2018 WY Antelope? 5...6 points

[HuskyMusky]

How's WY Antelope herd doing? I suppose more info will be known pretty soon.

Just realized I'll have 5 points going into 2018 for WY antelope, I have 5 now, so I think that means I'll have 6 If I apply in 2018.

I'm wondering what the best units require for points and whether to think about cashing them in sooner than later, or if I'll have to wait for the best units and a good moisture year/winter?

Thanks for any insight, especially more in the coming months for hunters afield...

I've hunted WY antelope 3x.? Think my next WY hunt I want to be in 1 of the best units.

Additionally: Open to special tag/lottery

 

[JimP]

You have another 5 or 6 years for the better units.

I'm in the same boat that you are and my hunting partner isn't getting any younger so we might be looking at the special draw next year to get into a good unit, not the best unit but one of the better ones. Right now we are looking at unit 93 special.

Here is a post that I started a few months ago on the same subject.

http://forum.eastmans.com/showthread.php/17001-2018-Antelope-Hunts

 

[wy-tex]

There are plenty of great units to hunt with 5 pp. The central and SC part of the state have great antelope hunting and populations are doing fine right now.
The special draw will open up more areas with the extra cash it takes
With app period well into next year wait and see what the winter has in store for us.
Great chance at a really nice buck in non blue chip units. Your points should get you into an area with good public access. Many may burn their PP with the price increase to get out of the PP game in Wyoming.
My B&C buck came from an area with limited public access.

 

[Doe Nob]

I had a good hunt south of Pinedale w/ around that many points a couple years ago. Didnt' see anything over 80 though....

 

[jtm307]

6 points will get you onto some solid units. The "top-tier" units would not be worth the wait in my opinion. In the amount of time it'll take you to draw those units, you could build up enough points to have gone on 2 great hunts in units that are not considered top-tier but have plenty of access and trophy potential to get your money's worth. Waiting 5+ more years to hunt a unit where the bucks MIGHT average an extra inch makes little sense to me. Any unit that requires at least 5 points will yield a great hunt. Many requiring less would be solid, too.

 

[wjohnson1983]

I'm about in the same point as you. 7 points antelope, 5 points deer, and 1 point elk. We'll see what next year brings for the adventures. I lived in Alaska for 4.5 years and still have friends there, so I'm getting the moose/caribou itch again. I also play the points game in other states too.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I've only hunted antelope once in WY and it was second choice unit, so I don't have much insight for you.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

Even though we have hunted antelope many times, the two biggest antelope taken by my family have come from very marginal antelope units, both in Western Montana. I've also hunted some premium units and put in some exceptional effort and not find the buck I want to take. The point is, I think a lot of units (particularly in Wyoming!) hold some exceptional bucks and your best asset is a lot of time (10+ days) when the bucks aren't pressured (after the second weekend) and be prepared to look over a pile of bucks (like in the hundreds if needed). The biggest issue I have to get over, is pulling the trigger on a buck I find myself second guessing on..."let him walk"..."take him"...."let him walk". I think next time in Wyoming, I'd love to do a 2+ week hunt, in a prime year of winter/spring weather, on a solid mid-tier Wyoming unit. Take GPS coordinates of the best bucks (they tend to have a home range) and photographs though the spotter to review at night on the laptop. I'd also take my fishing pole, take some time off to sleep in, go out for a ribeye steak and maybe soak in a hot spring and allow myself to fully enjoy the process.

 

[480/277]

A solid plan UH
I think some of the problem with chasing those "top" units, is nothing is static.
By the time most get to hunt them, they are not the "top" units anymore.

 

[RICMIC]

That's a great plan UH. My biggest issue with my western hunts has always been accommodating my hunting partner's schedules. I just got back from 13 days in CO where I burned my 10 pts. on a solo MZL deer hunt. I didn't shoot anything, but still considered the trip to be one of the more enjoyable outings of my life. For those who are still working, have kids at home, and a wife who still likes having you around, then it becomes a lot harder to pull off a trip like that.

 

[Zim]

I'm done waiting exorbitant years for potentially a few inches more of bone for any species. After 20 years of that, I've found most of those to be not worth it. I do mid tier stuff to assure I get a decent hunt and that's it. Headed to Wyoming for lope myself tomorrow. Burned 4 points for an under the radar unit.

 

[Fish]

Just came back from guiding my friend on his first WY antelope hunt. We drove there and back in one day each a real bitch in a 1996 Toyota truck He needed the special tag to draw this unit but he only had 4 days to hunt and one of those days it rained like a bitch which cut the hunt short. We hunted private ground and I got him on over 60 different bucks but we saw no monsters just solid low to mid 70 inch bucks. We needed more time to hunt the whole area not just the private ground. He had a great time and didn't want to leave the private, so after I showed him how to judge a good buck from a small one I told him to pick the buck he liked and I'd comment on it if he wanted me to. He shot a decent buck for the area we hunted and may have passed a few that were a bit better but not much better. We just need more time

I like UH plan and I'll do this when I retire next year.

 

[bux4brainz]

Consider applying in the special pool to get into the "best" units. There are some solid units that can be drawn with 4-6 points. The units in the SW corner have & can produce 80"+ 'lopes & they all take 4-6 points in the regular pool...units 92, 93, 94, 96 & 100. A couple of those units are sleepers in my opinion. Units 75 & 115 are also solid units for that number of points. Let us know what you end up doing. Perhaps I can help!

 

[Ikeepitcold]

I'm really looking forward to hunting in Wy again for goats. Back to only a couple points but once I'm back to 4 I'll start applying again.

 

[JEandAsGuide]

Just realized I'll have 5 points going into 2018 for WY antelope, I have 5 now, so I think that means I'll have 6 If I apply in 2018.

Additionally: Open to special tag/lottery

I think that would depend on if you actually applied for a tag this spring with point option and were unsuccessful in the draw. If that's the case then your point total was already updated and you will have 5 points next year but if you did not apply and purchased a point during the point only period then yes, you will have 6 next year. The totals should update sometime this month to reflect the points purchased during that point only period.

 

[JEandAsGuide]

The biggest issue I have to get over, is pulling the trigger on a buck I find myself second guessing on..."let him walk"..."take him"...."let him walk". I think next time in Wyoming, I'd love to do a 2+ week hunt, in a prime year of winter/spring weather, on a solid mid-tier Wyoming unit. Take GPS coordinates of the best bucks (they tend to have a home range) and photographs though the spotter to review at night on the laptop.

I swore this was going to be exactly what I would do the next time I drew an antelope tag in a decent to good unit. It's a great approach. My wife and I will try to draw tags next year also but the problem is I have just fell in love with hunting elk and early season mule deer that I don't have enough vacation to dedicate 2 weeks to an antelope hunt. Honestly, spending a week riding around with her looking at antelope on her first Western hunt will mean more to me than shooting a 80" buck. I need her to fall in love with it!!

 

[480/277]

Take her she will love it!
My wife LOVED it too. And with 8 points we may get out of
The point game this year. Besides we have houses to look at.
I may just get her a tag so we can concentrate on finding her a great
Buck rather than have pressure to fill two tags. I want to really look
the area over.

 

[bux4brainz]

Take a look at units 93, 94 or 100. If you draw 94 or 100 let me know. I'd be glad to help out.