Ralph and Vicky Cianciarulo just documented, on Facebook, one of the most unusual stalking techniques in open spaces. Since horses are common on Western landscapes and open pastures, most big game animals don’t pay much attention to them, and, to our knowledge, most can’t count how many legs an animal has. Ralph and Vickie have been friends on Facebook and Instagram for a decade, and I’ll share some of their success images.
Black Box Angus
Antelope are the easiest to fool with this method for several reasons. First, they live in wide-open spaces where they can be seen for a mile or more. This allows hunters to learn where particular animals hang out and plan their stalks strategically. Since pickup and horse trailers are often seen on the open prairie and working ranches, antelope in archery season won’t run at their first sighting. A friend in Colorado hunts antelope on a large ranch that grazes Angus cattle, and he has had good luck using a large black cardboard box cut as a cow silhouette. Like horse-stalking, he walks behind the decoy until he gets within shooting range. This works best with one person handling the mobile blind while the other shoots as the cover moves away.
Trojan Pronghorn
Jay Leichty is the inventive mind behind Grim Reaper Broadheads. We hunted antelope together in Montana, where he spent the night before opening day in a garage creating his version of a “Trojan cow”. After working all night, he created a decoy with two people inside and ports on each side for shooting through. On the second day, we put the mobile blind to work with mixed success. Antelope didn’t seem afraid of the large creation, yet they were spooky if we moved directly toward them. Success came with patience and a meandering approach.
Wyoming Mobile Stalk
On large Wyoming ranches, workers often drive through herds of antelope so much so that they become accustomed to pickup trucks and are only modestly afraid. Outfitters have learned to exploit this weakness by using a novel approach. If a vehicle stops in the bow range of an antelope, the antelope often moves away or runs; however, as long as the vehicle keeps moving, it will stand and watch. The plan is for the archer to hang on the far side of the vehicle, drop off as it slows down, and for the truck to keep moving. Often the hunter can get a quick shot before the antelope recognize the danger. An outfitter told me about a client who used this technique with unexpected results. “I told this fellow the plan and was almost in range of a small herd moving about 15 miles per hour when I saw the hunter slide off the back. When he hit the ground, he tumbled at least three times, and all I could see was boots and bowstrings. That’s not quite how it’s supposed to work.”
Great First Western Hunt
Antelope are among the easiest tags to draw in the West, and because they live on the open plain, you are almost guaranteed to see game. Many outfitters offer guided hunts at modest prices, which make a pronghorn bowhunt the perfect way to introduce you and your buddies to hunting out West. Ralph and Vickie are the driving force behind the “Archers Choice” TV show and now regularly include their grown children. You can find their adventures on YouTube and other channels. To get started, click here.
