Colorado Speed Goat Newbie

JBahr

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May 29, 2016
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Picked up a doe tag for Colorado Units 110, 111, 118, 119, 123, 124 Dec. 1-31. I have no Idea what to expect. I know last December there were plenty of huntable days during this period. Where should I start looking for antelope during this time?(Not looking for your go to spots... Just types of terrain during winter) Anyone familiar with these units? Looks like I'm limited to SWA's. Any success asking landowners permission with antelope?

I am completely new to antelope hunting, but I hear they are tasty if cared for properly. Any help would be much appreciated!
 
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Be careful if using OnX maps. State land is not the same as State Wildlife Areas. A lot of the land listed on there as State Land is actually leased and you need the lease holder's permission prior to hunting there, or the penalties are the same as trespassing on private land.

If it is sunny and calm, they will be all over. If it is windy, look in any dips, depressions, ravines, etc.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

WKR
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Be careful if using OnX maps. State land is not the same as State Wildlife Areas. A lot of the land listed on there as State Land is actually leased and you need the lease holder's permission prior to hunting there, or the penalties are the same as trespassing on private land.

A clarification, you need permission of whomever holds the recreational lease which in many cases someone just has an agricultural lease and that means the state still holds the recreational lease and thus you need permission from the state not the agricultural lease holder. I inquired once about access to a 1square mile section of state land for 1 week, they wanted $500... needless to say I stuck to federal owned lands that week and lands leased by CPW from the state for hunting.
 
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In my experience - the meat quality directly reflects the quality and timeliness of care. I've killed a lot of antelope in SoCo in October. As soon as you retrieve the animal gut it, get back to camp, hang in a tree, and get the hide off the animal and start in cooling in a game bag. If you can keep it dry in a large cooler with ice - so much the better. I hate seeing a truckload of guys bouncing on dirt roads for a couple of hours with a dead goat in the back with the hide still on baking in the heat (and even in those units in the winter full sun will heat things up pretty quickly). Others who have had my antelope cannot tell the difference between antelope and deer and beef sirloin the meat is so mild. Keep hair off the meat and get it naked and cooling as fast as possible! In my unit all of this happens within 30 minutes of the kill usually. Time is the most critical factor in my experience.

I hunt a lot of SWA in SoCo. If you can get 1/2 mile off a road and out of sight of a road then you have reduced hunting pressure by 95%. Game cart wil solid wheels comes in real handy for getting goats out of the cholla flats!
 
OP
JBahr

JBahr

Lil-Rokslider
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252
Thanks for the feedback. I don't think I will have a heat problem in December...

Anyone else have experience with these units? Access looks very limited, which seems strange for the amount of tags available for this hunt.
 
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I got the same tag this year for my first speed goat hunt. I've been looking at the SWA and BLM land. From what I hear, pronghorn are not as affected by lunar cycles as elk and deer. That being said, the December new moon is the 17th. The middle of the month, after opening pressure dials back but before winter break, is when I am thinking of going.

You never know about the heat. When I moved out here 10 years ago, there were a few days in January that were near 80.

PM if you'd like to share specific spots or head down there together. I live a mile SE of I-25/I-70.
 
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Have you gone out hunting yet? I'm going to try to go on Wednesday. Hopefully they will be out feeding before the snow gets here on Thursday.
 
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JBahr

JBahr

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Funny you ask... I went yesterday. No speed goats located except on private of course... I will be back after them in the new year.
 
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