How Hard with a Bow?

[huntabsarokee]

Thinking about taking my daughter to Wyoming in August to use her 6 antelope points. Kind of a graduation present. She is 17 and probably hard to get out of school and sports for rifle season. My question is how hard are they to stalk with a bow. She will have a xbow. I looked at some guided hunts but don’t think sitting water all day would be fun for either of us. I have killed a few elk with a bow but never antelope hunted. Not opposed to a trespass hunt and don’t have a unit picked out. Buddy lives in Buffalo so thinking NE and can combine my 8 points too.

Just worried shots will be longer than 40 and not sure of the pressure in August. Do many guys hunt with a bow?

 

[TSAMP]

Scale of 1 to 10, 10 being incredibly hard i give it a 8. Terrain plays a part, never seen anybody sneak stealthily with a Xbow.

Edit: ive killed two with a bow. One in a blind in wyoming, one spot and stalk.

 

[Coveyleader]

Stalking antelope with a bow is very difficult and most people that do it are taking shots way over 40yds. Double that are common. Antelope are made for young hunters and rifles, I’d find some dates that work and go then. Especially with those points. Don’t worry about pressure.


As an fyi, for context, I am a life long bowhunter.

 

[Maxhunter]

If you hunt over water not hard imo. Spot and stalk lots of blown stalks and definitely longer shots unless they’re rutting and you can decoy them in. You don’t have to sit water all day but daylight to 1pm is always productive. Also don’t forget fence crossings they work.

 

[BuckRut]

The stalking is extremely difficult. Tough terrain coupled with the fact that they are almost never alone.

 

[ElkArcher918]

Unless you're in a blind (roasting like a pork shoulder) sitting water or posting near a well defined pinch point, pretty difficult to shoot shoot one with vertical bow or crossbow. Where I live I a can pick up an OTC archery antelope tag almost every year but don't bother. The squeeze just ain't worth the juice for me. When I have enough LE points, I just go rifle and be done in a few days. Fun hunt sifting the thru herd for the buck I want. Lots of blown stalks.

 

[SDHNTR]

I’ve killed several with a bow S and S. The key is finding them in broken terrain where you can use topography to your advantage.

 

[TaperPin]

That will be fun! It requires more thought, some fast walking and many attempts, but you’ll do fine, or have fun doing it. This is the most physical of all antelope hunting because you’re playing leap frog all day trying to get in front of them.

I’ve taken one with a 44 mag pistol, but spent many weeks spread out over a number of years prior to that chasing them with iron sighted 30-30s, and a muzzleloader. My best advice is to get away from flat areas and focus on something like this that provides a good overall view of movement and plenty of cover to plan ambushes as a group heads your way. If you’re hunkered down as they walk over the top of one of these little hills how close they get is more a matter of how well positioned and lucky you are. As you watch antelope move, time how long it takes to go from one spot to another, so when you’re at an ambush location you have an idea of how long to stay there before getting up and trying it again somewhere else. Sometimes one will stop in a draw you can sneak up on.

 

[idelkslayer]

I killed a buck my first year attempting spot/stalk archery. After 6 days over 3 weekends, 1 missed shot, and a dozen blown stalks, I got a shot at 50 yards. Slow crawling in low sagebrush and dust, in the August heat can be fun and frustrating.

Since then I have another 15 days of crawling around spread over 5 years with one missed shot to show for it. It is some of the most frustrating fun that I look forward to most years. One of the frustrating things I have found is that I can usually get into range at least once per day, but getting a shot is an entirely different problem. The antelope have you pegged as soon as you peek above the brush for a shot. Most startle and run just out of range. They have 330 degrees of vision so the only time they can't see you is if you are directly behind them. I've been within 20 yards and not gotten a shot.

Try to find an area with topography, maybe even scattered junipers or other tall vegetation.

Did I say it was fun and frustrating?

That said, don't attempt it if harvesting an animal is a must. Only you can decide if 6 pts is worth it even if you are unsuccessful vs finding a unit you can draw for rifle.

 

[flyfisher117]

Spot and stalk has kicked my ass. The stalks that worked out the best included natural terrain that benefited me. The worst was flat land and sage brush. Even with my nuts in the dirt crawling they somehow spot me lol

 

[Bubblehide]

In addition to what has been said about spot and stalk, there are always many more eyes than you think. That translates into blown stalks. It's doable, but tough. If you sit water, pressure helps, as there need for water will increase.

 

[huntabsarokee]

Well this is making me rethink my options. I was trying to find a rifle cow hunt in August on private since I know that is an option but most outfitters that hunt big bulls don't want to screw up the elk herd before the regular season starts. Plus I hate to blow 6 elk points for a cow. I was going to look at units that did have some better terrain for stalking. I don't mind sitting water but a few outfitted hunts said they drop you off in the dark and pick you up in the dark. That would suck for anyone.

 

[Tired03]

Thinking about taking my daughter to Wyoming in August to use her 6 antelope points. Kind of a graduation present. She is 17 and probably hard to get out of school and sports for rifle season. My question is how hard are they to stalk with a bow. She will have a xbow. I looked at some guided hunts but don’t think sitting water all day would be fun for either of us. I have killed a few elk with a bow but never antelope hunted. Not opposed to a trespass hunt and don’t have a unit picked out. Buddy lives in Buffalo so thinking NE and can combine my 8 points too.

Just worried shots will be longer than 40 and not sure of the pressure in August. Do many guys hunt with a bow?

It can be done. I would strongly recommend you guys find time during rifle or a trespass hunt with a blind over water. It would be a shame to burn 6 & 8 years of points for a low success rate style of hunt.

 

[TaperPin]

Well, that idea didn’t last long.

 

[huntabsarokee]

I am not out yet. Going to see if I can find a trespass hunt with some water. I found one a little while ago and had a stream running through it and some ag fields. Hopefully I can find it again and it’s still available. From what I remember the archery days were wide open.

 

[HoytHntr4]

Like others have said, it’s not easy but doable. Hunt for stalkable terrain, then try to find antelope in those areas. If I spot antelope in wide open terrain a lot of times I won’t even slow the truck down to look, just keep moving until the terrain starts looking right

 

[bkjastrebsky]

With 7 points shared between yall in would look for a unit that has a season open during Columbus day weekend for rifle and go then. If you hunt friday-monday you should have no problem finding a pronghorn that fits what's you're looking for and then school and sports shouldn't be a problem with the holiday weekend.

 

[roadrunner]

It would be easier to convince coach she needs to miss a practice or two and a game to chase with a rifle than it will be to successfully S&S even with a crossbow.

 

[wildwilderness]

If you personally have not done spot and stalk antelope with the weapon of choice then I would not encourage it.

I’ve tried bowhunting them spot and stalk many times with a couple missed shots and lots of crawling to show for it.

If archery is the way absolutely sit a water hole. Not nearly as boring as you are thinking especially with modern electronics. Take food and naps laying down super easy. On good private you will kill in a day or 2.

Also I see the bias of most western hunters against sitting blinds/stands. Par for the course in whitetail woods

 

[justinspicher]

I’ve done one antelope hunt and it was “guided” in New Mexico. I joined a buddy on his archery hunt. He shot a nice buck on day three, from a blind, over water. We sat from 0600-1900 and it was about 120° in the blind. I hated every minute of that hunt.