Questions on first pronghorn hunt

I have been working over the past few years to accumulate elk points and make a yearly trip out west from Iowa to hunt elk. That plan is starting to come together and has given me a reasonable understanding of the draw and point systems. Over the course of this my wife has become more interested in experiencing a western hunt. We recently moved closer to some family who can help with our kids and I figured this year would be a good chance to give her that experience. The move was quick and somewhat unexpected so I hadn't given much thought to this until recently when I looked and saw the Wyoming application deadline is in a few weeks.

Neither of us have any preference points so i have been looking at units with 100% draw odds on gohunt all of which are pretty much the limited access units in the northeast corner. As I look at that ground and what is actually accessible I don't really know what to look for to decide what may be good antelope habitat. I talked to my wife about doing the doe hunt in an area with better access but i could tell she really wants to try for a buck so I am going to make sure she has an either sex tag. The plan would likely be to drive straight out one night (12 hrs) catch a nap probably have 3 days to hunt and then drive back. The limited time is due to not wanting to overstep our bounds with having family help out getting our kids to and from school etc.

With that being said i was hoping some folks here could help out with a few questions.
1. What should I be looking for as far as antelope country goes, it seems when i drive through Wyoming they are everywhere, but i have not taken the time to note down the nuance of the habitat i see them in most.
2. Of the units up in the northeast basically 1-20 would there be one that anyone would recommend over others based on any set of factors.
3. Any other recommendations or warnings based on the above plan, I saw on some forums where it made it sound like the ONxmaps information in these units could be misleading so I am concerned about being able to get to ground that appears to be accessible with the resources i currently have.

Any help is as always greatly appreciated.
Thanks
IABoilermaker

How much are you willing to hike is probably the first question when it comes to those units, second trophy expectations. My wife and I hunted a unit in that area... which randy recently did a video on... I filled a doe tag she got a small buck. We managed to fill both tags in one day (she could only hunt one day) and had an amazing trip.

As to your questions.
1. Look for rolling grass lands as a general rule of thumb.
2. You have to look at the draw odds carefully to make sure you are 100% but I think 25, 113, 22, 23, 16,17 are all going to be similar.
3. Once you pick a unit or at least narrow it down, go to the counties website and search for there GIS department. They typically have maps of the county/ a gis webviewer and it they will show county roads and how far up they remain public. Generally if a road ends on the county map and continues on onxmaps you know the portion the county doesn't show is private and possibly gated.

As far as hiking goes the wife and I are both able to readily hike, the limiting factor for distance would be the weather as I don't want walk to the point that if we get one meat spoilage would be an issue. As for trophy expectations I would say none, just looking for a well earned opportunity for her.

Thanks for the advice hadn't thought of the GIS in relation to roads that's a good tip.

You can find a nice, if not great, buck in just about each of the pronghorn units in WY. I think by the 3rd summer, a pronghorn buck's horns change in size from the prior year is mainly the result of food availability as horns form.

My impression is that each year WY has fewer pronghorn units with leftover buck tags and fewer units where can draw a first choice with 0 points. If tags are cut this year then might be more applicants chase fewer tags so point creep could accelerate.

Hunting access can be an issue in easier to draw pronghorn units. Outfitters will buy access and this ties up private land in some of the easier to draw units with less pronghorn habitat. I like to review harvest statistics. If the harvest rate is quite a bit higher than average then I presume plenty of public land that holds pronghorn bucks during the season.

Look at the eastern third of WY and especially in the NE corner and you should find a unit or two that in 2016 had tags you could draw and has high harvest rate. You can then plug in that unit number into google as a search string such as: 25 Wyoming pronghorn hunt or maybe Unit 25 Pronghorn access to see if find some hints left by prior hunters.

You should be able to craft an application strategy that has high odds to provide you the pronghorn buck tags needed for this adventure. Good luck and enjoy the trip!

I've hunted two of the units that wllm313 lists above and have been successful on a buck the last 6 years. Nothing huge, all average bucks. I've not had an issue with ONxmap data and have found the chip/data to be invaluable. There are many roads that are private and in some cases you could throw a rock on to public ground but you can't get to it. It can be frustrating but if you have the chip, and are not afraid to walk (its not hard to put 9 miles or more in on typical day) you can access thousands of acres and get into antelope. The later in the season you go, the less people you will see, just be aware that at least one of those units does not have type 2 tags.

See my PM

A. Get the onX chip in your GPS, it's terrific and I would not go hunting in eastern WY without it!
B. Don't worry about meat spoilage. I hunted with my daughter and we were able to bone out and pack out her antelope in 80+ degree heat in one trip, 3 miles back. We hunted with nearly empty packs and game bags, boned it out, and caped out the shoulders and neck just up to the base of the skull. We carried out all of the meat, and we are super fussy, and take everything possible, plus the head and cape. All in one trip, and we are not pack mule types. Have coolers with frozen milk jugs waiting in the truck to cool the meat. Antelope out there are the size of a button-buck here in Iowa. Have fun, your wife will have a blast, mine does and so do my daughters.
C. If someone here throws you a bone and tells you where to go, take it, and then learn from there. These guys were great to me and my girls when I first started going to WY.

These guys have you covered. I've got nothing to add other than to wish you good luck. I hope you two have a great time. Pronghorn hunting is just plane fun, and the meat is terrific.