Wyoming Antelope Help

[Big Browns]

A friend and I are planning on putting in for Antelope in Wyoming this year for our first Antelope hunt. We each have 2 PP's. I'm interested in area's 63,72,75,88,89 and 93, but I really don't know enough about the units to make a good decision. We are looking for a unit with lots of public land and lots of Antelope. We will most likely hunt out of a hotel. We are not looking for monsters. We just want to have fun and see lots of Antelope. Do we have an chance at any of these units in the regular draw or should we put in for the special draw? If you were me what unit would you put in for?

I would be very willing to give any advise about hunting in Arizona.

P.S. I'm not looking for anyone's special spots. I can find my own Antelope. I'm just asking for a little help on finding a good unit.

Thanks,
Adam Young

 

[fowladdict]

Go here to see what your odds would have been last year. http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/hunting-1001301.aspx

 

[deer_shooter]

Adam,
Just about everything you need to know can be found on the Wyoming game and fish website. Draw odds, etc are available and pretty easy to figure out. Most of the units you mention generally take more than 2 points to draw so you may want to look at a few more units. I would look for those units that can be drawn with 3 points or less then narrow that list down based on your criteria. Keep in mind that you can have a good hunt in a unit with leftover tags if you do your research, and keep building points.

 

[LopeHunter]

The hunt and stay in a motel really limits you. Many, many units do not have a hotel/motel within 30 minutes of where you will hunt that day. I could be wrong but have hunted WY several times and are large zones with no motels.

So, I would focus on units near the major population zones first then expand the search to those units near the major divided roadways since those will have truckers rolling along and will be motels every 100 miles or so out in the boonies.

I prefer getting away from the crowds and have slept in my SUV many, many times when did not want to deal with a tent. Put some sandwich items in a cooler and pack some power bars. Red solo cups make good bowls for cereal. I never get a fire going at the SUV camps, though, but do if use a tent and fires are allowed. Something about a fire at the end of a long hunting day is good for the soul.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

63: 44% with 4 points, 100% with 3 points special
72: 100% with 2 points, 100% with 1 point special
75: 59% with 3 points, 100% with 2 points special

good luck to all
the dog

PM: me with the place unit I can draw with 5 Arizona pref. points and kill a 375+ bull

 

[Yooper Bob]

I have hunted off of the road between 74 and 72 seen lots of antelope in 72 everyday.Last year 72 had 150,000 acres in walk in,if its the same this year thats a lot of land to hunt. No motels anywhere near,there is lots of BLM land where you can hunt and camp,thats what we do in 74 you do not need a lot of gear,usualy good weather. Hope this helps

 

[Bowhuntrben]

The thread below has some good information on doing research too.

There are multiple sources for maps showing public land which I find very useful when looking at new units.

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=257615

I will likely be in Wyoming this fall too! I will likely do the special draw to up my chances of getting in a unit with more public land, but it is not necessary.

I would definitely recommend getting the maps for your GPS from huntinggpsmaps.com. I had this for my first antelope hunt, and it was an awesome tool (combined with hard maps) for knowing where I was all the time.

Good luck!

 

[Big Browns]

Since 75 and 72 would be 100% draw in the special draw, would it be a better decision to put either as a 2nd choice? Then I can put a better unit in for 1st choice and not loose my points if I draw my 2nd choice.

 

[fowladdict]

Since 75 and 72 would be 100% draw in the special draw, would it be a better decision to put either as a 2nd choice? Then I can put a better unit in for 1st choice and not loose my points if I draw my 2nd choice.

Is this a once in a lifetime hunt for you? Or do you see yourself doing this again? The special hunt is a lot of dough to shell out on pronghorn when there are plenty of other regions you can draw 2nd choice in the regular draw and keep your points if you don't draw your first choice.

But to answer your question 75 and 72 as 2nd choice in special, you probably won't draw because the quota will likely be met by people with less points then you making those units their first choice. You can only draw those as 2nd choice if the quotas are not met during the first choice draws. If I am wrong somebody please correct me.

 

[EBOLAVIRS]

I haven't looked at the odds in 93 but I know they cut tags big time in that unit a couple of years ago due to winter kill. If you can draw it, that is where I would go based simply on the fact the goats have not been getting shot off the last couple years, might have had a chance to get some age on a few. That unit has good genetics and can produce some big goats if they live long enough.

63 is not what it used to be. It is disturbing what they do to 63 with all the doe tags, and overall number of tags. With its proximity to Casper, it has been a slaughter there for a few years now and the population has suffered. If you watch Ridge Reaper they recently had an episode where those guys, who used to be with the HF, hunted the unit for a few days and complained about not spotting any big mature goats, all younger goats. Ironic since it was the HF that put 63 on blast to begin with.

I don't think you can draw any of those units as second choice, even in the special draw. The 70's series units all have good genetics so those would be my second choice. The 80's series units don't produce as many big antelope so that would be my third option.

All of that being said, just get a tag and go. It really is hard to have a bad goat hunt in Wyoming.

 

[Big Browns]

This is not a once in a lifetime hunt. I've been waiting 10 year to draw in Az. Since it might take me another 10 years to draw an Az tag I've decided to go to Wyoming to have some fun. I'm not planning on holding out for a big lope. I'm planning on going after the first 12-14 inch goat I see. I've heard so many stories of people putting in for easy to draw units and having a hard time finding any public land to hunt on. We will have the GPS card and we will camp if needed. We really want to see a lot of Antelope and have plenty of public land to hunt. Walk in area's sound perfect!

If I could draw a decent unit on our 2nd choice and keep my pp's for another year that would be great. Our main concern is getting a tag that will be difficult to find public land.

Again I would be very willing to share Arizona Deer, Elk, Bear, Antelope, Javelina info in exchange for some help deciding on a unit.

Adam

 

[LopeHunter]

There are pronghorn buck tags you can draw every year as 2nd choice and build your points. No free lunch, though, so is a tradeoff. Probably will be in heavily private land units. Harvest rate may be lower. Hunter density may be higher. Genetics and/or age class may be poorer. Quite simply, demand for units with good genetics and lots of public land/access exceeds supply of buck tags.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

This might be a good approach for you beings you don't seem to mind paying the extra for the special draw. Put in the for the regular draw with a real good unit 1st choice hoping to get lucky in the random. Put an easy to draw leftover unit like 23 for 2nd choice. If you don't get lucky on your 1st choice use the money you saved by going in the regular instead of the special ($240) and pay an access fee on a good ranch in 23. You could keep building points that way, learn some new country and have a slam-dunk hunt.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

63: 44% with 4 points, 100% with 3 points special
72: 100% with 2 points, 100% with 1 point special
75: 59% with 3 points, 100% with 2 points special

good luck to all
the dog

PM: me with the place unit I can draw with 5 Arizona pref. points and kill a 375+ bull

These stats are from "Huntin' fool" from last year's draw.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[jvanderlinde]

I would check out some of the hunt areas south and also west of Casper. Any draw area with 2points and good public land/HMA should produce a decent buck as long as you don't kill the first one you see.

Good luck.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

The OP has been given plenty of good information by a number of people and still keeps coming back like everyone else is going to do all the work fo him! Doesn't anyone other than myself figure it's sort of time to let him look up his own stats and figure out where to go? I'm not trying to be a wise guy and I give out an awful lot of information about Wyoming on a number of websites, but people need to do a litle bit on their own and it sounds like the OP is smart enough to do that with all the information gven out already! Just sayin!!!

 

[hunt1up]

This is not a once in a lifetime hunt. I've been waiting 10 year to draw in Az. Since it might take me another 10 years to draw an Az tag I've decided to go to Wyoming to have some fun. I'm not planning on holding out for a big lope. I'm planning on going after the first 12-14 inch goat I see. I've heard so many stories of people putting in for easy to draw units and having a hard time finding any public land to hunt on. We will have the GPS card and we will camp if needed. We really want to see a lot of Antelope and have plenty of public land to hunt. Walk in area's sound perfect!

If I could draw a decent unit on our 2nd choice and keep my pp's for another year that would be great. Our main concern is getting a tag that will be difficult to find public land.

Again I would be very willing to share Arizona Deer, Elk, Bear, Antelope, Javelina info in exchange for some help deciding on a unit.

Adam

I wouldn't be burning 2 points just to kill the first decent buck you see. Plenty of other places to go.

 

[Muskeez]

Agree! I don't know a lot about it, we went on our first hunt last year, but we shot two 13.5" bucks with zero points, in a 60% chance draw with 0 points. If an average buck is OK for you, I would also save the points, and gain another point this year for future use.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Go get a tag and find the best animal you can in your unit and don't be afraid to SHOOTMANYBULLETS!

Direct that web browser over to Wyoming G&F and find a unit you can draw with your points then get out there and hunt. Grabbing a tag in a unit with leftovers is always good too if you just want to hunt and hoard some points. There's decent antelope in almost every unit if you go work for them regardless of what you hear.

If you just want to get one, shoot the 3rd one you see so you don't get ragged on for shooting the first one you see and you can say you passed a couple before dropping the hammer on a good one.

I'll be breathing through a tube before AZ gives me an antelope tag.