Several years ago, I had a goose lease. Cattle were pastured next to it. I got the idea of making a silhouette cow decoy. I only tried using it once to try to sneak on some geese. I suppose that special attention that the decoy got from the bull on the other side of the fence with "love" in his eyes was enough of a deterrent. After that, I just used it as a confidence decoy by the blind.
Since then it's become common for guys around here to use them to sneak up on flocks of snow geese. It works pretty well for them.
I still have that old cow decoy. I'm wondering about using it to help close the distance to a pronghorn.
What do you think? I won't be hunting in areas where they have cattle.
It worked rather well. I just haven't had the occasion to try it lately!
Pete
Earlier this year, I watched a hunting show in which the host hunted antelope with an outfitter who used horses. They didn't ride the horses. Instead they lead them around as if they were grazing and they acted as a blind for the hunters allowing them to get close enough for a shot.
Antelope who live near roads and small towns/or ranches are much more tolerant for tricks like this. Believe me I have seen more than once guys killing nice antelope just off a main road because they were used to seeing cars and cars pulled over.
We hunt big desert antelope that won't tolerate anything within bow distance. Heck, if they catch the slightest movement they are in the next county.
Know the antelope you are hunting and it will help you understand the difficulty you will face.
One time, my son and I sat down to take a break and glass. We weren't concealed at all. However, we watched as a nice buck walked straight to us. My son didn't want to take it, so I shot him at 15 yards.
Later that day, at another spot on the same ranch, a buck took off like he had been shot out of a cannon when my son tried to get a shot. It even jumped a fence rather than crawl under it.
Like people, animals are individuals each with their own personalities and quirks.
i remember the OP saying that after many tries and fails, he figured out that the trick was to never move directly towards the lopes. everything had to be on an angle - pretty sharp if i remember - and he could eventually close the distance by switch-backing his way in.
might be worth a shot says a guy who has never hunted antelope.
https://ultimatepredatorgear.com/
They sell a cow decoy. I recently got the deer and elk and I'm so impressed with how easy they are and that they don't affect my shot. I've killed elk with the heads up decoy and shooting with it on my bow was always an issue. Not so with these decoys. I was shooting out to 40 yards with it on this morning and it shoots the same as without the decoy. Highly recommended!
