This is another great story from a Pronghorn Hunter who waited the years to get a great tag!
Frank, here is my story and pics, the buck was taken on private land in the Maupin unit!
This year I was one of the lucky ones to draw an antelope tag for a unit close to my home. Since living in the area my entire life I knew the better antelope areas would be on private ground and would require gaining access to those areas, so the homework began. Having friends that own ranches in both units made access fairly easy, but finding a descent buck to take was not such an easy task.
What great Mass this Pronghorn! It is all about the Mass!
Since I had to work opening weekend I could only dream of chasing big ole lope bucks, and this was not easy. Monday and Tuesday I focused on a few agricultural areas that always held a few antelope, and while I saw a few descent bucks I knew the area held some bigger bucks and continued to hold out for that special buck I had waited 12 years for. Wednesday I changed gears and hunted close to home, with a tip from a rancher about a dandy buck he had seen a week earlier. Excited and ready to seal the deal I got an early start and headed out to the area that the rancher had seen the buck previously. The weather was fairly cool in the morning with a strong breeze blowing from the South, and rain clouds threatening to pour some much needed moisture on the dry ground, wow I thought to myself this feels like deer season. As I proceed through the gate I see 12 doe and fawn antelope running down the road in the direction I’m heading, I was thinking to myself that this is already looking good. Feeling motivated and ready to see a good buck antelope I park the pickup and head in the direction of some newly planted fields that the big buck was spotted last. I stopped at a fence-line that overlooked the fields, and glassed down the draw towards the fields and saw a few antelope milling around. Being close to 1000 yards away I made my way down the draw for a closer inspection. As I got closer I could tell there was an exceptional buck antelope lying down among the others, and knew this is the one I had waited 12 years for. As I made a plan to crawl and hide my way closer to the buck I wished I would of brought my knee pads, but had so much adrenaline pumping through my body I really didn’t feel a thing.
As you can see there is little Public Land (BLM). It is best to get yourself lined up with a rancher. This mapping would help to find someone! The MAUPIN unit for sure lacks, the West BIGGS unit has some huntable Antelope BLM.
As I was working my way closer to the buck I realized he had gotten up and was chasing the other bucks around and feeding in between sparring matches. I was running out of cover and came to a slight rise in the terrain that allowed me to get a perfect rest and range the buck at 305 yards. I decided that this was as close as I was going to get, and set up for the shot. I placed the cross hairs on the buck’s front shoulder and squeezed the trigger. As the recoil of my 257 Weatherby came back the old buck dropped in this tracks. I took a moment and thanked GOD for such a fantastic opportunity, and taking such a great buck. As I walked up to the buck I couldn’t believe the mass of his horns and that this beautiful animal was mine. I spent a quiet moment with the great antelope buck just admiring him and taking in the moment.
The hunter with his great trophy. Doing the research, brings rewards!
The bucks horns measured 14 1/2″ Long, with 6″ Prongs, and a little over 7″ Bases. The buck holds his mass all the way to his 3rd quarter and has lots of character. I couldn’t have asked for a better antelope hunt and realize how lucky I was to experience this rare opportunity to hunt pronghorn in Oregon. This buck is very close to being able to make Boone & Crockett! Depends on the 90 day drying period! Jeff H.
I would love to say I have stories to go with the following pictures, but I do not have stories. Yes I gave out waypoints for the hunters and I am told the were killed with in 1 miles of on of my waypoints. My understanding that Holly T had chances for two (2) bucks over water and harvested her buck with one arrow in 2012. The other two bucks were harvested in 2013 a couple of days apart by Mark and Jim. I will have to see if I can attach a link to the video’s they made of the hunt in the Warner Unit of Oregon. John Mark does work for an bow manufacturer (Bowtech) in Oregon. He lives by the bow and is a most successful hunter.
John Mark, plus his family and friends do shoot Bowtech!
If you would like to get a hold of their video you can find it on the following site:
Holly and Hubby – John Mark!Holly with her Warner Archery Antelope. She got two chances on taking an Oregon Antelope with her bow!
John Mark took his Antelope a few days later on the hunt with Jeff in 2013!Jeff took his buck on the opening day of the hunt! Great Buck from the state of Oregon
As you can see the Warner Unit which has not been devastated by Coyote predication on the Antelope fawns, has lead to a great herd in this unit! I do believe that if we add up the rifle hunters and bow hunters, my hunters are at 100% harvest in the Warner Unit!
This is an interesting hunt that turned out to be a successful hunt for Ace who was hunting with his father. This is not the first time I have had similar accounts on hunting Lopes. Lopes can be crafty and escape a great stalk. A hunter can misjudge the distance as Antelope – Pronghorns are smaller than deer, so it can be difficult to judge the distance. WELL DONE ACE!
Ace with his 2013 Pronghorn from the Juniper Hunt Unit in Oregon. A well earned dandy Lope!
Dear – Frank
We got there on Friday and scouted til dark. We made the big loop and only saw 5 animals. Got up the next morning just before light and went out. It was too dark to see when we left camp so we waited on one of the roads leading to a water hole. I looked over and saw two bucks about 400 yards to our left and Ace shot at one that had a good size rack. Ace missed with 3 shots and they ran off.
The GPS was a Magellan and I couldn’t figure out the software or the unit and so I don’t have the coordinates and we ended up using the BLM maps we got in Burns on Friday. I have always used Garmin’s but a friend lent me this Magellan. The range finder was kind of useless because laying on your belly it gave bad readings and if you stand up the antelope can see you for a long ways.
We went down the road a ways more and saw some of to the right. He crawled out to get a shot and got a shot in a sitting position but also missed. He thinks he was shooting under the animals because the range finder was not accurate in the sagebrush. Then we saw at least one hundred (100) Antelope come over the ridge, but saw three (3) hunters and away they went from us.
As Ace was coming back to the rig we saw one male and six does about eight hundred (800) yards out but no way to get to them. We drove out the main road and headed North we went out another road and saw two groups out on a ridge. Ace crawled out to the gully and come down into it till he thought he was under them. I was watching at the rig with the spotting scope and he came up right under them with my guidance (hand signals). When he got to the top of the ridge they spooked and he got of a shot but missed again.
He decided that he needed to fire his gun when he was in the prone position because offhand and sitting he shook too much. We went out to the main road again and headed North and took a road East. He saw some out at a distance and crawled out to a point where he could get a shot and not be seen by the antelope. He took a shot and dropped this antelope. I drove out in the sagebrush to where the buck dropped, about 3/4 mile from the road. We field dressed it and quarterd it out right there and put the meat in the huge cooler on ice.
A few things we learned. Its hard to sneak up on Antelope on flat ground. Range finders are useless in flat ground with sagebrush. Knee pads are essential for crawling up on Antelope on your belly. You need to be able to cool the meat down fast. Walkie talkies are a great thing to have for communication. Its hard work to get a good shot at an Antelope. Thanks for the GPS points but we hunted on the west side of the unit and your points were for the east side mostly.
We appreciate your thoughtfulness. – Dennis and Ace Clark
Frank Jr.’s Oregon Grizzly Unit Not a guaranteed kill!
Horse Heaven Area Antelope 2004
This particular hunt came about with wanting to hunt Antelope sooner than later again with a rifle, plus not waiting until we had 12 or more points for hunting old haunts from the past in S.E. Oregon. My son Frank Jr. and I had 9 points saved up each. This would be his first Antelope hunt as a shooter! Getting very impatience with waiting for more points and looking out 4-6 years longer to hunt for Antelope maybe in the Wagontire, we decided since we had a couple of places to hunt in the Grizzly Unit in Oregon, that we would put in for the Grizzly Unit. Past and present I have sent many hunters into the unit with very good success!
Permission to hunt Earl Smith’s Ranch was given to us by Earl for hunting on the properties that laid in the Grizzly Unit, one piece being the “Old Gomes Ranch” and the other land lay south of the Cold Camp of Hwy 218, which included the Maupin and Hasting Buttes.
We had found a great buck on the “Old Gomes Ranch” prior to the season and he would be our first choice to chase. “Chase” Strange word with Pronghorn, as most of the time we like to ambush Lopes at water or crossings. In the Grizzly Unit you will not find the waterholes that one would find in the S.E. part of Oregon, so spotting and working in on them is the normal in the Grizzly Unit. We did not get to hunt the opener of the hunt coming in on Sunday late. Little did we know that Earl forgot about us (this happened a lot) and he let a guide come onto the land and hunt the place with his client. Having talked with the ranch foreman an old friend from the past, that particular hunt was very interesting to say the less. The client had a number of buddies with him at the time. It is hard to say who harvested the buck after all the shots that were taken with multiple rifles. Scuttlebutt was that the guide finally had to finish the buck off as it was leaving the property boundary, but then again it is only scuttlebutt! It did piss me off a lot on this one!
A little dog hunting with the Glock at Earl's
So the hunt had changed for the both us now. This hunt was about Frankie getting his first Pronghorn in Oregon. We would have to work old deer and elk haunts in the Grizzly Unit that carried a population of Antelope and put Earl’s places on the back burner. We would work the area around Hay Creek as I had found a good buck over in B.L.M. area during another earlier scouting trip for deer. There were the areas around Ashwood and the National Grasslands that we could concentrated on for Lopes also. None of this worked out, even with all the glassing from observation points. Water was scarce in these areas; the Lopes were not working the areas as expected. We would work another area of the Grasslands later in the hunt!
A run into the Horse Heaven and Donnybrook area was warranted. We found a couple of decent bucks that would be shooters for Frankie during the first day of the hunt, but light was fading. The 2nd day of the hunt, Frankie got on a pretty good buck near Horse Heaven. The wind was really blowing hard on the hill and the shot was at about 300 yards. That was one lucky Antelope at that particular moment of the hunt in the Horse Heaven area outside of Donnybrook.
Later a number of good herds of Antelope were located in the Grasslands near Hwy 97, but all the bucks were small. No mature bucks were hanging away from the herds that we spotted. A little dishearten for me as I truly wanted to see a Big Buck. The Grizzly Unit had gone through a major poaching epidemic of Antelope, Deer and Elk some years back along the Hay Creek Ranch, Ashwood & Grizzly Mountain area. The culprits (youth) were caught from what I understand (local rancher gossip) and given just punishment.
We finally took a run down into Clarno which is B.L.M., the Northeast boundary of the Grizzly Unit and were about to drop in on quads to get back into the basin about 3 miles were I knew some good bucks would be. Just as we are unloading a lone hunter comes up to the road off of the well warn trail. He told us he had not seen any Antelope and he had been in their whole day. Hmm! Here we have a long hunter that is working hard and walking in, who knows if he was getting into the area of the Lopes. I did not want to just head off down the trail and over the knobs with him there. He then told us he would be hunting back in there once he got some food, new socks and a little rest. Disturbing his hunt was not in my nature!
A very good hunt for Frankie! Grizzly Unit Lope
Finally Mike T., the ranch foreman for Earl Smith is located out in the hay fields on a tractor, see what glassing gets you. Mike says go ahead and hit it hard in the two ranch sections in the Grizzly Unit, I saw a number of bucks earlier in the morning on those sections. The hunts know starts to get pretty exciting for both of us. This hunt was for Frankie and I wanted to make sure he got his Lope. Since I do most of the glassing in the field and Frankie can spot them with the naked eye on the road, I was able to find a buck up on top of a draw along a fence-line at about 1000 yards. Since I could only see the horns of the Lope, I told Frankie he was about to do some hiking to move in on the buck. It was now very hot in the late afternoon, so this hike was a bit laboring!
We are able to close the distance to about 150 yards with little cover at this time. The buck was not a monster or even a big buck, but Frankie said he still wanted to harvest the buck and get one under his belt (youth and the wait). The buck started to move out, but Frankie now had a rest on a fence post on the side of the hill. He made the shot from his Browning BLR 270 loaded with 130gr. Nolser Ballistic Tips. The shot hit the buck in the chest cavity, a bit high in the lung at an angle, I would see later on. The buck staggers and drops, but then all of a sudden he is up and heading out full tilt through the sagebrush and not stopping until he was a more than about 1/2 mile out in the rocks and sage. I forgot to tell Frankie to shot if they move! Now the chase was on for us without actually chasing the buck. Using cover and moving quickly we were able to get within about 275 yards. To my surprise Frankie stands up without any cover or rest and shots offhand at the buck as he starts to run again. The buck drops and never moves a lick after that. I was quite happy that Frankie got a Lope on this hunt and he made the final shot that counted.
Frankie really liked the 270 BLR, now he has to shoot the 257 Weatherby in the future!
I never did see a buck that I would take on the rest of the hunt. The Grizzly Unit is not an easy hunt, as most areas of the Grizzly Unit are walk in area. Now if one can hunt some of the private lands that hold Lopes, it could be a much easier hunt. Would I hunt the Grizzly Unit again, yes I would. Though I want to go back to another haunt with Lopes that is going to take 12 points or better to draw. There is something about hunting the S.E. part of the state, that only one that has hunted it would realize what draws you to it!
The following video was taken during the archery season for Antelope.
The following Video is a pretty good Antelope – Pronghorn buck in the Grizzly Unit. I took the short video while I was bow hunting for mule deer near Clarno, Oregon.
I would love to tell you where this buck was taken, but I promised that I would not give out the exact location. For two (2) years a couple of the fellows in the circle have taken dandy Antelopes from this area in S.E. Oregon. It is a Pronghorn Archery Hunt Unit that takes about 5-7 preference points to get draw. As my biologist that I have known for more years than I can remember told me recently that Oregon has monster Lopes in every unit, “it is just a matter of having the time and patience to find them”.
I myself have hunted a number of units with the arrow and have been fortunate to harvest some big Antelope Bucks! So I know from scouting in almost all of the units that there dandy bucks everywhere.
Pictures from the 2011 Oregon Archery Antelope – Pronghorn Hunt:
A little different profile! Great buck taken by Russ!This is a dandy archery Antelope Buck taken by Russ in 2011This buck was one that got away, but not before Doug took his picture. Definitely a candidate of a buck for Boone & Crockett in 2012!
When a planned trip does not go the way it was expected after 11 years of waiting!
The following story was sent to me by a young man that had drawn a Pronghorn Tag for the Silvies #2 hunt for 2011. I like that way Joshua hunts and his thoughts about his hunt. As you can see from the pictures he is dedicated hunter and from the Blacktail buck pictured in this story, he likes to trophy hunt!
Dear Mr. Biggs,
Thank you for your patience regarding the timely delivery of the story of my Silvies Lope hunt. Unfortunately, it is a disappointing story to due circumstances out of my control but there is always something to be learned every time I go out and with that in mind, no trip has ever been a waste.
First of all, let me say that this was the first antelope tag I have ever drawn in Oregon. I have hunted them one other time in Wyoming, where the herds can be seen spotting every rolling hillside and public and private is virtually the same thing. I did not know what to expect on this hunt which is what caused me to begin researching on the internet and eventually stumble on your website which was the most amazing resource I have come across. Everyone’s story updates are pretty cool too. 🙂 Your website allowed an under-prepared outdoorsman feel like he had done a little bit of scouting. You gave me a point of reference to start from and also, I believe, an edge psychologically to know that I was not wandering around in vain.
The night before opening day, I made the 8 hour drive over to beautiful central Oregon from the towering pines of southern Oregon in an amazing heavenly lightening show as I passed through the vast alfalfa fields. Using the coordinates you gave me I was able to find a campsite quickly, near a waterhole southwest of the well. Pulling in the dark, right away on the other side of the oasis, a small black bear was stalking around. I watched it in the headlights for a while, excitement brewing for the hunt to come.
Calling in the dogs in the snow!
The next morning I headed out before daylight and hiked through some of the canyons that were noted on the map you gave as I tried to get my bearings and a feel for the land. Sure enough, around ten o’clock, I was sitting at the base of a canyon taking a breather as the sun had began to heat up past the 75 degree mark, and I saw a lone buck tearing across the plain about a mile off. I watched him as he passed behind a small ridgeline out of site. I decided I was going to sneak up and over the face of that ridge and hopefully pop up directly above him thinking he might have slowed his pace after reaching the safety of the canyon walls. I started putting the sneak on him down across the plain, crossing a deep creek bed and up and over the ridge. Just as I hoped, I crawled slowly over the ridgeline through the sage and there he was standing broadside not more than 75 yards away!!! Here is the complicated part of the story. As I climbed up the ridge and reached the higher elevation, a ranch house came into view a couple miles off to my left and 100 or so head of cattle a half mile off to my right. As, I stared at the small buck in my scope (but the biggest I’d ever seen) the thoughts and voices of my mentors over the years raced through my mind and even as the Lope began to sense my presence and EVEN COME CLOSER, I couldn’t find the peace to pull the trigger. I knew I’d get another chance with 10 days left and decided I needed to really make sure I knew the public land boundaries. Later that evening I received a telephone call from work stating that I was needed for an emergency and that I had to return by Sunday.
Dandy Blackbear, up close with the leveraction!
In the remaining time I had there, I only saw one other group of females as far as I could tell, as they were too far off even with the spotting scope. I was disappointed that I could not finish the hunt as I felt like things were heating up and I was enjoying the challenge of a new species and a different terrain. That’s how life rolls sometimes I guess and I’m thankful for all the memories I had anyway.
BTW, I saw the biggest Muley I’ve EVER seen just bedded in the shade next to the road, an easy 35in wide with velvet hanging.
I wonder if that is a 30-30 or 32 Win Special?
Thank you so much for your help. I am not one to use a gps but I am definitely reconsidering it as I could have found precise spots that you told me about quickly and accurately. I look forward to trading information in the future. Again, thank you for your wealth of knowledge and your willingness to share it and your patience as I finished out the hunting year. I had a chance to guide a hunt in Chesnimus and finished out the year in Grants Pass where I reside. Here are a few pictures of this year other hunts. JOSH
This picture tells it all about the hunt! Great shot after the kill!
Roger had only got a hold of me this summer about the Steens Antelope Tag he had drawn. I gave Roger some waypoints and I believe even a jpg paper map. I had another fellow hunting the unit, but it is a large area to hunt, so I felt they would not cross paths which they didn’t! So here is Roger’s great story of his hunt, which I have enjoyed to read which all of you will!
Hi Frank,
Thanks so much for the advice provided for my Steens Mountain antelope hunt. Your advice was the difference between success and tag soup for me. As requested here is a short story and photo of my buck. A very small price to pay for the knowledge provided.
After 14 years I was finally able to draw my Oregon Antelope tag. My wife and I decided Steens Mountain would be a great spot to hunt due to the high success rate and legendary scenery. The trip and hunt, although a calamity from start to finish, did end nicely and we were not disappointed!
I reached out to you after discovering my work would allow no scouting before the trip. In addition, I would be traveling to Steens Mountain on opening morning instead of hunting. I was fretting to say the least. I obtained the hunting GPS maps you recommended and even got a new Garmin 62s GPS to use with them. This was an awesome GPS/map combo that did contribute to my success in the end. The waypoints you provided were great starting points for the search and put us square in the middle of good antelope territory.
My wife and I started out from Portland early Saturday morning with a lot of high hopes and anticipation. This bubble was soon burst however by a flat tire while crossing Mount Hood. This little delay cost us our Saturday and we were not able to reach Steens Mountain until Sunday afternoon. On Monday, the 3rd day of the hunt, a time when most hunters were finishing up, we found ourselves just getting started, with the antelope scattered and wary. It was Wednesday before things started to settle down and we were able to spot a few small herds, though some were now missing the buck.
Thursday morning things were looking up, we had a couple of herds to setup on and again anticipation was high. But again a problem… First thing in the morning, we had an axle issue that forced us to miss the whole days hunt and travel to Burns for repairs!
Friday morning, we were back on the road but a whole week of hunting was fast disappearing. And I had not yet put my sights on a buck. I was starting to dread becoming a member of the “20 Percent Club”, that unfortunate group of Steens Mountain antelope hunters who fail to fill their tag. We tried some road hunting, to cover more ground and find a herd. We were finding them, but once these already fuzzed up antelope saw a truck, approaching them was all but impossible. We tried all the road tricks, like slowing down just enough to drop the hunter out the passenger door and then driving on, but no good, these antelope had seen it all.
Latter Friday morning, we spotted a herd of antelope from some distance, before they were able to spot us. This allowed for a spot and stalk. I was able to work my way to within 489 yards of the herd but could go no further as there was nothing but wide open space between the herd and me. So, I settled in between some small juniper scrubs and started eyeing the buck. He was BIG. After a few days of looking at bucks, once you see a good one, you know it. I was excited to say the least. I got a good shooting position with rifle and bipod and started to contemplate the risks/rewards and even sanity of a 489 yard shot. No wind… I had practiced at 400 yards and felt somewhat competent at that range, but 489 was another story. About then I noticed the herd was actually feeding toward me and a bit to my left. This was my best chance of the week. Now all I had to do was wait them out! But again it was not to be. The herd became very nervous and they were all looking in the direction of a road that I could not see, about 500 yards to my left. They then bolted, crossed under a fence on their side of the field and disappeared. I suspected another hunter had been stalking the same herd and spooked them. I picked up my gear and had started the hike back to the truck, when I heard it… Bang Clang Clang Bang Bang Bang Clang. The herd had been spooked by a rancher with a rattling horse trailer traveling up the road. The only other vehicle I saw the whole day! Such are the challenges of public land hunting I guess.
This is where the GPS/map combo came in handy. While back at the truck, we could see where the antelope had traveled almost full circle and were now visible on a far off rise. The rancher approached our truck on horseback. I explained what had happened and apologies were given and they explained they were in the area to round up some cattle they had grazing the BLM land. I replied, no worries, as the antelope could have just as well spooked my way, which would have been a very good thing. I discussed some property boundaries with the rancher, as the herd had seemed to go under the fence onto private land. I knew this because of the GPS maps. The rancher confirmed that the fence was the boundary between their land and BLM land. The rancher seemed somewhat relieved that I asked about and understood the property boundaries.
The rancher decided to help me get within range of the antelope again. With me hidden between the horses, the rancher attempted to approach the antelope on horseback. The antelope obviously knew this trick too and bolted to places unknown for the day. I spent the rest of the day finding a spot to setup that would allow a good shot, if the antelope returned the next day.
On Saturday morning, last day of my hunt, I walked to the setup spot with just enough light as to not require a headlamp, sat down beside a three foot juniper that was on a small rise overlooking the open field. This gave me a perfect 300 yard shot to where the antelope had crossed under the fence the previous day and also allowed me to cover the opposite side, if they showed up there as well. At 7:30am I saw a buck feeding down the BLM side of the fence line. The buck slowly grazed to about where the antelope had crossed under the fence yesterday. Unfortunately, he was not the same buck from the day before. He was smaller. I watched this buck for about 10 minutes, hoping that the rest of the herd might not be far behind, but no others showed. This buck seemed to be alone. Now I had a decision. Should I take this buck or wait for one that may never show? It was 7:30am, my last day, and some scattered clouds arrived that were beating back the sun. I knew that with the early morning air and clouds, I would be able to get the meat out in good shape. So, I took the buck with one shot from 280 yards with my 25-06. The buck was only 20 yards on the BLM side of the fence. I now have some good meat and stories for elk camp this year!
This is where the GPS/map combo really shined for me. In years past, I would not have hunted an area with such close public/private land boundaries. But the maps allowed me to hunt with confidence and I got my antelope, which I may not have gotten otherwise. I hope to hunt the Beulah unit next year. I know an area where some big mule deer hang out and it too is a patchwork of BLM and private land. I cannot wait…
