2016 Antelope/deer

[Jlrineer1]

Hey everyone,

I've been pouring over the forums and WY f&g website doing as much research as I can. I am planning a WY hunt this fall for antelope and deer. We're going to have a group of 6 guys going out. All have 0 pp (we will start saving this year though). I've seen a lot of posts on where not to go (i.e. antelope areas 23, 17, 19) but not really too many suggestions on where are good low pp areas. Due to work restrictions we will only be out Oct 1st-7th. My original plan was to get a general deer with the special license for area C and draw an antelope in 17 or 23. The limited public is kind of scaring me and I'd hate to waste 27 hours of driving out there for nothing. If anyone has any suggestions on any other zones, or success stories in the area mentioned I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

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[siwulat]

I hunted unit 16 for antelope and also saw quite a few deer. Access was marked as difficult but certainly wasn't impossible.

 

[Manualman]

If I were you I would put in for antelope in a area you can draw with no points and apply for doe tags also. Don't worry about a combo hunt. You want to kill 6 bucks in a week so I would stick to that. Antelope hunting is a lot of fun and they taste great

 

[Montana]

If I were you I would put in for antelope in a area you can draw with no points and apply for doe tags also. Don't worry about a combo hunt. You want to kill 6 bucks in a week so I would stick to that. Antelope hunting is a lot of fun and they taste great

Agreed... Enjoy your time. Big trips like this can be stressful to get it all in. If one person gets one have them join up with another guy, film it, take pics, enjoy the vacation. 6 guys and 6 animals.. Learning new areas, meals and pack-outs go fast in a week with that many guys... this is a piece of advice that is well warranted.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Work2hunt]

I can't speak to deer but there are decent areas that can be had with 0 PPs or as left over tags. My recommendation is to look at some maps to see what has reasonable accessible public land and pick one. There are plenty of antelope so look for a unit with accessible land and you should do fine.

 

[chow hound]

I hunted antelope one time that coincided with the opening of deer season. I was only hunting antelope and didn't pay attention to the deer opener. Never again. The amount of deer hunters were unbelievable and the amount of traffic on every imaginable 2 track made the antelope hunting extremely difficult.

 

[Big_Pudge]

If you want to hunt antelope just go to unit 17. You may not shoot a giant trophy but you will almost certainly get shot opportunities. I'm a NR from Michigan and have gone twice. I hunted unit 16 in 2013 and unit 17 in 2015. 17 in my opinion was so much easier than 16. We saw lots of antelope and were able to take a total of 6 between two of us. A buck each and two does each. The Bucks were shot with archery equipment and the does with rifles.

In the two trips to Wyoming I haven't seen very many mule deer bucks. I was able to shoot a small buck in 2013 out of region C.

Lots of private land. Be prepared to put a lot of miles on your vehicle.

Here are this past years antelope bucks.

 

[Slugz]

BP has a lot of good advice there. If leasing or a trespass fee is an option Id look into that also. Just makes the trip a little easier coming from that far away. There are areas and land to get on with zero points its just a little harder.

I'd pay heed to the multi species trips IMO. Unless you know the area, have eyes on it a week prior to the season. I tell the same thing to guys who are trying to do a combo mule/elk hunt also. They live in different areas/elevations and react differently to pressure.

Just my 2 sense. Others may have different opinions on that. Trip needs to be fun, Id stick to your antelope plan. thats a lot of guys to coordinate.

 

[Murdy]

I'd agree with what's been posted so far, I hunted 16 2 years ago, as Siwulat says, access is possible, get a good gps and a Wyoming chip. I bought a deer tag, and probably wouldn't if I went again on the same trip. I did see plenty of muley does, but no bucks. I went later in the season, and didn't run into many hunters, especially in the middle of the week, but still saw antelope on public (if only I could shoot straight, but a combination of the distances and the wind conspired against me, be ready to shoot at distance).