Pronghorn harvest

[Peakbagger46]

Quick follow up on the antelope hunt with my 11yo daughter. We made the 3hr drive Saturday up to our hunting spot north of Craig, CO. Antelope were everywhere! My kid had spent time practicing on her antelope call and was able to get responses from a couple bucks and was able to get bucks and does to stop.

I ended up taking a nice dry doe with a 120y frontal shot (32# of good meat in the freezer). The daughter had a great time and can't wait to shoot her own animal soon.

 

[horsey300]

Congratulations!

I'm glad you had such success!!! And I'm glad your daughter got to participate and had such a positive response as well!

 

[Art Eatman]

Sounds like a Really Good Day!

 

[LoonWulf]

Congratulations! Its great your daughter could go and have a good time as well. How do you cook pronghorn? Always been kinda curious.

 

[horsey300]

Well, personally, I season it till I can't taste it, pickle juice, garlic and onions, grandpa always had it made into sausage (and worth it). I don't hunt them as a delicacy that's for sure. I'M not sure if it's the local graze or just a taste I can't get used to, they're tender enough definitely lean, but I've only grilled a speed goat steak without seasonings 2x and each time I chased it around the plate with a healthy load of BBQ sauce lol. I know some folks like a plain roast and applaud them for it.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Antelope or "Prairie Goats" do not have a bad taste anymore than any other animal. They do have 5 scent glands in their rumps. Novice hunters get the oil scent on their hands and contaminate the meat. Great care must be taken using rubber gloves and washing the carcass with soapy water. In Wyoming there are more Antelope than people. We know about the goat.

 

[Peakbagger46]

I followed advise from a buddy and skinned and quartered it quickly, then put it on ice right after. The meat smells great, much, much better than low country mule deer. Plan to cook some steak tomorrow after a good marinade.

 

[shootniron]

Good job!

 

[Patocazador]

I was told by a Wyoming resident that shooting them before the rut was the key to good tasting meat. Does usually taste better than rutting bucks according to him.

I had them made into summer sausage. It tasted fine.

 

[Gtscotty]

I kind of think where they graze may make a difference, I shot a couple a few years ago on what was basically grassy pasture land, and they were quite good, kind of beefy. Antelope do have a somewhat unique smell that I can detect to some extent in the meat, but it's not a bad smell, just a little sagey or something.The one I got this past Sunday was in an area with more sage, but still mostly grass, also good. I'm originally from the south, where you have to get your deer iced pronto during most of the season, sometimes I wonder if some folks around here don't like antelope because antelope season is usually warmer than most other seasons and they aren't taking care of their meat as quickly as perhaps they should....

Congrats on your daughter's kill!

 

[horsey300]

I kind of think where they graze may make a difference, I shot a couple a few years ago on what was basically grassy pasture land, and they were quite good, kind of beefy. Antelope do have a somewhat unique smell that I can detect to some extent in the meat, but it's not a bad smell, just a little sagey or something.The one I got this past Sunday was in an area with more sage, but still mostly grass, also good. I'm originally from the south, where you have to get your deer iced pronto during most of the season, sometimes I wonder if some folks around here don't like antelope because antelope season is usually warmer than most other seasons and they aren't taking care of their meat as quickly as perhaps they should....

Congrats on your daughter's kill!

On the sage note, having had great success with it in the past on other game and even store bought birds and no short supply of sagebrush around here, I would like to attempt a sage wrapped and sage/maple smoked lope loin.

 

[LoonWulf]

Sounds kinda like our local goats. Ive had good luck brining them for a few days on ice to kill some of the taste. Sausage is now my new favorite tho...specially since my buddy seems to like making them.

 

[Paul7]

Antelope or "Prairie Goats" do not have a bad taste anymore than any other animal. They do have 5 scent glands in their rumps. Novice hunters get the oil scent on their hands and contaminate the meat. Great care must be taken using rubber gloves and washing the carcass with soapy water. In Wyoming there are more Antelope than people. We know about the goat.

That, and IMHO some don't properly care for them, i.e. get the hide off and the carcass cooled ASAP. I think antelope is as good as elk.

 

[Peakbagger46]

The Meat care paid off!

Just cooked up some steaks, they were wonderful! Having eaten desert mulies, I don't see how a pronghorn shot in sage country could taste so good, but it does! Wife and kids liked it too.

Definitely going to do this hunt again.

 

[Bush Pilot]

That, and IMHO some don't properly care for them, i.e. get the hide off and the carcass cooled ASAP. I think antelope is as good as elk.

Antelope as good as elk? What have you been smoking? LOL