Pronghorn Antelope Hunting: Tips & Gear List
PRONGHORN ANTELOPE HUNTING IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM MOST HUNTS OUT WEST.
Antelope hunts rarely turn into multi-day backpacking expeditions. Days normally start and end up at the vehicle and camped near a road. This gives you the flexibility to plan for daily outings and the ability to adjust your gear accordingly for the conditions. It gives you a unique opportunity to take only what you need and nothing else.
For example, if the forecast is looking clear, leave your rain gear at the vehicle. If the temperatures are mild, you can probably leave the insulation in the truck. Staying light and nimble on your feet with only the gear you need will put you more than steps ahead on a multi-day hunt.
Selecting your camo pattern depends on the terrain and the season. For most desert applications, with open terrain lacking cover, Valo is the top choice. For early-season archery hunting from a blind, dark-colored solids are ideal to minimize detection. If you’re spot-and-stalk hunting pronghorn during the early green season, Verde is a top choice. For rocky plateau terrain, or tall-standing sage, Vias is a proven choice.
The Gila line-up is purpose built for hot-weather hunting with long hours of sun exposure. Featuring UPF 50+ sun protection and Cool-Touch Fabric Technology, Gila tops are highly breathable, quick drying, and odor resistant to keep you protected and comfortable. They’re available in all our camo patterns, solids, and now black for hunting in a blind.
If your personal preference is merino wool, the Ultra Merino 120 LT is the lightest and coolest merino wool base layers made, yet still offers UPF 50+ sun protection. Merino is naturally thermoregulating, so it’s a fantastic choice for hunts with variable weather conditions.
The best pronghorn antelope hunting pants are the Tiburon and KUIU Kutana Stretch Woven. The Tiburon has better breathability, whereas the KUIU Kutana has better pick resistance for dealing with sharp rock, brush, and cactus. If you need knee protection for spot-and-stalk hunting, the PRO Pant features built in knee pads, making it another top choice.
Cactus is often encountered so a good pair of leather palmed gloves, like the Attack Glove, and plastic or leather kneecaps can be a good idea.
For late-season pronghorn antelope hunting, layering in a Kenai Jacket, Guide DCS Jacket, and Zip-Off Bottoms will help sustain the colder temperatures.
Seems logical, but many hunts have been ruined or cut short due to lack of water. Being able to pack as much as you will need throughout the heat of the day is the key to hunting from daylight to dark. It’s not uncommon to go through an excess of 100 ounces of water on a hot day.
The Platypus Hoser holds 3 liters / 100 ounces of water, and stows in all our packs.
Antelope can be taken any time of the day which means you need a small nimble pack that can expand large enough to get the meat, head, and cape out quickly when successful. Our smaller packs like the PRO 2300 & 3600 and PRO LT 4000 are built for this exact task.
Each pack features a load sling mode that expands an extra 2500 cubic inches between the frame and the bag, which is plenty of room for a quartered antelope.
The amount of time it takes you to get your antelope skinned, quartered, in game bags, and cooled off is the determining factor on the quality of table fare. Even if you harvest near a road, and hauling it out on your back isn’t required, it’s still a good idea to skin, quarter, and get cooled within the hour of harvest.
Keep coolers full of ice blocks, with the water drained, ready for the meat. A 70-quart or larger cooler is an ideal size for a quartered-out pronghorn and ample amounts of ice. Don’t bury the meat in the ice, place the ice on the bottom and layer branches or a thin wood plank between the meat and the ice.
TOP APPAREL AND GEAR CHOICES FOR PRONGHORN ANTELOPE HUNTING
Warm Weather Top Options
Gila LS Hoodie – Available in camo, solids, and black for ground blind hunting
ULTRA Merino 120 LT LS Hoodie – Naturally odor-resistant and thermoregulating
Hunting Pant Options
Tiburon Pant – Highly breathable
Kutana Stretch Woven Pant – Light and durable
PRO Pant – Highly durable with added knee protection
Jackets and Rain Gear:
Guide DCS Jacket – Durable and weather resistant
Kenai Hooded Jacket – Packable Insulation
Chugach TR Rain Jacket & Chugach TR Pant – Light and packable
Accessories:
Scree Gaiter
Hunting Equipment:
Game Bags:
2 Medium Quarter Game Bags
2 Small KUIU Boned-Out Game Bags
