I know they shed in late fall or early winter and most of the growth is done in the spring. But I have been scouting on Memorial Day weekend and today. I have found good bucks with a bunch in the 60-70" range. Maybe 1 or 2 a touch over 70". My question is, how much growth will they put on from now until August first? There is not a lot of water where I am hunting. I can't imagine more then an inch or 2 max but I have no clue. Thanks
Antelope growth?
- Thread starter velvetfvr
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Againstthewind
Very Active Member
http://azantelope.org/Facts___Research/Horn_Growth_Study/horn_growth_study.html
I didn't find much about how much they will grow from now to hunting. The other articles said stuff about testosterone and it being triggered by daylight hours, but didn't really say much about how much they would grow other than they would continue to grow as long as the nutrients were available and the hormones were being released to grow them. Just guessing, but with the rut and hormone changes with that, that might be when the growth slows or stops, but its hard to say how much they will grow.
I didn't find much about how much they will grow from now to hunting. The other articles said stuff about testosterone and it being triggered by daylight hours, but didn't really say much about how much they would grow other than they would continue to grow as long as the nutrients were available and the hormones were being released to grow them. Just guessing, but with the rut and hormone changes with that, that might be when the growth slows or stops, but its hard to say how much they will grow.
I was told from a very experienced hunter that they do grow up until the rut.
Topgun 30-06
Banned
Your "very experienced hunter" is incorrect! Pronghorns only have about 4-6 weeks left for horn growth, so what you see now will not have too much added to it for length before the end of July. They drop their outer sheaths very early and most will only show the inner skull bone by sometime in December and they start growing the outer sheath not too long after that. Most areas in Wyoming are looking real good right now due to winter and spring moisture from what all the residents are saying and many good bucks are being seen. Some feel this will be the best hunting season to kill a really good buck in the last 7 or 8 years. It sounds like what the OP is calling good bucks have at least another year before I would call them good, since a buck in the 60s to 70" is nothing more than average.
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Musket Man
Veteran member
Topgun 30-06
Banned
I really doubt there is much difference and IMHO the moisture variations affecting their feed would be the deciding factor along with genetics in the areas. My guess is that the horn growth in NV either is from poor moisture and/or a lot of young bucks that have a year or two to go to reach their potential. The good thing is that he's seeing a lot of bucks, so with the right conditions over the next year or two some of them should be dandies.
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Musket Man
Veteran member
One antelope in my unit will be as close to his potential this year as he is going to get because he is not going to get another chance next year! lol
Topgun 30-06
Banned
Bucks here will start rutting in August. Usually when I am archery hunting the first of August they are chasing does around. So 4-6 weeks sounds about right then to the rut and growth
I found a buck that if he adds a little more mass could be in the 75-80" range. Right now I think he is at 75" so if he can a little bit here and there he can be a good buck
HiMtnHnter
Active Member
Antelope have very little growth left. Any growth that occurs between now and hunting season would be negligable to the observer. In other words, if you are eying a buck that is not quite big enough, he won't be quite big enough during season either. Summer is a good time to scout bucks for size because they are nearly grown out.
This is an interesting topic, and as a taxidermist I have tried to put this all together as well. I think for the most part. The main growth is all but done by now and the additional growth will be very minimal and for sure only occur at the base of the horn. However, I personally think given the right conditions, the horn will continue to grow "very slightly" until the rut.
That being said, this is what I've noticed. We know that their horns are made of hair and fingernail type material. We also know that they shed the sheath every year and start growing a new one immediately. I have noticed that bucks killed in August up until about Sept 10th or so, still have a lot of long hair at the base of the horn that is actually part of the horn and comes off with the sheath (on normal moisture years), indicating that the horn growth is just finishing up. Bucks killed at the end of September have little hair attached to the sheath at the base, and there is a slight ring indicating that the sheath is drying up and preparing to separate from the horn underneath (in my opinion). Bucks killed from the 10th of October to the end of October are starting to show signs of a loose horn sheath. Most bucks will drop the sheath by November 15th, some as early as the last part of October. I have removed horn sheaths from bucks killed as early as October 9th, and the typically hairy meat matter under the sheath actually has about 1" of new horn growing at the tip. in my opinion this buck would have shed his sheaths prior to the end of October. I have notice that almost all bucks killed after the 20th of October, have about 1" of new hard horn cap growing underneath the existing sheath.
Bottom line is this. In my opinion, a buck has the potential to keep growing horn up until the rut starts if the conditions are right. However, the growth from July on will be very minimal. Also, I think that a bucks horn is actually starting to dry up and shrink by mid October, as it prepares to come off.
sorry for the small book I just wrote.....
That being said, this is what I've noticed. We know that their horns are made of hair and fingernail type material. We also know that they shed the sheath every year and start growing a new one immediately. I have noticed that bucks killed in August up until about Sept 10th or so, still have a lot of long hair at the base of the horn that is actually part of the horn and comes off with the sheath (on normal moisture years), indicating that the horn growth is just finishing up. Bucks killed at the end of September have little hair attached to the sheath at the base, and there is a slight ring indicating that the sheath is drying up and preparing to separate from the horn underneath (in my opinion). Bucks killed from the 10th of October to the end of October are starting to show signs of a loose horn sheath. Most bucks will drop the sheath by November 15th, some as early as the last part of October. I have removed horn sheaths from bucks killed as early as October 9th, and the typically hairy meat matter under the sheath actually has about 1" of new horn growing at the tip. in my opinion this buck would have shed his sheaths prior to the end of October. I have notice that almost all bucks killed after the 20th of October, have about 1" of new hard horn cap growing underneath the existing sheath.
Bottom line is this. In my opinion, a buck has the potential to keep growing horn up until the rut starts if the conditions are right. However, the growth from July on will be very minimal. Also, I think that a bucks horn is actually starting to dry up and shrink by mid October, as it prepares to come off.
sorry for the small book I just wrote.....
