There’s one thing I love about Pronghorn Antelope hunting: it’s the opportunity to find something unique, different, funky, and weird. After waiting 13 years to draw a trophy Pronghorn Antelope tag in Alberta, I wasn’t going to waste it on any ordinary buck. Each set of Pronghorn Antelope horns is unique, and I wasn’t worried about how much it scored or how long it was; I just wanted it to be “funky.”. Pronghorn Antelope are one of the few members of the horned-game family where each and every set of horns is unique. I wasn’t worried about how much it scored or how long it was, I just wanted it to be “funky.” Most people look for tall antelope with big prongs and a perfect heart shape, but not me.
Scouting for Pronghorn Antelope in Southern Alberta
With wait times likely to rise to 20 years or more to draw a Pronghorn Antelope tag in Alberta, this was possibly my one and only shot at taking my dream buck and I really wanted to make it count. My friend, Darren Thomson, says, “there’s a Pronghorn Antelope for everyone,” and he’s right.
I decided to draw in one of the more southerly zones since TJ spends a fair amount of time down there in the summer months working on the Alberta Wildlife Federation’s Pronghorn Antelope Corridor Enhancement Project. So, I knew he would have a good idea of where antelope were hanging out. He also had come to know many of the landowners in the region, which would prove to be extremely helpful in obtaining permission for access. Pronghorn Antelope numbers took a pretty severe hit during the winter of 2010, but they have since been recovering nicely. They certainly aren’t back up to pre-2010 numbers but herds are looking healthy again and there are a number of really good bucks around.
Challenges of Hunting Pronghorn Antelope
We had planned to head down a couple of weeks before the season opened to do some scouting, but a freak snowstorm dumped over a foot of snow on southern Alberta and there was absolutely no visibility. With the scouting trip cancelled, we decided to hit the area hard three days before the season opened. We were dismayed to arrive to a winter covering of white still shrouding the landscape and the roads were a disaster. Travelling down main roads required four-wheel drive-in places and the side roads were impassable. We were going to miss checking out a lot of good country unless it dried up in the next couple days. After speaking with a number of landowners, it was quite possible a few of the antelope had already headed south after the snowfall. We quickly discovered that all of the bigger bucks TJ had seen the previous month were nowhere to be found.
We spent most of the first day driving around on the main roads checking out antelope. We also stopped in to obtain written permission where we needed it and to have a coffee and a visit with a couple of landowners TJ knew. TJ found what he thought would be a contender, pointing out that he was over 16 inches, had good prongs and would possibly make 80 inches. The buck was stunning and for anyone else would definitely be put high on the list, but he just didn’t do it for me. I knew then that we were going to have to put on a lot of miles in the next few days before we found that funky buck…if we ever did.
Finding the Perfect Buck
To our relief, much of the snow had melted by day two and the antelope were a lot easier to spot. The roads were beginning to dry up and we figured by the following day we’d be able to drive some of the side roads and check out some new country. We were shocked that there were few other hunters out scouting. We managed to find another buck in the 80-inch range and another that was high 70s. Both were spectacular bucks, and both were in good locations for a stalk, but neither was special or funky. While were heading back to the hotel at last light on the second day, we spotted a group of antelope about a mile out in a pasture. It was a piece we didn’t have permission on but thought we’d take a look. It only took one glance to confirm this buck was funky! His left horn was fairly normal, although a bit canted on his head, but his right horn came off the skull at a near 90-degree angle. I only needed to take one look to confirm that he was the one I wanted. TJ warned me that he wasn’t really big compared to a couple others we’d seen but I didn’t care. The only issue now was permission.
The Hunt: Finding Our Pronghorn Antelope
I quickly looked up the landowner’s contact information and called him that evening. He gave me the green light. As with all the other properties we had permission on, it was foot access only and of course being aware of the cattle and closing gates were givens. The only issue was that they were moving cattle the following day, so there was a good chance the buck might get chased out of the pasture. There wasn’t much we could do but wait and see what happened.
We drove by the pasture at first light and the buck was right where we’d left him, but the rancher was just preparing to move the cows and we watched as a half dozen quads headed out. It didn’t look good for finding the buck later in the day, so we did the only thing we could do and hit the road in search of more antelope. We found a couple good candidates and reconnected with a few we’d seen the previous days but nothing that could really be called special or funky, save for one that had a big bulb-like growth on one horn but he was quite small. With about 30 minutes left of light remaining we headed back to where we’d last seen the funky buck and of course he was gone. So too was nearly every other antelope in the pasture. TJ suggested we do a quick drive around and see if we could find him.
The Final Stalk
There was about 10 minutes of light left when we found him. He’d crossed the road onto a property I didn’t have permission on. TJ thought it wasn’t great antelope habitat and he was certain he’d cross back into the pasture we’d first seen him in and we could catch him there opening morning. I wasn’t convinced and over dinner that night I ran a million scenarios through my mind. We knew where there were several other good bucks but if we weren’t on them first thing, there was a good chance other hunters would be. But, if we didn’t look for the funky buck, someone else would undoubtedly take him if he showed himself. The perfect antelope hunt only lasts an hour or so on opening day. Those are the ones where you know you’ve done your homework. I had a tough decision to make.
It was still about 20 minutes prior to legal light and we were pulled over on the side of the road, waiting, when we saw headlights heading up the road to where we’d last seen the funky buck. I started to panic and worst-case scenario the outcome. TJ kept assuring me that the buck was no longer there, but I knew he didn’t have a clue. As legal light hit, we scanned the surrounding area but couldn’t find him. The good news was no shots were heard. We decided to go for a drive. It was about 30-minutes later that we spotted some antelope a couple miles away and while he wasn’t with them, I quickly scanned the area and picked up a lone buck off to their right. It was the funky buck! He’d come back to the field we’d originally seen him in.
The stalk was pretty straight forward and in no time, we managed to sneak in less than 200 yards from the main group but in the undulating terrain, we couldn’t see the funky buck. We knew he had to be close. We held our position, watching all around us and then suddenly, as if an apparition appeared, there he was standing, looking directly at us, 250 yards away. As I readjusted my rifle, there was little doubt the buck knew something was wrong. He moved around us in an arc, pausing occasionally but always head on. I was positively vibrating but knew I needed to wait until the perfect moment. Then, the buck made the mistake of stopping broadside and a microsecond later the 7mm roared. There was no mistaking the sound of the 162-grain ELD-X impacting the buck, but it showed no ill effects. Through the riflescope, I watched a red spot growing on his front shoulder then I saw his stride falter. He was running on pure adrenaline and shortly his legs betrayed him, and he cascaded to the ground. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing he was down.
While the actual hunt was short and uneventful, there was a lot more that went into the taking of this special buck. We put a lot of time and effort in and now I had an amazing “funky” buck as the reward. We spent the rest of the morning admiring him, taking pictures, caping and skinning him. We then cut him into manageable pieces for the pack back to the truck. This won’t be our last hunt on the southern Alberta prairie, but this one made some wonderful memories.
