Thinking about WY Pronghorn - Gillette to Sheridan

Amstaff · Feb 8, 2018

Looking to possibly do a first time Pronghorn hunt in WY this year. A friend and I would be driving from PA, and like the idea of possibly finding something closer to the North East/North Central due to proximity to I-90. Gillette area would be ideal.

We do not have points, but would rather head out our first time to see what it's all about... doe tags are fine with us! I've looked at the maps, and there seems to be a lot of private land in that area. That said, there is some public land and walk-in areas we could take advantage of. Any opinions on which area(s) I should look at more closely? 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24 seem to be in the general area we'd like to be... Think we could make a great trip hunting in this area?

Thanks!

Amstaff

BlakeA · Feb 8, 2018

There will be access issues in each of those units but they all have enough antelope for a challenging but fun hunt. Do some e scouting on potential access in the units you are interested in and then give the unit biologist a call in May to see how the herd did through the winter and spring. Whether you are successful or not, WY is a special place and you are sure to have a memorable experience. Good luck

duckhunt · Feb 9, 2018

Amstaff said:
Looking to possibly do a first time Pronghorn hunt in WY this year. A friend and I would be driving from PA, and like the idea of possibly finding something closer to the North East/North Central due to proximity to I-90. Gillette area would be ideal.

We do not have points, but would rather head out our first time to see what it's all about... doe tags are fine with us! I've looked at the maps, and there seems to be a lot of private land in that area. That said, there is some public land and walk-in areas we could take advantage of. Any opinions on which area(s) I should look at more closely? 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24 seem to be in the general area we'd like to be... Think we could make a great trip hunting in this area?

Thanks!

Amstaff

I sent you a pm

MN_Bowhunter4 · Feb 9, 2018

Some of those units listed will be better than others in regards to access. One thing you will need to be cognizant of is the access points; just because a unit shows public land doesn't mean it's accessible. Most counties have maps of the public roads on their website. Be sure to check those out before making your choice. I've hunted that corner of the state a few times and it can certainly be done with homework.

LCH · Feb 9, 2018

If I were coming all the way from PA, I wouldn't worry about what part of Wyoming you hunt.. It's gonna be a long drive regardless. If you're willing to hunt the NE part of the state, find a unit that has decent 2nd choice draw odds for doe tags, and apply 1st choice in a unit with lots of public land but still decent odds. Also, doesn't hurt to apply for a buck tag in a better unit, you may get lucky and draw in the random.

cgarner · Feb 9, 2018

I would avoid unit 23 unless you have a private land contact. The walk in unit does not hold many if any antelope, at least it didn't last year. I saw most of the antelope on private land, however you might find some on BLM but that unit would not be my first choice if you want to hunt public land.

wytex · Feb 9, 2018

If doe tags are fine, put in form those in a good area with access as they are random draw. Find an area with a good number of tags and good public access. Doe tags are easier to get private access for though in some parts of the state.

Walkathon · Feb 9, 2018

Area 23-2 has a bunch of tags, but they can only be used on private land. Make sure you read the regulations to find out if there are any restrictions for a given tag type. Good luck on your research and have a fun trip this fall.

jnagel32 · Feb 9, 2018

PM sent

Amstaff · Feb 9, 2018

Thanks everyone for the insight!

Methinks I will be diving down this rabbit hole over the weekend, and taking a closer look at several units. Sounds like I really need to do my homework and see which public areas have access... And so it begins!

Amstaff

MN_Bowhunter4 · Feb 10, 2018

It’s a fun rabbit hole. I really enjoy the research side of things. Shoot me a pm if you’re interested. I’ll share what I know!

375H&H · Feb 10, 2018

FWIW all of those units are plenty good for antelope doe tags and you shouldn't have too much problem filling them even if you stick to public land. So whatever unit you choose you should have a good hunt.

VAspeedgoat · Feb 11, 2018

When looking at the public land, understand that some of it is too rugged and won't hold many pronghorn. I went through that my first trip. As mentioned talk to the biologist but also the game wardens. The wardens have proven to be my most reliable sources. The two guys out of Gillette gave me more information about hunting and applications than anything else I did. Of course, finding this forum was a big help but found it after my first hunt was already

5Speedjim · Feb 11, 2018

I wouldn’t bother with 15. I was checking it out in October and didn’t see many antelope even on private land

Amstaff · Feb 11, 2018

Thanks again for all of the help and the pm's. I've been looking at maps all weekend.. MN_Bowhunter4 was right, it's a fun rabbit hole to go down.

I plan on reaching out to WFGD to get even more info. The research continues!

375H&H · Feb 11, 2018

5Speedjim said:
I wouldn’t bother with 15. I was checking it out in October and didn’t see many antelope even on private land

Just curious, did you get out and walk?

Thinking about WY Pronghorn - Gillette to Sheridan

Amstaff

Member

BlakeA

Well-known member

duckhunt

Well-known member

MN_Bowhunter4

Well-known member

LCH

Well-known member

cgarner

Active member

wytex

Well-known member

Walkathon

Well-known member

jnagel32

Active member

Amstaff

Member

MN_Bowhunter4

Well-known member

375H&H

Well-known member

VAspeedgoat

Well-known member

5Speedjim

Member

Amstaff

Member

375H&H

Well-known member

Similar threads

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Share this page