I know we all would like one. I'm sure I will get one, one of these years in WY but should I be thinking about building points for a different state as well? I won't quit hunting WY its just too fun.
Search for an 80+ inch antelope
- Thread starter lostriverproductions
- Start date
JEandAsGuide
Active Member
I am building points for antelope in NV, UT and AZ because I buy the license to apply for elk and sheep. I wouldn't build points just for antelope. If I didn't care about sheep and elk I would stick with WY for antelope.
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
Your chances of drawing a tag and killing an 80+" buck are far better in Wyoming than any other state particularly when it comes to a DIY hunt. Draw a top 20 unit on a good year (good moisture, mild winter) and spend 7 to 10 days at it and you should have a good opportunity. You can hunt Wyoming every 2 to 5 years depending on the unit and tag.
Arizona is a great place for trophy antelope but it is taking 20-25 points to draw.
Idaho, marginal.
Utah, marginal. Very limited tags on the top units.
Montana...fair, but Wyoming has better quality.
Colorado....marginal quality in most units. Top units are taking something like 12-15 points to draw.
Oregon...a few very nice antelope but insanely hard to a nonresident to draw (due to non-resident limits on tags) and would take probably take 20 or more points at this juncture.
New Mexico has excellent quality. If you booked a private land hunt with the right outfitter you would have a very high probability of an 80"+ antelope.
Nevada, good but tough to draw the top units.
Arizona is a great place for trophy antelope but it is taking 20-25 points to draw.
Idaho, marginal.
Utah, marginal. Very limited tags on the top units.
Montana...fair, but Wyoming has better quality.
Colorado....marginal quality in most units. Top units are taking something like 12-15 points to draw.
Oregon...a few very nice antelope but insanely hard to a nonresident to draw (due to non-resident limits on tags) and would take probably take 20 or more points at this juncture.
New Mexico has excellent quality. If you booked a private land hunt with the right outfitter you would have a very high probability of an 80"+ antelope.
Nevada, good but tough to draw the top units.
Thanks for summing it up UH, a guy at work went to UT a two years ago and shot a 86"+ But pretty sure it was guided and not sure where. He's tight lipped about it. Sounds like I am better off sticking with WY, and you are right about the amount of days I should plan to spend looking them over. I did see one last year that I''m sure was over 80 but no tag in my pocket for that unit.
I'm rite there with you on this one. I am also hoping to make this happen this year. Wy or Nv for me. The Nv herds are looking real good to me. I've seen some big bucks in areas I've never seen bucks over 70" range. The numbers are good from what I've seen on the last couple hunts I've been on this last years season.
I'm sittin on 7 points for Wy so I'm hoping maybe to get two this year.
I'm sittin on 7 points for Wy so I'm hoping maybe to get two this year.
Hilltop
Veteran member
What UH said above- again he should be in business! Another option is to hunt on a trespass fee in Wyoming. You can get tags every year in areas with mainly private land. If you can find a decent ranch in one of these areas, you will likely be money ahead of trying for other states preference points and waiting. I believe that 80 inch antelope can be had in most areas of Wyoming- they just need the opportunity to get old and then have a good moisture year. IMO, this is the second best option for an 80" goat with the first being the Red Desert where you wait many years for a tag.
Topgun 30-06
Banned
Yep! If you have the time to spend a few days and get off the road in most Wyoming units there are 80" bucks there to be had IF you know what they look like. I've had 3 tags in the unit I like since 2003 and killed 2 in the mid to upper 70s and the last one was right at 80". None of the hunts took more than four days and none were within sight of a road. The last three years John, my buddy in Sheridan, has drawn that tag and two he shot while I was along helping were into the mid 70s and the one he got this year that I posted on this website, although not officially scored yet, will break the B&C minimum of 82". We ran into him the second day of the season while on another good buck that I had scouted a week or two earlier and he was backpacked out to the truck over a mile. Most people that hunt antelope just don't put in the work and time to get back in and find the good ones, but I guarantee they are there in most units in decent years.
John had actually drawn a tag and gone to NV a week or two before we got on that big WY buck and hunted hard for at least five days up in the nw part of the state with a guide that lived there and the best buck they could find was the 13" one he shot the last afternoon. You just never know what will happen and that's why it's called hunting!
John had actually drawn a tag and gone to NV a week or two before we got on that big WY buck and hunted hard for at least five days up in the nw part of the state with a guide that lived there and the best buck they could find was the 13" one he shot the last afternoon. You just never know what will happen and that's why it's called hunting!
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laxwyo
Very Active Member
Don't forget to hunt the October portion of your antelope hunt. Most people are done antelope hunting and are now hunting deer.'
Don't overlook Oklahoma. Some big, alfalfa fed goats are coming out of there lately.
hoshour
Veteran member
If you look at the cross-state article for antelope from this fall, you'll see a chart I did that shows the exact odds of shooting a B&C buck in every state (didn't do Oklahoma).
It turns out that if you can draw a tag, AZ and CA are the two states with the most Booner bucks PER TAGS ISSUED.
But, WY has the best combination of reasonable preference points and big bucks. I don't even apply in other states.
It turns out that if you can draw a tag, AZ and CA are the two states with the most Booner bucks PER TAGS ISSUED.
But, WY has the best combination of reasonable preference points and big bucks. I don't even apply in other states.
hoshour
Veteran member
If you look at the cross-state article for antelope from this fall, you'll see a chart I did that shows the exact odds of shooting a B&C buck in every state (didn't do Oklahoma).
It turns out that if you can draw a tag, AZ and CA are the two states with the most Booner bucks PER TAGS ISSUED. It's not even close.
But, WY has the best combination of reasonable preference points and big bucks. I don't even apply in other states.
It turns out that if you can draw a tag, AZ and CA are the two states with the most Booner bucks PER TAGS ISSUED. It's not even close.
But, WY has the best combination of reasonable preference points and big bucks. I don't even apply in other states.
hoshour
Veteran member
Believe it or not not, among the 11 western states, California has the #1 ranking in Boone and Crockett for most entries over the last 10 years for four species - black bear, Roosevelt's elk, tule elk and blacktail deer.
Great stats for sure. I guess I can see those you listed. Surprised on the Roosevelt elk and Antelope.
hoshour
Veteran member
California and BC dominate the Roosevelt's elk category over the last 10 years. Of the top 30 B&C entries, CA has 17 and BC 10, WA and OR combine for 3.
Topgun 30-06
Banned
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
hoshour
Veteran member
Yeah, I left in 1982 after going to HS and college (SJSU) out there and have never been sorry I left. The far left slant that dominates the schools, the media and Sacramento drove my wife and me crazy.Good thing I left long ago
wyheadhunter
Member
IMHO TG has never spoken words more true. It is so much in knowing what you are looking at. I suck sometimes I am surprised to the good, but all to often they are short of my thoughts with ground shrink. Every once in a while I am close to dead on which always amazes me why I cant do that every time ha ha. There are people that are absolutely amazing at the accuracy. I have learned allot by purchasing a couple of dvd's by Pronghorn guide service. allot of detail if you take the time to commit to memory. 80's dont hit the ground if you are letting the wind out of 78's.
OldGuy
Member
I made a mistake (once) by looking in the Record books . There's lots of 90" goats in there, so I thought, what the heck, I'm holdin' out for one on the next hunt. By noon opening-day, I was down to 85" and by dark I would have shot an 80"er. Second day started out by seeing what I thought was an 80+ goat. After a couple of hours I got into position and everybody else said "its an 80"er, shoot!" After the shot, and many stretches of the tape I had a 79 3/8" goat .... no cigar!
But that's the fun of the hunt. I visit lots of processing-plants while hunting the west and see a goodly number of 75-80" ers, but those 90s are few and far between.
If I had to choose the area for a "better" goat, it would be the Red Desert area in Wyoming.
All the best,
. There's lots of 90" goats in there, so I thought, what the heck, I'm holdin' out for one on the next hunt. By noon opening-day, I was down to 85" and by dark I would have shot an 80"er. Second day started out by seeing what I thought was an 80+ goat. After a couple of hours I got into position and everybody else said "its an 80"er, shoot!" After the shot, and many stretches of the tape I had a 79 3/8" goat .... no cigar!But that's the fun of the hunt. I visit lots of processing-plants while hunting the west and see a goodly number of 75-80" ers, but those 90s are few and far between.
If I had to choose the area for a "better" goat, it would be the Red Desert area in Wyoming.
All the best,