Antelope....grrrrrrrrrr

[grubbie]

Finally got some antelope hunters this year!!!! Took out 22 of those fence-wreckin pasture-eatin sagebrush-smellin twin-havin range-maggots. 22 down, 378 to go!

 

[dun]

It's not good to hold things in. Go ahead and tell us how you really feel about them!

 

[cfpinz]

Look like overgrown goats to me, never seen one up close. Do they just run into the fences wide open or do they try and slink thru them?

 

[snichols264]

Grubbie, I can get you more guns up there if you need it!! First time I went to Montana a few years ago to "goat" hunt, we saw groups of them everywhere just standing around. We thought we would be tagged out within a day and spend the rest of the time sight seeing. Boy were we in for a rude surprise! That next morning as soon as the first shot rang out, every antelope in Montana started running and didn't stop for the week we tryed to keep up with them. We both had blisters for weeks after that trip.

 

[grubbie]

They actually try to go under the fences. The wire gets stretched, then stretched some more, until they are up to the next wire, which gets stretched, etc. But many times they will panic and hit the fence at 50 mph and just destroy it. I have tried different things, like leaving the bottom wire high on their main crossings, all kinds of things. Just can't find a way to allow them to cross without losing calves through it.As far as hunting goes, I had four guys from MO here last year, planned on a four day hunt. They wanted to start hunting at 7 AM. I asked them what they were gonna do for the other 3 and a half days, they didnt believe me. After lunch they went to town and got more tags cause they had filled already. I have never charged a fee, but i might start. Had some guys here from VA this year. Left the carcasses in front of corrals, all around main working areas, hunted about 40 rabbits just for fun and through them in a big pile in a corral. Couldnt believe it. I told them just to throw all the carcasses in a pile out in the sagebrush somewhere. Cant wait till they call next year to come back.

 

[cfpinz]

Please don't think everyone from VA is that way. It only takes on bad apple to ruin the bushel.

 

[snichols264]

Ah, come on Grubbie, which would you rather do, drag off a carcass or two or fix a bunch of fence :lol2:

 

[L.A.]

I've always had the best results keeping my bottom wire high on all my fences. Calves sneek across, but usually find their way back as hunger sets in. They never go far.
I've also lost some top wire to the antelope who think they are deer.
Remember: "Antelope go under, Deer go over, Elk go THRU!!!
I havn't had any problems since a ranchett sub-division began about 5 miles away. They feed em and I don't get many hanging around any more.
I like antelope meat and was all I hunted here. The ones eating wheat don't taste right and ain't fit for anthing but jerky.
Also have had the G&F tell me they only eat browse and never eat wheat. I guess they never opened one up that anywhere around a wheat field,,all green seed!!! ;-) ;-)
L.A.

 

[grubbie]

Yeah keeping the bottom wire does help, and yes, calves always find their way back. But they still stretch and/or break a lot of wires. And it still doesnt make me very happy to see a herd of a couple hundred mowing down the pasture. We also have a bunch of those "ranchettes" around us.....ALL around us. So we have some of the best places for those animals to go. Anyway, just venting. Im thankful I don't have to deal with Elk very often. Once every few years we may have a couple wander through.

 

[Jogeephus]

Grubbie, it sounds like you have a problem. Don't know if I mentioned it or not but my daughter - in addition to egg business - has a pest control business as well. She don't come cheap but she is quite efficient. Here is a picture I took of her this weekend with her toy. ;-)

 

[TexasBred]

hehehehehe.....I love it. :!: