Motel or Camp

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todwyer

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Hi again. I'm still researching for a 2018 antelope hunt in Wyoming. My question is about camping on BLM land? It seems the BLM allows it. Is it common to just pick a spot out there and set up camp at the end of the day? Seems like a better idea than hiking miles back to the truck and driving to a motel. Does that cause problems with other hunters in the area? What is the typical Wyoming weather like in early October? Cold/snow? I've done a fair bit of backpack camping, so I'm comfortable with it, and have all the gear I need.

thanks for your patience with my questions
 
Camping for antelope is usually pretty easy as the weather is usually decent in early October. When I was there this year, it was beautiful and in the 70s. Although you just never know there as they sometimes get some October snow. And yes, you can pretty much just camp anywhere on BLM. Just find a nice flat spot and set up your tent. As long as the weather forecast looks fine, that's what I always do. The one thing with Wyoming is that the wind can come up at almost anytime and blow 50 mph or more. And I don't know what it is, but sometimes the wind won't be bad during the day and then once the sun goes down, it blows 40 mph for awhile. If you can find a spot with a few trees or just somewhere that is protected from the wind, that is usually the best. That can be tough to find though and I usually try to find an area that is a little more rugged where I at least have some hills to block the wind a little bit.
 
I've camped right out in the open on BLM in a trailer before, it's nice to sleep right where you're hunting. This last year though, the wind was so brutal the first couple days we were there that it was going to destroy my Kodiak Canvas. We wound up camping about an hour away from our hunting area in the mountains, which despite the drive was nice also.
 
We always hunt the end of September in northeast Wyoming (Wright area). I've had 90 degree days, I've had 25 degree mornings, massive downpours, hail the size of golf balls, wind, 5"inches of snow and anything that you can think of. Most were bearable as I was prepared. I say that you better be prepared. Most years were great, however, expect the unexpected.

I prefer camping when alone or with a "seasoned" camper. For the non-campers a motel is nice for a good bed and warm showers.

Good luck to all
the dog
 
To me hunting is best enjoyed while camping...it adds to the experience not to mention having a campfire, looking at stars, etc. However, it is not uncommon for me to hunt straight out of my house, just depends on where I am going. Either way you decide, don't let that detract from your hunting experience...you are getting to go hunting.

Also, camping on the BLM sounds great being close to where you are hunting, but it doesn't guarantee there will be a buck out the front of your tent. Just my thoughts.
 
I'm with everyone else and really enjoy camping when I've got a group willing to help. With that said, I think it depends on how confident you are in the area you are hunting and the likelihood of moving around also. We went to CO this year and had narrowed down our results to three state trust lands that were all on opposite corners of the unit. We chose to stay in a hotel right in the middle and drive in since we didnt know where we would end up hunting. We actually ended up harvesting an animal in each one so it was nice that we didn't limit ourselves to just one area. We spent all day in the field hunting or glassing so the hotel was really just a place to stop and sleep and then go back out.
 
It all depends on you, camping on BLM is just fine but be careful on location. Wyoming weather is unpredictable, there is no normal October weather and about the only things you can say with certainty is windy days & chilly nights. Personally I prefer camping, I truly enjoy a camp fire and cold beer with no noise but nothing wrong with driving back to a motel. It's a buyers choice. You can make some connections with other hunters at a motel and come back to a warm shower, but then again camping puts you way out in front of those in town.
 
JLDemo said:
It all depends on you, camping on BLM is just fine but be careful on location. Wyoming weather is unpredictable, there is no normal October weather and about the only things you can say with certainty is windy days & chilly nights. Personally I prefer camping, I truly enjoy a camp fire and cold beer with no noise but nothing wrong with driving back to a motel. It's a buyers choice. You can make some connections with other hunters at a motel and come back to a warm shower, but then again camping puts you way out in front of those in town.
Click to expand...

That about sums it up for me. I love going either way but the unit influences the decision most. If I can have a hotel close to my main hunting area or central to multiple areas that’s great; if it’s gonna cost more than a half hour each way I’d prefer camping but that only makes sense if I’m hunting a defined spot I have confidence in before the trip.

Good non-answer?

In 2015 I tent camped on the wrong end of a unit I wasn’t familiar with and had to stay there because the other lands where the antelope were was state & walk-in and it was an hour drive each way which woulda sucked if it hadn’t been Wyoming which is so friggin gorgeous!

Ya can’t go wrong if you’re hunting ;) !

Good luck!
 
You are assuming you will find a BLM piece big enough that you can camp and hunt? It's been my experience that you do so much driving this is not an issue and we always have to hike back to the truck at the end of the day. Now whether you drive back to camp or a hotel is up to you. I have always camped with the people I hunt with, but I would not mind a nice warm hotel room and a show as long as it's not a 1-2 hour drive back to it each day. Last year we were not allowed to have open fires, so that sucked as well and the wind the time before that sucks...WY right !...LOL

The time before last lope hunting was the year of an early storm as well and we were camping. Had I not left for home when I did I would have been stuck in WY for 5 more days as all the roads were closed. that is always a risk in the end of Sept/early Oct.
 
The last time I hunted lopes in WY, 2010, I showed up before season and just unfolded my cot beside the pick-up where ever I ended up at the end of every day. Weather was fine, but if precipitation were to be a concern, I would have been closer to hardtop. Nothing like sleeping on a cot, staring at the stars every night.
 
I personally prefer camping as it's cheaper and you can be right where you hunt. It does always make me nervous leaving my camp for the day though. You just never know what might happen when other people see a camp and no one around. Also, you might want to keep in mind that if you do decide to camp in an area, you're kind of restricting yourself to the use of this one place. This is more true with packing in and setting up camp, but it's never fun to set your mind to an area and realize when it's too late that everyone and their dog uses the same area, or that the animals simply aren't around.
 
mtmiller said:
The last time I hunted lopes in WY, 2010, I showed up before season and just unfolded my cot beside the pick-up where ever I ended up at the end of every day. Weather was fine, but if precipitation were to be a concern, I would have been closer to hardtop. Nothing like sleeping on a cot, staring at the stars every night.
Click to expand...

That's my M.O., only my cot goes under the topper in the bed of my pickup.
 
There is nothing better then getting back to camp after a long day of hunting. Build a fire, cook a little dinner, drink a couple cold ones and climb into a cozy sleeping bag. Motel room is WELL a motel room !
 
I slept in my truck most nights when I was there this past year. Ive never been one to mind being cramped or not getting much sleep. Plus it saved a bunch of money. I had the extremes of weather in a couple of days. Inches of snow the first day and then sunny and 70 two days later. This was at the end of september.
 

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Going through those pics, I see Schmalts just slept on the ground. I forgot he tried to "petophile" my previous kid, Axl, as well.
 

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I do this every day it seems feasible (not likey to have precipitation). Even in cold weather. I dont hang around “camp” except to warmup a premade dinner and sleep. no campfires....hunt. sleep. hunt. sleep.

pitch a tent when I think I have to.
 
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I plan to be as mobile as I can. A couple units im looking at are pretty broken up as far as public land goes, so there will likely be a lot of driving and hiking. Hate to be at one end of the unit and have to drive to the other for a motel. I'm coming ready to backpack in, so I can either do that, or camp by the truck.

thanks for all your replies.

Nice dog mtmiller.
 
For antelope I always camp in the unit I am hunting. I tent camp, so I make camp at night and break down in the AM. If I can't find a spot out of the wind, I will use the truck for a wind break. Last year I hunted early Sept and the skeeters were horrible as soon as the sun went down. I have only hunted into the first week of Oct and I have gotten 6" of snow over night.
 
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