nose !!! I set my blind that day and killed them few hours later .. I also have moved my blind by just walking under it and killed one few hours later . Do not use lope decoy at water hole .. If u must use a decoy if it makes u happy use a set of doves on opposite side of were they drink !!!
Dave, "don't worry about the wind". I always factor in the wind. In my situation, the pronghorns usually come in from the NE and the wind us usually from the south to SW. Moving the blind 30-60 ft for a different angle, pre light or prior to the hunt, does give me an advantage.
I am not advocating moving the blind during the day every time the wind changes.
I try to seal up the blind and then spray some "sage oil" around the shooting window to try to mask human scent.
I have found if the pond is too big for me to shoot on both ends, using a decoy help move them to my side. They did not want to water where the decoy was so would swing over to my side to give me a closer shot with the stickbow.
Thanks for all the tips. I was simply wondering if putting up the decoy of either a lope, or the black cow decoy would make them want to water on my side? All antelope hunts I have been on have been on much smaller water sources where I could shoot anywhere @ the water source.
I shot this one in a one day setup after closure in my org unit I was then forced by FG to unit a unit 200 miles away , no clue about new unit . I glassed a buck and some does . That evening set blind up , got in next morning almost had a dandy early morning but cows spooked him away ,, After hours of cows not leaving I took lunch . Came back pushed the cows away they returned I did a cattle drive to next water tsnk !!!. Within 30 min this guy and some does showed up !!! It was 103 out im sure I didn't smell like roses !
PS I never wear black in my blind while hunting lope ESP when its 103 plus temps !!!
Im not a fan of them flat type decoys reason being is most places were lope hang are open plains ,, lots of wind at times ,, the flapping of them flat kite like decoys makes them lope hang up .. I would just let them come to the water on there own, if anything the decoys will hurt you at water !!!
My most memorable setup was putting my tree stand on a windmill.
early sept decoy setup bedded doe not much around again a one day setup ..Lope are creatures of habit just like any other . If u glass from a vantage point will notice they can be patterned.
City Hunter, Mathews Man, those are some great looking goats and would definitely be happy with either one of those. City Hunter you make a great point concerning the Montana Decoy and the possibility of flapping if its windy. I think I will set up 25-30 yards away and try to brush my blind in as best as possible and just see what happens.
Decoys at a waterhole are a bad idea IMHO.
That being said, these guys killed two P&Y Bucks by placing a moo cow decoy on one end of the pond, which forced the bucks to drink closer to the blind. Worked like a charm...moo cow is a "confidence decoy", but the bucks didn't want to be right next to it.
Best of Luck, Jeff
City, is that a picture of you trying to finish that goat off? Just use your bow, thats what its for.
Put your blind so your furthest shot is your max distance to the opposite side of the water.
Do not setup 30 yards from the water because they will skirt your range.
They know you are there and in your case they will decide to come in. They may be jumpy but be patient.
Wind isn't always important but the really big bucks or old does will wind you if calm. Calm is the key word since most of the time the wind is blowing so hard that they can't catch your scent.
Also, make sure you avoid the death ray. Cross it and you will spook your goat as quickly as it came in. The death ray being the light that is coming through your opening.
Good uck and enjoy. Love antelope hunting!
Andrew pound for pound these fragile looking 100 pound creatures are tough. More then one way to get yr goat try be the decoy. I followed him and his ladies thru the sage , finally he walked towards me 45 yrd frontal shot I never seen a lope drop so fast !! Stalking them like this can be a blast , not every one wants to play , but eventually u can find one to take the bait !!! best of luck
