I have the privilege to write articles on the MY OUTDOOR BUDDY webpage. A webpage that talks about every facet of the great outdoors in Southern Oregon and Northern Oregon.
The following are my links:
1) Hunting the Dinosaurs of the West
3) Big Mulies of the Big Muddy
4) Hunting Methods and Success
I will add more in future: Updated 07/15/2015
Frank Biggs
None us come out knowing everything. So over the years I have absorbed a great deal of knowledge about hunting Pronghorn – Antelope that roam the high plains and arid lands of the United States. Pronghorns are one of the most magnificent mammals that has survived since the Ice Age. It is one of the few living links to the Ice Age. They are an ancient species dating back about 20 million years and are the lone survivors of a family of hoofed mammals found only in North America (Antilocapridae) A little history class for hunters!
Oregon truly is a sleeper state for hunting Pronghorn – Antelope – Lope or Dinosaurs! Problem is getting a tag for resident or even non-resident. Many non-resident hunters put in for many states, with the hope of drawing. As for those of use that live in Oregon, getting a tag runs from 8 to 25 years for a rifle tag and 1 to 3 years for archery. Sometimes you might be lucky and draw a tag based on the hold back tags put in random draw. As a biologist friend of mine once told me Oregon’s Pronghorn units all hold Boone & Crockett warrantable bucks. Biggest problem is holding out for the big buck, judging bucks, know the whereabouts and what unit has the best possible chance for a trophy buck.
When I first started out with my first tag for an Oregon Pronghorn, I had help from a Naval Officer that I knew while on active duty in the Navy, he had great deal of knowledge, plus his friend a young BLM summer help student that knew the area. His name was Rod Briece, who later became my Commanding Officer and was a long time hunting friend.
We did not go blindly into the hunt unit, as there was a game plan to check out many different areas of the unit in a short period of time. We did get into the unit prior to the hunt by one full day to scout. We had about 4 game plans with the A, B, C, and D plan changing with the sighting of bucks. The final plan of the day became a A plan for the opening morning. I was successful on my first Pronghorn hunt to get a buck that scored 85″. He and his does had come into the same waterhole that we had seen them at, the evening before. At about 0715 the buck came to the waterhole. The rest is history at 250 yards from the rocks! Point being prepared and having options on the hunt.
Over the following years in this particular unit it put out many trophy Pronghorns. This does not include the ones that a few missed during the hunts and the hunter came up empty handed…
One of the greatest lessons that I learned with hunting Pronghorns is the use of the binoculars and patience. Finding vantage points and glassing over massive areas. Pronghorns have always been the animal, you don’t see me now, but wait long enough I will be standing there. Amazing creature that has intrigued me for many decades. Even on that first hunt, we glassed from afar and it paid off. I always look for mass from a side profile of the head. If warranted, I have a spotting scope to do a better judgement of the buck. Many times the heat waves in the high desert are so bad that there seems to be an illusion of what you see. So seeing the side profile is most important. Length is not always as important as mass and the high of the prongs (cutters) on the horn.
Mapping is very important for hunters, whether it is Pronghorn hunting or any other movement in the outdoors. I find it is almost as important as the optics and the weapon of choice.
Until recently, lets say 1998, most of us would have B.L.M. maps or other maps to find places to hunt. The GPS came along and it was OK, to know where you were, but not much good to know where to go. A few software companies tried back then, but were crude and not very accurate. Along comes onXmaps HUNT (2008) and what a success story for the company and the people that use their products. It is a lot of fun to have knowledge of places to hunt (landmarks), take them and mark them in the mapping software on the computer and then move them to the GPS. A great way to share information that is accurate. Like having a snapshot of a hillside that you have seen, but now you get to remember where it is. Better yet, at times when using the software and Google Earth via the laptop to Garmin GPS, it like watching TV… Remember by using this software, you might even be able to find a rancher or farmer that dislike Dinosaurs and will give you permission. For DIY you’ll find that you just might not need a guide for out of state hunts. Many got it figured out how to hunt public land for Pronghorns!
onXmaps HUNT
We all have options on what caliber to hunt with for Pronghorns and my thoughts are no different. Having many calibers to choose from, I am a firm believer to go big on this medium size mammal. It is not the fact that a 243 Win, or 257 Weatherby won’t get the job done, but I don’t remember to many times that the wind was not howling after the sun comes up. My favorite light caliber is the 257 Weatherby, but if I get one chance to get a tag in 15 years and I have to make that 500 yard shot due to not being able to crawl within 250 yards, I will take my 30cal to get the job done. Shrugging your shoulders with that comment, just think about not getting there with the shot… There are many great calibers and my first was taken with a 7mm Remington Mag. Overkill, ya it might be, but still a 30 cal 180 grain that is going to make a hole in and out most likely. I do know I will have a kill shot and and not have to track the buck very far in most cases. One has to be comfortable with the rifle and trust what it will do or what you can do.
This brings up another subject: Making sure you have great shot placement and anchor the Pronghorn down. Tracking for trying to find a Pronghorn in the sagebrush after a hit from afar, might just lead to not finding it. Years ago one of my hunters that I gave waypoints to shot a monster lope in a large sagebrush flat. It was late and darkness was fast approaching. He decide to wait for morning! A great mistake as one loses focus of what he or she might have seen with the shot. With a Pronghorn left overnight, the coyotes have already taken are of it. You might be lucky to find the horns, but in many cases the horns have been taken care of also. Anchor the animal as with any animal in it’s tracks or close proximity.
In my time I have done a great deal of scouting and researching of Pronghorn or Antelope as most call this great animal from the past in Oregon and the rest of the Western States, where they roam in huntable numbers. For archery hunters in many of the Western States you have a chance to hunt every year for Antelope. Whereas with a rifle you might have to wait some 8-25 years to draw a tag, at least in the Oregon. I have hunters in Oregon that are now hunting almost every year with the bow. A great challenge to hunt with the bow, but what a rush and accomplishment to harvest up close and personal. You’ll find hunting with the bow for Antelope a great sport that you won’t be able to stop doing. I have been told by my hunters that they have had the best experience hunting Antelope over anything else they have hunted in North America. It could be that they see a lot of Antelope while hunting them. Since competition for tags is so great, some of use will wait the whatever years to get the rifle tag, get it done and the following years put in for a bow tag. Not many years ago in Oregon and I am sure in other states, you put in for a rifle tag and make your second choice a bow tag. I do believe that I did this at least 10 times over the years. Very fortunate to have harvest a number of great bucks with the arrow. Now I find that many are taking great bucks with the arrow in many hunt units in many states.
I one thing I have learned after all these years and not even being in some of my old haunts for many years, is that Pronghorn are animals of habit from generation to generation. They cover the same ground and do the same things from one generation to another. Most of the land in which they live never changes. There was one buck that my friends & hunters chased for about three years and never got. I really wanted him for myself is what all thought. He would be located in the same spot within a 1/4 mile and escape basically the same way. His escape route was not one you could cover and he knew it. Now if we ambushed him in his normal spot he could have been taken. He was one of the biggest Antelope I ever hunted. I did get one hunter on him at very close range with a standing broadside at 250 yards. He missed the buck and the hunt was over for him! The hunter who I knew well told me he had been a Marine Sniper… A few years back I went back to a spot which I hunted and guided about 20 years ago. The only thing that had changed is the B.L.M. put a solar power water pump on a water hole in one of my favorite spots. Even the old ranchers sign was still there and he had been gone for a long time. The sign had stated in so many words that you were crossing into his lands. This happen to be B.L.M. that he leased, but did not own. Now you know one of the reasons to have a mapping and gps system that lets you know your legal. Many times my hunters tell me, “WOW”, you were right on the money for Lopes being there…
I have seen mature bucks standing in the middle of a back country road in B.L.M., marking the road. No, not by scratching but by urinating in the middle of road. Once someone knows some of the peculiar habits of Antelope, you can use it to your advantage. Such is the case a couple of years ago when I spot a group of Antelope in a 5 tag unit. I wanted the picture of the buck and just knew he would go around the mountain and want to get back into the hole. He did just that and my son asked how did you know?
I have taken a great deal of Antelope with the bow and all but a rifle kill has been from stalking. A great deal of the bow hunters I know do wait on water, but you have to have patience. One of my GPS Hunters – Bowhunters sat for two (2) days for more than 12 hours. He as been successful two (2) years in a row on the same waterhole. I do love to stalk them and arrow them before they know I am there. Antelope do lay in the sagebrush flats and with a lot of glassing from a vantage point you can find them and stalk within bow range easily.
Note: Then there is the issue with sunglasses, I will always wear sunglasses (favorite are Ray-Ban Wayfarer-easy to lift with bino’s with no bind) during the day and “Photo Grays” for the evening hunts. I felt if the game, especially Antelope can’t see my eyes or movement then I could close the gap on them even easier once spotted. I always wore a hat and a backpack with the spotting scope & tripod sticking out of the top. It is what it is with habits and wearing the same pants on every hunt!
Most experience hunters have their ways to hunt game, whether it is from stalking, waiting, ambush or just being lucky and walking into a shoot-able animal. It is whatever works for you, that makes the hunt!
Just a short little video of a nice buck ( we had him set for the following year) in the Grizzly Hunt Unit in Oregon: Pronghorn in the Big Muddy!
Like the wind, the environment of hunting changes without notice. Over the many years of hunting and being able to hunt openly on State, Federal, B.L.M. and Timber company’s properties, plus horse trading to hunt private, it was pretty easy to find a place to hunt without hassle in Oregon.
Not too many years ago I or We were able to hunt a great parcel of BLM in central Oregon near Madras, Oregon. Since the land was rugged we would use quads to get from point A to B, glass and then hunt the game down. Prior to quads from the days of hunting the great Snake River for Rocky Mountain Elk, horses were the key to non-motorized entry for our team.
A number of years ago the neighboring landowners were able to get the rules changed with BLM; no quads or other motorized allowed. Strange that there are many old ranch roads and BLM roads on the land, now closed to the public, yet the adjacent land owner can use quads… Just as strange motorized is allow on another parcel BLM land very close by. The BLM is connected actually by a county line to the south. I will tell you it was not a rancher or farmer that lobbied to get it closed!
Wanting to find new lands on the west side of the Cascades Mountains in Oregon, using my Garmin Montana GPS and the fabulous onXmaps HUNT software a new world open when scouting, finding such lands as Weyerhaeuser, Port Blakely, Longview Fiber (NOW OWNED BY WEYERHAEUSER), BLM, State Lands, plus small parcels of National Forest. Mainly interested in Blacktail Deer though Roosevelt Elk can be found on the same land, scouting during May, June and July before the Oregon Archery season, it was great to find many great Blacktail bucks.
With regular maps you would never know the private timber conglomerates, yet alone small parcels of state owned or National Forest lands without using the onXmaps software. In many western states there are mining claim that the public can pass through, but there are many small land parcels (50 – 200 acres) of mines on BLM and National Forest that you’ll never see on a paper map. Miners don’t take to kindly to trespassing and they might not call the law to Enforce a trespassing law…
Port Blakely allows some free hunting, but one better know the phone number and check prior to the dates wanting to access the land. I am going to give a Hoorah to PLUM CREEK, as they allow the public to use their land with NO CHARGES.
This is where it stops; recently I made a call to an old hunting buddy about his elk hunt during the archery season in Oregon. I was informed he received a $350.00 fine for trespassing on Weyerhaeuser property during the season. What! An area he has hunted for more than 30+ years for elk and deer.
For years the Weyerhaeuser properties have been open to public access. Well things change and now you have to have a permit to hunt. A number of ways to do it, open permits or bid on the total access to parcels.
Stop and think about it for a second, most likely these giant timber companies get tax breaks and I can tell you some it about public access. In the N.W. Weyerhaeuser owns 6,000.000+ acres, the size of Rhode Island in the United States and controlling 12,000,000 acres in Canada on long term leases.
There is now great controversy about Weyerhaeuser charging for access to their lands.
If you go back far enough you’ll find some of the tainted realities of land grab, via the railroads, government and the buying and giving of our timberlands.” I remember the term cut and pay as you go.” Think about making revenue without paying first, well in the timber business it has been done.
For years I have vented my thoughts and anger about BLM and other public land trades, in which there might be blocks of separated lands. What I have seen and many others that fight for our public lands are normally bad changes, with the public getting short end of the stick.
There is one large section of BLM in Oregon in which some our most liberal politicians want to swap great elk and deer hunting land with a group. In the rules of engagement of this particular land swap the two private land owners want to control the road, closing it off during the winter months. They want the county road to be vacated. The swap itself isn’t too bad, but the old wagon road from the 1800’s needs to be the dividing line with open access to the public. No one private individual should have the rights to stop the public from going into public land on a trade such as this.
We find that the National Forest wants to close thousands of miles of roads in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest; the battle goes on with this subject!
So where is all of this leading, well it is leading into a fight for survival of hunting and public access to public land. In the meantime it is very important for land users, whether fishing, hiking, hunting or evening just driving around to know the lay of the un-marked lands. No matter who you are you need a Garmin GPS (colored-microchip capabilities-modern) and the onXmaps HUNT software loaded on the GPS and my personal recommendation on your laptop and your mobile device. I have said since mapping GPS’s came out it is better to know where you are going then to know where you have been. I love to search via onXmaps HUNT (APP) Google Earth and see new spots, thus adding them to my GPS for the next outing to investigate.
In Conclusion: There are some private timber companies in the west and mountain states that allow the public to use their property for recreation. It is important for everyone to know where they are and not take for granted they have access. Use equipment that will keep you legal, safe and open new avenues in your outdoor ventures. Make your voice go forward about what is right! Please remember that it is illegal to try and jump from corner to corner on public land that is encompassed with private…
I personally do not leave home without my Garmin Montana and my onXmaps HUNT updated for travels in Oregon!
This is a site that I write what I have on my mind. Others write stories of their hunting trips and I share them with the world. My site is design to help those that enjoy the great outdoors and find their Adventurer. Bwana Bubba aka Cobra
Frank Biggs
Hey Frank’
I just wanted to give you a firsthand account of the late archery deer hunt for the Rogue Unit, this was my second year I participated in this hunt, last year was a charm seen tons of good buck and a few whoppers also. This year was way different; you see I hunt down on the south slope of the SiQ’s (Siskiyou) near Agate Flats which is surrounded by the Soda Mountain National Monument. I grew up round there so I am quite familiar with this deer herd.
It appears the word has gotten out, that there has been some great bucks coming from this area and I can tell you first hand by all the people who showed up to hunt this area, the word is truly out about the Soda Mountain Wilderness area.
Sad Part is; this area will not and cannot sustain that kind of hunting pressure, the bucks I seen this year barely seemed to be rutting but more like running from the pressure, the monument is only a few thousand acres and there was approximately 25 to 30 people hunting it the whole late season, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife need to take a good hard look at this areas late season and put some restrictions on it otherwise we’ll have the same problem with the Blacktails we have with the Mulies
Thanx Manny G’
When does common sense come into making decisions that affect the masses or majority? In this case the ODFW for Oregon, Idaho Fish and Wildlife and lastly WDFW for Washington make their decisions not for the majority in my opinion. We all know there are lobbyists that believe that a Long Bow is the only bow and we should all be shooting them. Let’s give thought to how most or the majority over the years has moved along with technology. We also know that many of those of age still might have an old bow from the past or even a Springfield carbine Model 1873, but likely don’t use them for hunting any longer. When does their arrogant policy decision dictate the policy for the majority becomes a hindrance? I would likely bet a great deal of many that most of the decision makers in the case have a smartphone and computer of some type…
I have written about this before, this time though it will not be in reference in the loss of a game animal personally or by friend. I truly thought that Oregon would allow in the 2015 at least a lighted nock for the purpose of finding game or knowing that you hit your game with an arrow projected from your bow. Just receiving the new 2015 Oregon Big Game Regulations, the lighted nock, expandable Broadhead and any electronic device mounted to a bow or any part of the bow to be illegal still.
There are at least 45 states that allow the use of lighted nocks and 47 allowing the use mechanical Broadhead. There are a few restrictions, but of course Oregon, Washington and Idaho do not allow at all for big game. Crazy as this seems in Oregon though you are able to hunt the Silver Gray Squirrel and game birds with a mechanical Broadhead.
Now that we have an abundance of wild Turkeys in Oregon, we can tackle them with a mechanical Broadhead. Hmm! Such a big bird, maybe the size of an elk or deer, that we can use the mechanical Broadhead. So the reason that the Turkey is harder to hit or the fact they have so many feathers, making it hard to find the vitals? Now give me a good reason on the Silver Gray Squirrel getting the privilege of getting taken down with a mechanical Broadhead. Yet most of us have shot them in the past with a 22 caliber or with an arrow with a blunt or target tip, creating a small hole, yet death came. Most bowhunters know they make a bird point for small game and birds. Just think about hitting a Turkey in the chest with shot from a mechanical Broadhead, guess the tail fan or beard was more important! The state allowing the use of mechanical Broadhead on turkeys just opens the door for someone to carry a mechanical Broadhead in his quiver during a combination turkey deer hunt. We have bow hunts that run the same time as General Fall Turkey season in Oregon for Blacktail deer… We all know that the number of turkeys in the Willamette, Santiam, McKenzie, Northern Indigo, Alsea and a couple others. Recently while traveling through the Willamette and Santiam corridor, I count more than 400 plus turkeys in various pockets.
The use of lighted nocks would help greatly in the recovery of big game animals after a shot. The hunter can tell if they actually hit the animal, easy recovery of the arrow in the brush, when recovered be able to tell what type of hit it might be if hit. In relationship to the above, I suppose those that make the rules figure that with lighted nocks there would be more shots taken after hours. Well since in the State of Oregon we can’t have anything with electronics on our bows or arrows; it would not help in taking an after shooting time shot. Someone wrote that on 50% of game is recovered when shot, not sure if that is accurate, but I will tell you that most of the time the game that is hit with an arrow do die. The main idea in hunting once you hit game is for fast recovery of the animal. Most bow hunters seldom get an animal to drop in their tracks with an arrow. Hell! Let’s all get real; even with the use of a rifle, many don’t anchor their game to the deck. So if you don’t find the animal, do you still hunt? Yes! Now in the State of Alaska, “Alaska limits licensed hunters to the bagging of one bear per hunting season. Under the law, the wounding of a bear counts toward the season’s bag limit.” The use of a mechanical Broadhead is allowing for a faster bleed-out on the animal, with more cutting area. This means a faster recovery in most cases of the animal, plus the fact of a much better blood trail to follow in most cases.
As for the use of electronic devices on a bow, I am all in favor of being able to attach a camera on my bow. Sometimes in a spot and stalk it would be great to get the action shot from the bows prospective. Oh! I know I can attach it to my hat, but all bowhunters know we turn their hats around in the pursuit of the animal. Then again, I can hire a cameraman to follow me around and screw my hunt up with extra feet. So with all of this I have my Go Pro and other small camera attached to my backwards cover (hat). In conclusion if you feel there should be a change, go forward and let your lawmakers know.
Frank Biggs aka Bwana Bubba
Recently via Linkedin the president of the Double Barrel Arrow Loader Company sent me a message and asked if I would be interested in trying out his product for the archery sports. I was intrigued and said I would be very happy to do so. A while later while waiting for the Double Arrow Loader to come, mentioned it to one of the staff pros for a Pro Archery Shop in Portland, Oregon. Duane said “he had heard about and to let them know what I thought about it once I got it”
When I first looked at the well design packing and the design of the concept of the Double Barrel Arrow Loader I knew I was going to like it. While at my day job, during a very short lunch break I took the parts out of the package, wondering for the sake of others how fast could I install the product on the Martin Onza 3 bow! I am up in the lunch room with only my Allen wrench set to put it together. Other than maybe fine tuning the position of the arrow rest, it took me only 20 minutes. I am one that does not look at instructions all the time, but wants to look over a product and see how it is made. Having set an arrow on the rest, I found it to work superb on my bow. Now to the test site for the shooting test in a tree stand format or ground blind. Many times we can have second chance in a treestand to get another arrow off, but having to take it out of quiver costs us a number of seconds and the possibility of noise and detection from the game. I do know without being in the field at this preliminary writing; I am not going to have that problem of noise of having to slip another arrow out of the quiver. I have now been in the field, though I have yet to release an arrow at a Blacktail Buck, I have found that carrying the bow with the Double Barrel Arrow Loader and two arrows on the ready to be very interesting, as the arrow in the Double Barrel Arrow Loader, stays firmly in the holder.
The Double Barrel Arrow Loader will be a permanent fixture on the Martin Onza 3 and will allow me more opportunity to be successful. When I play golf and no one is on the course, I will play two (2) balls on the Par 3’s, just because I can. So when I am out shooting 3D for practice and fun, I will be able to shoot two (2) arrows quickly and not take up extra time to take an arrow out of my quiver.
My eye and others that use the Double Barrel Arrow Loader will not have their eyes wonder from the game or target. Since more and more of us on the West Coast have found that ground blinds and tree-stands are the way to get more game, the Double Barrel Arrow Loader will be the key to more success. I highly recommend the Double Barrel Arrow Loader to other archers and hunters, keeping in mind that the product is durable and will fit also fit in at least my bow hard case. Frank Biggs aka Bwana Bubba
Mick’s hunt did not go as planned, can happen to anyone!
Disaster! My help all bailed. I went Tuesday before the opener, camped at store. Highway noise negated sleep. It was 94 degrees and dryer than I’ve ever seen it there but road hunted on Wednesday. Quad was leaking gas so I was afraid to take it out.
Saw a small group later in the day where you had marked them by water. Several people were staking them out. Thursday much of the same! Met a farmer around 4pm, Hoot Raley! Great guy! Took me right to his farm, glassed a herd on his alfalfa field, and spotted a DANDY walking towards field. Snuck down to a spot he knew this lope would cross to, got into position, waited, guessed at about 300 yards, and took shot, missed 6″ high. Circled around to rest of herd, spotted a smaller buck and they spooked. Gave him Salmon hoping to try again on Friday, Hoot never showed.
Saturday took the Quad and followed your map markings to the “T” jumped a doe on the quad, pulled up rifle, scoped a buck on her tail, and took shot even though it was on a dead run, missed 6″ high. Spent the rest of the day on quad, help arrived at end of the day and he got drunk and didn’t show Saturday. Packed up and headed home.
Devastated, broke, dirty and tired. Your directions were spot on and much appreciated. I still wake up almost nightly wishing I could have either shot over again. Still pretty bummed but Sunday morning took a nice little buck here locally as I had to cancel my Malheur trip due to finances.
My dog became sick while Antelope hunting and had emergency surgery when I got back on his foot. Likely has cancer as his health is worse and new lumps on chest and hip have arrived.
But the conditions over there were brutal. To make matters worse the guy camped next to me took a beautiful buck in the same spot I scoped and it was at or near the spot you marked with an “X” to signal the old scruffy buck about 2 miles from the store. But the experience was good. To have shot and missed is better than most. I was surprised at the number of hunters out road hunting but I guess there was a cow bow hunt going on at the same time. I didn’t see any elk but saw several deer daily. I am confident that had I stayed or if the quad wasn’t freaking me out leaking gas, weather cooler any of these things I probably could have tagged one.
The farm incident was frustrating as hell, but a great guy. I should have gotten his number but the fact that he didn’t return told me he didn’t want to share another try. Plus, had he returned and I missed again I would truly be a wreck. The rifle is still sighted in but I know my judgment of distance is off. The deer I figured at 225 and I shattered its back about 6″ too high.
So I need a range finder, should have sighted in if for no other reason than to be used to the shot. I hadn’t fired it for over a year and might have been jerking the trigger in anticipation of its fury. But as usual in a like situation I didn’t feel or barely hear the shot. I am also confident of the area now but will likely not ever get the chance again. That tag took 15 years and if I get lucky I know exactly where to go.
Thanks again for your wisdom and sorry to let you down but your knowledge was spot on and appreciated. Thanks again. Mick!