I have 1 PP going into the 2016 draw. I would like to draw a type 1 and perhaps add a type 6. I've looked through the draw odds from last year and am thinking about areas 34, 11, and 9 in no particular order. They are all listed as limited access but have quite a bit of WIA, and HMA land too if I can draw that. Doesn't look like there is much BLM though.This will be my second hunt out west so I have some knowledge. I don't have any expectations as far as size, more just looking for a fun experience and continued learning. So, my questions. Anyone have any experience in these units? Successes? How much traffic do the walk ins get? Any campground suggestions? I'd love to tent it while out there. Thanks for any input.
Antelope 2016
- Thread starter siwulat
- Start date
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
Just my thoughts, but I'd suggest building 2 or 3 points and draw a quality area. I believe it would be worth the wait.
Thanks UH. I'm tossing around the idea of drawing second choice and continuing to save the points. I'd like to find an area that has at least a few areas of public ground.
Work2hunt
Veteran member
I hunted Wyoming for antelope this past October for the first time. We drew a buck tag with 2 PPs and then picked up doe tags as leftovers. After what I saw don't rule out the 0 PPs draws. Don't get me wrong the higher pp units are going to be better but a quality hunt can still be had in the 0 or leftover draw units and there are plenty of antelope running around. I would go 2nd choice or leftover tag and then build a pp or 2 to get into a better buck unit in the future
Musket Man
Veteran member
I think there are alot better units you can draw with 1 point. None of those have much public land and honestly there are better units you can draw 2nd choice. It will be interesting to see what the quotas do this year. That could make a big difference in what you can draw too.
Thanks MM. Out of curiosity, and this is a serious question, as someone from the east I thought 40,000 acres of WIA was quite a bit. Is it that they are broken and not one contiguous tract? The WIA acreage was what drew me to these units.
joens
Member
To give you an idea of what 40,000 acres is a section is a square mile that is 640 acres 40000 acres would be 62.5 sections so if it were perfectly square the 40000 acres would be about 8 miles square but it could be any combination for instance 4 miles across and 16 miles long . I hope my math is right it is early and I'm not completely awake yet. but there are many other variables for instance 40000 acres where all of it could be reached with no more than a 2 mile hike is totally different than 40000 acres that has 2 sides that border a ranch that does not allow access and is 8 miles from a road
I live in unit 34, I also work for a utility company and cover a lot of the far rural areas of unit 34. If your looking for a nice respectable buck antelope get the tag, put the wind to your face, play the terrain, and fill a tag. I would start on the north side of the unit and work south. The biggest thing is you got to be able to shoot out to 300-400 yards around here it's pretty flat, I've shot antelope as close as 7 yards down here, but that's not the normal, usually around 300 yards. The other thing is as flat as you think it is sitting in your truck looking across a flat, it's not that flat. You have to walk these sections/muliti sections out, there is just enough rolls and little hills that they'll hide right in front of your face sometimes.
Good luck if you go!
Good luck if you go!
Murdy
Active Member
I did a 0 point hunt in 2014 (first and only hunt out west--so far) so I could continue to build points and, though I ultimately was not successful, I had a good hunt and picked up some valuable experience. I would go that route. I went a later in the season, and though there was less land available than in a unit that would take points to draw, the land that was available was not crowded at all (late season; mid-week). I had a couple opportunities that I screwed up for one reason or the other. Practice shooting at distances farther than we are accustomed to in the Midwest, and keep in mind that it can get pretty windy too. "Limited access" is a relative term. Compared to what we have in Illinois, even the limited-access units have more opportunities than we do. Still, I'd be cautious of units labeled that way, but I wouldn't write them off until I looked at a map myself. Good luck.
Joens - Your math makes sense to me and I totally understand the difference between accessible and tough to access pieces. I reviewed the WYGF site and all three of these units have over 45,000 acres enrolled in WIA this past year. Obviously that can change from year to year, but its a good start. Area 34 in particular has roughly 90k acres (contained in many dis-jointed tracts) of WIA and the Nimmo HMA that gives out 75 permits in a random drawing. Unit 34 definitely has the edge on public land.
Go_Deep - Thanks for your insight. Great to have the first hand knowledge of someone who lives in the particular unit. I am planning on taking a savage 99 chambered in .250-3000. It was my grandfathers gun and I think it would be a great way to honor him with it. Long range shooting is not something I have done a lot of so range time will be critical this summer in addition to figuring out which load is best. I will heed your advice and look a bit harder at the northern area of the unit.
Murdy - I did a second choice tag for my first one too and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of acreage they called limited. Even in those '*' units you can definitely turn up a few good spots.
Anybody have any suggestions on camp grounds in the area? Perhaps a state park down in the region?
Go_Deep - Thanks for your insight. Great to have the first hand knowledge of someone who lives in the particular unit. I am planning on taking a savage 99 chambered in .250-3000. It was my grandfathers gun and I think it would be a great way to honor him with it. Long range shooting is not something I have done a lot of so range time will be critical this summer in addition to figuring out which load is best. I will heed your advice and look a bit harder at the northern area of the unit.
Murdy - I did a second choice tag for my first one too and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of acreage they called limited. Even in those '*' units you can definitely turn up a few good spots.
Anybody have any suggestions on camp grounds in the area? Perhaps a state park down in the region?
Againstthewind
Very Active Member
http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/Site/Results.aspx
Glendo, Geurnsey, Hawk Springs, and Curt Gowdy State Parks are all in those areas. They are all fee areas, but that means they are pretty nice, too. All are close to reservoirs. I think Hawk Springs might be the most centrally located to the WIA's you were taking about maybe.
Glendo and Geurnsey are on the North end as go_deep was suggesting.
Glendo, Geurnsey, Hawk Springs, and Curt Gowdy State Parks are all in those areas. They are all fee areas, but that means they are pretty nice, too. All are close to reservoirs. I think Hawk Springs might be the most centrally located to the WIA's you were taking about maybe.
Glendo and Geurnsey are on the North end as go_deep was suggesting.
GPS chip is a must out there no doubt. I'll keep pouring through the draw odds and try to figure out what unit is gonna be my top choice. It's always interesting trying to navigate those. This forum is a HUGE help.
Musket Man
Veteran member
Looking at the WIA maps and it looks like that 40,000 acres is scattered all over. IMO they could be decent 2nd choice hunts but personally I would not use a point on them. Im not saying you couldnt have a good hunt there, I just think you can find a better unit with 1 point or wait a year or 2 and you will have alot more options with 2 or 3 points.
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MM,
If you haven't noticed even with 3 points unless you go in the special draw your not going to draw a green chip area. I have 3 points and will go special to some what ensure I draw an area I want and it's still not a sure thing. The draw odds were real screwy last season, I expect the same this year.
I turn 66 next year and if I'm so lucky to draw a good area with my 3 points I'll be happy as hell. You can PM me the areas you think I can draw with one point and still kill a 78in or better buck in, as I won't have enough hunting years left to accumulate 4 or 5 points. Oh, and can I come to your place and shoot some pheasants and Huns next season?
Siwulat.
If your just looking for 13 inch low to mid 70's buck go for the areas you researched. I know there are plenty of them even in the left over draw areas. You just need to weed through a lot more bucks. As for taking the Savage 250/3000, take it as long as it can shoot under 4 inches at 200yd. I'd bring a back-up rifle for sure.
If you haven't noticed even with 3 points unless you go in the special draw your not going to draw a green chip area. I have 3 points and will go special to some what ensure I draw an area I want and it's still not a sure thing. The draw odds were real screwy last season, I expect the same this year.
I turn 66 next year and if I'm so lucky to draw a good area with my 3 points I'll be happy as hell. You can PM me the areas you think I can draw with one point and still kill a 78in or better buck in, as I won't have enough hunting years left to accumulate 4 or 5 points. Oh, and can I come to your place and shoot some pheasants and Huns next season?
Siwulat.
If your just looking for 13 inch low to mid 70's buck go for the areas you researched. I know there are plenty of them even in the left over draw areas. You just need to weed through a lot more bucks. As for taking the Savage 250/3000, take it as long as it can shoot under 4 inches at 200yd. I'd bring a back-up rifle for sure.
Fish, I believe some green chip units can be had with 3 points. At least in 2015 they could.
As far as size restrictions for me. I'm not picky, I'd be tickled with anything. They are such cool animals.
As far as size restrictions for me. I'm not picky, I'd be tickled with anything. They are such cool animals.
Musket Man
Veteran member
There are some good hunts you can go on with 2 or 3 points. You would have to go in the special draw for quite a few of them rightnow but herds are also starting to recover and there is a good chance there will be some tag increases that will help the draw odds in another year or 2.
Last year we killed a net B&C (my profile picture) 2 gross B&C bucks, this year we killed 2 bucks that grossed 80". All in limited access units. You want to get a descent goat like I said before, get a tag, put the wind to your face, and play the terrain, as long as you can hit one, you'll fill your tag.
As I dive deeper into the draw reports I am also now thinking about units 18 and 17. Anyone have any experience in these units near Gillette?
As a side note, Wyoming re-tooled their website to be much more interactive. I like the new feature that allows you to choose a species/unit and then see the unit on the map with an overlay of the public land. Pretty slick.
As a side note, Wyoming re-tooled their website to be much more interactive. I like the new feature that allows you to choose a species/unit and then see the unit on the map with an overlay of the public land. Pretty slick.