The area I drew my antelope tag for in Wyoming. The number of antelope was terrible. In 2017 my last trip I said they had more antelope than Arkansas has squirrels. This was not the case for 2020. 500 any antelope tags and 400 doe/fawn tags. I wonder why they issued so many tags when the numbers were so down. When we left out Friday we drove from Kayce to about 80 miles south of Casper before we saw a single antelope from the road.
Antelope numbers and tags issued?
- Thread starter Yell Co AR Hunter
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mallardsx2
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1 antelope and 2 mule deer. We had 4 tags and filled 3. I will post photos when I get them downloaded to the computer.
Hilltop
Veteran member
Did you hunt a different time of year the last time? Was it a drought year like this year? I know in many of the areas I hunt, the animals were in vastly different places than years before.
Antelope are one of the species the biologists typically have a very good count on. It's pretty rare they make a mistake issuing tags, especially since they now can wait until the majority of the previous winter's impact is known before quotas are set. My guess is the population is good but was in different areas than you had seen in the past.
Same unit same time as before. Unit 21. Drought was bad this time. We came across many dead carcass of antelope. the number of groups were way down as was the number in each group. I also noticed more sheep in the unit. last time most of the sage was waist high and this time it was less than knee high. We covered the whole unit and walked miles into remote areas. The local packing house said some three letter disease had whipped them out.
troybackman
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manitou1
Member
I go every year, solo. I kill 3-4 antelope a year as we love antelope meat. I always kill a 70"+ buck yearly, but I set aside 8-10 days to hunt. This year, I had 5 days to scout and 9 days to hunt. I put 1300 miles on my truck on gravel and LOTS of miles on foot. I saw ONE buck on public... at 800 yards and running onto private. I only saw a few does on public. We have been going out there for 24 years as my wife grew up there and I am retiring there in a few months. Building a house outside Buffalo right now. I bet I saw less than 5% of the antelope numbers I usually see. Found dead ones. Talked to other hunters who had covered about 21 miles on foot in three days and they saw not one live antelope on public, but also found dead antelope. They were hunting the GMU next to where I hunted. The drought was the worst I have seen in 24 years out there. The rancher I stay with said it was the driest he had seen it since he moved there 30 years ago. He had to pay another ranch (in a drainage/valley) that had some grass... to let him graze his cattle on.
I talked to some guys staying near where I was and they said they called WY Game and Fish and were told the antelope were stressing and dying. They packed up and left early. I quit hunting three days early. I did kill a decent muley, but never dreamed I could do my annual trip and never kill an antelope.
I talked to some guys staying near where I was and they said they called WY Game and Fish and were told the antelope were stressing and dying. They packed up and left early. I quit hunting three days early. I did kill a decent muley, but never dreamed I could do my annual trip and never kill an antelope.
troybackman
Active Member
78.25 very unofficial. I'm kinda regretting not saving the cape.
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Colorado Cowboy
Veteran member
The antelope in the picture was shot in Wyoming in 1985. I didn't have it mounted, just the horns on a plaque. The taxi told me I should mount it, as it might be awhile before I shot another that big. Well 10 years later I took the horns with me on an antelope hunt in the same area. I took the cape from an antelope I shot along with the horns from the plaque and had this mount done. You can get the mount you want by doing this. Hard to tell from the picture, but this one score 77 and change.
troybackman
Active Member
I will consider doing that. Mostly cause antelope mounts just look so darn pretty IMO. Thanks CC
mallardsx2
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Buddy I hope you are kidding. I put in over 5 miles a day on foot for 6 days on antelope. Glassed thousands of acres with spotting scope. To the point I did not get to put the time in on mule deer I had planned.Maybe those were tags for antelope not standing next to the road?
It was still a great trip and I enjoyed my time. Like I said earlier I have had some major eye problems. Should have killed an average buck, but due to eye sight let one get away. I will be watching the success numbers for this unit. I have a feeling there will be low harvest numbers.
Still no issue killing a lope obviously, however I was all over the central part of the state for two weeks and there are a lot less antelope than a few years ago. A lot less! A friend had a tag this year in a unit that took 5 nr pts and we have hunted it in the past and picked thru between 20 and 40 bucks a day. This year we averaged 5 bucks a day. Is what it is.
Colorado Cowboy
Veteran member
This year in our favorite unit, 3 of us applied for type 6 tags. We drew buck tags last year (and type 6 also), so no points this year. Didn't draw for the first time in quite a few years. I checked the stats after the draw and Wyoming did not issue any NR type 6 tags. Last year we saw lots of bucks, but fewer does than I have ever seen.
Just sayin.........
Just sayin.........
Bonecollector
Veteran member
mallardsx2
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