Pronghorn antelope season is just a month away, and these sharp-eyed speedsters are already challenging hunters across the western plains. Unlike hunting mule deer or elk, pronghorn hunting often calls for a high-visibility approach — dominant bucks are intensely territorial during the rut, and understanding how to use that instinct against them is the key to tagging a trophy this season. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Understand the Rut Mentality
During the rut, mature bucks aggressively guard their harems from perceived challengers. This territorial instinct is your biggest advantage as a caller — a buck that hears a rival’s challenge often can’t help but investigate, even in wide-open terrain where he’d normally stay cautious.
2. Pair Calling with a Decoy
Because pronghorn rely so heavily on sight in open country, sound alone often isn’t enough to close the deal. Pairing a realistic decoy with your calling gives a suspicious buck a visual target to focus his aggression on, making him far more likely to commit and close the distance.
3. Master the Challenge Wheeze
The challenge wheeze — a sharp, high-pitched call mimicking a rival buck — is one of the most effective sounds you can make during the rut. It signals a direct territorial threat, which is often enough to pull a stubborn buck out of the flats and into range.
4. Know When to Snort and Chuckle
Beyond the wheeze, bucks also respond to snorts and chuckles — sounds tied to close-range dominance displays. Switching between these calls at the right moments can mimic a real, escalating confrontation, which is often what finally convinces a wary buck to close in.
5. Practice Before the Season Opens
Realistic calling takes practice. The sounds need to carry clearly over open, windy terrain and hold up against a mature buck’s finely tuned ear — don’t wait until you’re sitting in the sagebrush to figure out your calls.
The Right Call Makes the Difference
A lot of this comes down to having a call capable of producing these sounds with real accuracy. The Dominator Call® is field-tested and proven by Eastmans’ Hunting Journal, and it’s featured extensively in Mike Eastman’s guide Hunting Trophy Antelope — Chapter 17 is devoted entirely to vocalizations using this call. It’s built to cut through prairie wind with true-to-life realism, and its simple bite-and-blow design makes it easy to switch between rapid wheezes and deep, aggressive snorts and chuckles in the field.
Head over to Hancockoutdoors.com to grab your Dominator Call® and start practicing before opening day arrives.