Field Judging Antelope

[BuzzH]

I have found big, mature Wyoming bucks to have larger bodies and heads that the average buck running around, which can disguise horn size. The fact that big Wyoming bucks tend to have big mass also can disguise prong length. A small-bodied buck with thin mass can appear at first glance to have super long prongs and garner the attention of many a hunter, who will walk up to an average buck with average prongs. I admit that hunter has been me, more than once. Haha...

Very true there is quite a bit of difference in body size in bucks in Wyoming. It pays to look at bucks when they are near other pronghorn whenever possible. I shot this buck a number of years ago and knew when I killed it that it was a very small bodied pronghorn. It was with a mature doe and was almost exactly the same size as the doe body wise. I really liked the shape of the buck and it was 15.5 inches tall...so....

The shape got this buck killed, IIRC it still scored around 77. This is definitely the smallest bodied pronghorn buck I've ever killed in Wyoming.

 

[BuzzH]

A couple of big bodied pronghorn I've always wondered about, were the horns just looking smaller due to the body size?

 

[BuzzH]

Bucks like these are easy for a person to pass that are looking for B&C class bucks, but IMO, are pretty tough to pass up for hunters that want an above average representative.

This buck was probably 5.5 years old and is as good as he'll ever be, great cape, just a good looking buck but no way a B&C contender.

Same buck that I'm sure lots of hunters would be happy with.

Another nice mature buck, big head, big body...probably in the upper 70's but no way 80. Pretty good length, good prong, good mass...

Same buck, great shape and would be no shame in killing him.

 

[Oregonmuley]

Buzz, that's sure true on body size. I got this buck 3-4 years ago, liked the way he looked nothing huge horn wise but his body was about as skinny as any buck I've ever got.

No in field pics of this one but he has the best mass of any I've gotten. If he only had another inch in height he would of been something IMHO.

 

[Jimss]

I hardly ever use eye, nose, or ear measurements as references to horn length or mass for the same reasons mentioned above. Similar to people or any other animals..pronghorn come in a variety of body size and body part differences. If a buck has smaller eyes or shorter ears or nose you are screwed if using them to estimate length or mass. If viewed at different angles or tilted on an angle....an ear may appear shorter or longer....etc.

As mentioned above it's pretty easy to compare bucks side-by-side. Lone bucks can be a gamble. If you really know how to field judge a whopper buck usually stands out and there are no doubts! Late in the season and after the rut antelope tend to herd up into bigget groups. Late season may be a great time to view several bucks together.,.howeer, it may be a little tougher findjng groups of bucks together in mid to late September once they start rutting.

 

[wytx]

Yes but Bergmann's rule applies, our pronghorn tend to be bigger bodied up this way, but always exceptions to the rule.
Ears and eyes give you a starting point to field judge.
As mentioned, look at all angles if you can, horns that curl back are hard to judge from the front, the side view will give you a look at the length that curls back.
Come up for a summer fishing trip and look over some bucks.

 

[Muley Buck]

Great pics Buzz! I enjoy seeing those studs you continually turn up. I really liked that one picture you posted a while back of your "collection". Stunning to say the least.

 

[chawes79]

Like noted earlier, Randy Newberg has a good video on it. I always look for prongs that start above the length of the ears. Good mass is a must on goats. Good length and prongs that stick out noticeably. A truly big antelopes horns will look funky or disproportionate to his body size. Hope this helps.

 

[Bookhead]

Another thing that is tricky is what i refer to as bladed mass. This is a prime example. The buck truly is heavy but would be much heavier if he had round mass but his horns are bladed and you can see it from the frontal view. I watched him for several before deciding to take hi. He fell short of boone and Crockett at 81 1/4 but i am and was plenty happy with him he was only 14.5" tall but mass and prong ength always go farther then length

 

[boomerzuma]

Bookhead, that's a stud buck, congrats! Love the mass! How big were those cutter?

 

[923]

87" gross. Another one with a large body. However we had no doubt he was a shooter at first glance!