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Discussion Starter · #1 · (Edited)
I drew a cache/Rich buck pronghorn tag at the expo this year. I have never hunted pronghorn. I am planing a scouting trip in about two weeks. I want to take my 4 year old with me. She loves to go scouting and seeing animal when I have gone in the past. I would really like to be able to show here some pronghorn.

Is there any area's that you cant go wrong in finding them, even if it is private property?

I don't want to get skunked scouting with here tagging along.

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks
 

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anywhere around Randolph will get you into goats. You will only need to make it back into the state from Wyoming to start seeing them.
 

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I've hunted this unit for a lot of years. In fact, the Antelope in my picture is from that unit. I feel like the hunting has gotten harder over the past few years, but you should have no problem finding bucks. Head up towards otter creek area. You can usually find some around there. PM me if you would like any specific areas.
 

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Like Sid said, the hunting has got harder. They are still there, just more spread out from what they had been a few years ago, don't be afraid to look a little higher, in more unconventional areas. I was finding goats in timber at over 8000' last year. They won't be that high right now, but by fall you may find them any where.

All good info on where to go in the previous posts.
 

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Depending on if I draw this year or not I will spill the beans on a large herd of close to 100 animals that I doubt anyone has ever taken 1 animal out of since they don't exactly inhabit pronghorn habitat. I myself was shocked to discover so many speed goats in such a thick area with pine trees abound. First time I figured it was a fluke and they were just moving through, but year after year they just keep increasing in numbers.
 

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Depending on if I draw this year or not I will spill the beans on a large herd of close to 100 animals that I doubt anyone has ever taken 1 animal out of since they don't exactly inhabit pronghorn habitat. I myself was shocked to discover so many speed goats in such a thick area with pine trees abound. First time I figured it was a fluke and they were just moving through, but year after year they just keep increasing in numbers.
They have been doing this in several places across the West, for several years now. Another notable example of this is Island Park ID.

They are showing up more and more in Cache, Weber, and Morgan county as well. I watched several in a mixed herd of migrating elk and deer last spring. Haven't seen that since the early 1990s..........
 

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Had the doe tag up there a couple of years ago. Was a super fun hunt. I think we saw more buck than does to be honest with you. You shouldn't have issues finding animals. That is a fun area and should be a fun hunt. We spent most of our time driving back roads west of Randolph lots of roads just have your eyes peeled.
 

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Depending on if I draw this year or not I will spill the beans on a large herd of close to 100 animals that I doubt anyone has ever taken 1 animal out of since they don't exactly inhabit pronghorn habitat. I myself was shocked to discover so many speed goats in such a thick area with pine trees abound. First time I figured it was a fluke and they were just moving through, but year after year they just keep increasing in numbers.
hence why there ended up a speed goat at hardware ranch...
 

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I had a doe tag this last fall for that area. Never had a shot, and saw very few animals, a total of 6. Though if I'd had a buck permit, I would have had that shot. They are where you find them, obviously, but I won't hunt that again until something changes. I even had a guy from Randolph take me out to all the places he'd seen them in the past, and we saw one small buck. He was amazed at what we didn't see. Too many tags given out over the last few years have thinned the herd overall to well below carrying capacity. But, I guess that's what the farmers and ranchers up there want. This guy who says he knows where a good herd of 100 is, see if you can talk him into telling you or showing you where. If not, you'll be very hard pressed to get one. Not saying you won't, just that you'll have to spend a lot of time. Maybe more than one of those little critters is worth. But if you are successful in finding a trophy (over 12" from base to tip measuring from the side and not over the pan) then I guess it'll be worth it to you. I'd be interested in knowing how you do.
 

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I think dunn Gary is exactly right I have hunted that area for over 30 years and there is a huge decrease in numbers due to way too many doe tags and land owner permits this area has gone from one of the best ones to close to the worst in just a few years you may find some but the unit is way down from what is was I know quite a few that had tag soup even for a doe last year good luck.
 

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hence why there ended up a speed goat at hardware ranch...
There is a lone doe antelope that has been running with a herd of deer down near where Rock Creek crosses the highway West of the lower Hardware meadow this winter. Have seen them a few times. We have seen them together out in the meadow on the South side of the road as well as up Rock Creek a ways. Pretty strange! :)
 

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Back in 2008 when I drew the tag the Cache/Rich county line was the western boundary for the hunt. Too bad, there was a helluva buck that used to hang out in the Hells Hollow area on the Cache side that was just off limits. The antelope around Randolph are fairly visible and as a result most of the bigger bucks get targeted. Like others, I have an inkling that some of the best bucks on the unit are going to be found at higher elevations in nontraditional hang outs.
 

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The numbers may have dropped some, but mostly its dispersal. You use to find them all bunched up down around the ag stuff, near Randolph and Woodruff, but they started to disperse all over the place. Mountain goats did this in 2008 all over the West, as have antelope. Antelope did this in the early '90s as well. We saw all the same things in the '90s, mass diffusion, and antelope running around with deer and elk.
 

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There is a lone doe antelope that has been running with a herd of deer down near where Rock Creek crosses the highway West of the lower Hardware meadow this winter. Have seen them a few times. We have seen them together out in the meadow on the South side of the road as well as up Rock Creek a ways. Pretty strange! :)
I watched deer, elk, and moose frequent that section of road last spring. There is a large accumulation of magnesium chloride on the side of the road there, that they utilize. Its one of the only places I've seen elk utilize a magnesium lick, which is also strange.
 

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Discussion Starter · #20 ·
Photos

Here is some pictures of a buck I saw last weekend. I am a little disappointed I have only see 4 bucks and only able to get pictures of this one. He had 5 does with him. The others where by them self's. Sorry the pictures are blurry bit is the best I got.
 

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