Arizona pronghorn rut/archery

[Oldboar2]

Good day!
 

Being more familiar with the pronghorn “rut” in Montana or Wyoming.  It always seemed to be around mid to late September…

With my archery season starting August 21 through September 3 can I expect any kind of success utilizing a decoy here in Arizona etc.?

Who has used a doe vs buck decoy....which is more effective?  I assume I’ll catch pre-rut activity.

Just trying to get a feel what I could expect?

[knothead]

From my experience, the AZ rut timing is very similar to Wyoming (never been to Montana).  They are rutting hard at end of September into early October.  I've heard of archers having mixed results with decoys.  I tried using them a few times in August and did not have any luck.  What unit did you draw?  Good Luck

[jdown]

We have found very buck specific and situational. Definitely not an automatic but feels like a good tool for the tool box. 3 years ago in 10 it worked on 3 bucks, although we ended up killing behind a moo cow and last year it did not work on any that I can recall and killed on a spot in stalk in 5.  Fun hunts with lots of opportunity for trial and error after error after error.     

[wildwoody]

They'll be getting it during the archery hunt..

[HuntHarder]

On all 3 of my Arizona archery antelope hunts, they were rut crazed end of August.  Decoying will obviously have mixed results depending on the different scenarios you are faced with.  Big buck fending off satellites has been my only scenario where I will attempt to decoy.  On your hunt, the # of Antelope is far fewer than most units, so I would not expect Decoying to be your primary option.  Slow walk the pines in from the meadows and hope you find them bedded.  

[HuntHarder]

Oh yeah and buy a deer tag because you will probably see far more deer than you will antelope.

[Oldboar2]

I drew unit 6B, I actually thought that maybe with the lower population the Dominant buck might be very aggressive as there isn’t as many other bucks to fend off from the does if I was to use a buck decoy…or a doe...I will play with it and let you know the results.

I enjoy building stuff...so gonna build one of each, doe and buck…And bring them along.  

If nothing else to pass the time, If nothing else is working. 🙂 🙂Thanks for all the info very much appreciated!!!

[wildwoody]

Build yourself a pvc bush you can get inside of, walk it around and shot out of. They work great

[bigbuckfever]

I have had a couple of antelope come to me by waving a paper napkin.  One time I spotted a smaller buck with a doe approx 500 yds across a wide open field.  They were just inside the shrub line and I was walking to them without a stick to hide behind.  I just waved the Taco Bell napkin over my head and was able to walk up to about 70 yds to them as they watched me.  They are very curious.  When I crouched behind a small shrub I put the napkin on an arrow and waved it above the bush.  The doe started coming closer and the buck followed.  I didn't quite get the shot that time , but it was close.  

Another time I spotted a herd with about twenty does and a real nice buck bedded.  I was able to sneak up to about 100 yds from them and hunker down behind some small shrubs.  I put the napkin on my arrow and started waving it.  He got up and started coming to check it out.  Just before he got within range, the lead doe got up and ran away.  He spotted her and went after her.  He brought her back to the herd and then started to come my way again.  That b*tch took off again just before I could draw.  He went after her again and this time I crawled up to the bush he had been by.  I started drawing him in a third time and this time the whole herd took off.  He saw them running, looked my way, and decided to follow the herd.  That matriarch saved his bacon that day.

The napkin trick doesn't always work, but if the buck hasn't seen that trick yet, you might get a chance.  Best of luck on the tag.

[Oldboar2]

Wild woody… I was actually thinking about doing something similar that with the backside of the antelope decoy making it a bush so I could spinet around and sneak behind it as camouflage… That sounds great I’m going to have fun building more stuff LOL 🙂

[wildwoody]

Saw a girl in one on a hunt, she killed.

[Oldboar2]

That’s crazzzy cool!

[G_E_E]

On 6/27/2020 at 5:44 PM, wildwoody said:

Build yourself a pvc bush you can get inside of, walk it around and shot out of. They work great

Can you elaborate a little more?  Like a 360 enclosure?  I too am considering what decoys to use during my hunt in August.

[yotebuster]

The antelope rut is about a month earlier in AZ then it is in WY and MT. Antelope in AZ fawn in April and early May while antelope in the northern climates fawn in late late May through June. 

[bigorange]

Decoys seemed to work somewhat during my August hunt in 19a. I had a couple of shot opportunities behind a decoy, but also had some bucks go the other direction. After I’d tagged out on water another hunter was sitting the same waterhole and wore his “be the decoy” hat and walked through cattle and other antelope to get a 50 yd shot on his buck. And the rut action was definitely going...saw several bucks rutting with does and fighting other bucks.