So, let's say....

[Gunner46]

.....I get lucky and tag out early.

With the blessing of the all mighty, all powerful hunt gods, I'll be putting the smack down on a Lope & Mule deer around the Lusk/New Castle Wy area. I'll be there after the 1st weekend, to avoid at least some of the crowd and only hunting on public access lands. 5 days of 100% devotion to hunting critters !

Now what?

Is it cool to pop some Yotes during big game season ? (.223)

Are rabbits a thick as fleas, like they were in AZ on my last hunt? (.22 LR)

Birds? (20 Ga)

The fuller the ice chests, when I head back east, the better. :hump:

 

[T Bone]

There are quite a few sharptail grouse in the area.

There should be rabbits and prarie dogs around too.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Honestly when we were there we didn't see much other than antelope and mule deer. There were deffintely coyotes because we could see sign but it was mainly neer some of the gullies and badland type areas. We had gut piles in the sage that were never touched and some in the badland type areas that dint maeit through the night. Best of all you don't need any additional license to hunt them or jackrabbits. We did see some jackrabbits but I always had antelope on my mind. If you are south of town I have heard there are some prarie dog towns but I can't verify that. You may be able to find cottontals allong the creek bottoms and cottonwods. However, I haven't seen great numbers unless they were in yards or hay fields.

The Pub has the best burgers in town if you don't mind smoke and The Outpost is the bst bargain. They serve breakfast all day.

 

[JohnCushman]

I would go into Newcastle and get some prime rib at the Pizza Barn, spend the night in a motel and get a shower and good night's sleep, then get out after a lope doe or two.

 

[Big Sky]

It's always cool to pop some coyotes. Then again for me, deer and antelope just get in the way of my coyote hunting these days.

 

[shoots-straight]

Just exploring is fun. Looking for arrowheads, maybe rooting around rocky points and ledges will turn up stashed stuff.

 

[MThuntr]

I would go into Newcastle and get some prime rib at the Pizza Barn, spend the night in a motel and get a shower and good night's sleep, then get out after a lope doe or two.

This ^

 

[Gunner46]

If I can pick up a left over tag for a doe Lope/Deer that will just be more icing on the cake !!

It's all wishful at this point, I know, but I learned hard lessons in the Marines....get ready for anything, cuz it's probably a'gonna happen.

 

[Muskeez]

I will send you a PM, but overall we struggled in that area last year. Granted we only had one full day to hunt on our way home from another area, and we weren't super aggressive after already hunting 4 days further west and the girls filling buck tags out there.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Forgot you also said Newcastle. Definately do the pizza barn if you are close.

 

[MKotur325]

Don't know the area well, but would it be worth tossing in a fly rod? Fall fishing can be EPIC...

 

[opslt79]

Check local regs if you're planning on shooting prairie dogs south of town. Some areas of Thunder Basin have them posted as off limits. It'd suck to get in trouble while you're just out killing time (and dogs)

 

[hunt1up]

There was a restaurant/bar on the main drag in Newcastle called Antlers. We ate there in 2011 but they were renovating in 2013. Not sure if it's open now or what. I'd be sure to eat there. I know it may be blasphemy to degrade the Pizza Barn, but Antlers is superior. They do a limited menu. If it's steak night, you get steak. But the food rocks, and they make some good cocktails. Pizza Barn is worth the stop too, if for nothing else but to see the old mounts in there. Take my advice and skip the shrimp scampi though. I like their pizza.

As for other things to hunt, prairie dogs are pretty plentiful. I've had a few landowners let us blast away. We've seen a few yotes by chance and I'm sure if you did some dedicated coyote hunting that you could find some. There's a lot of land out there.