{"id":113695,"date":"2019-08-05T19:20:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T23:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=113695"},"modified":"2024-08-03T19:56:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T00:56:19","slug":"hunt365-water-source-inspection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-water-source-inspection\/","title":{"rendered":"Archery Antelope – Part II – Water Source Inspection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Read Part I – HERE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eyes Up!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t get tunnel vision. I used to do this \u2026 a lot. I\u2019d jump\non the two-track heading to one of my pre-chosen water sources and bury my foot\nin the gas. This is a mistake. Take your time. You can learn a lot about your\nwater source before you even get there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop often and glass. Have your binos on your chest and a\ngood spotting scope ready on a window mount. If you take the time to look,\nthere is a good chance you\u2019ll see live goats while driving to your water\nsource. This is a great sign and will fill you with confidence. When glassing,\nkeep the time of day in mind. If it\u2019s a scorcher and the sun is high overhead,\nknow that most goats will be bedded. Be sure to take your time and pick the\ncountry apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Archery
Scrapes are a tell-tale sign that bucks are in the area. Bucks will paw out a scrape and then urinate and defecate in the disturbed ground.  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Watch the road! No, not for other vehicles but for tracks\nand scrapes. Yes, pronghorn scrape much like a whitetail. The major difference\nis pronghorn will urinate and defecate in their scrape. If the two-track you\u2019re\ndriving on has fresh scrapes, you know bucks are in the area and are likely\nusing the water source you\u2019re heading to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop and glass your tank or pond the second you can see it.\nNo, driving up on a watering goat isn\u2019t a big deal \u2014 ranchers do it all the\ntime. Stopping and glassing water, though, gives you the chance of actually\ncatching a goat in the act of slurping water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Archery
Pronghorn love ponds. These water sources allow thirsty speed goats to water with their eyes up.  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re hunting a pond, spring, overflow and the like, mud will be present, and tracks will be easy to identify. Obviously, the more tracks the better. Stock tanks are a different story. Often, the dirt around tanks is concrete-hard, making tracks virtually impossible to identify. Take a quick walk around the tank and then start looking on the cattle trails leading away from the tank. These trails are soft and if goats are using the tank then it will have tracks, and sometimes, scrapes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick Tips<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n