Antelope success thread

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,796
2,162
Eastern Nebraska
I have a random question for everyone on this thread (nice bucks, btw): does anyone hunt doe antelope in WY? I usually do each year and the seasons get more and more frustrating. A lot of the units have stipulations that the does can only be harvested within 1/2 mile of irrigated land, I'm assuming to appease farmers and act as a depredation hunt. However, antelope routinely go much further off the fields than this each day and you can usually watch the same herd move to/from the fields but can't always get a shot in that magical 1/2 mile mark.

I can't help but feel like I'm simply making a donation the G&F rather than having a legit chance to harvest does like I used to. Doe antelope hunting is something I've done with my kids for years and it is a fun way to get them out in the field without too many physical limitations on the hunter.

Anyone else experience this and what is your take on it? Quite frankly it torques me off, but maybe I'm just too cantankerous!
There is a reason those particular tags are readily available - others find them difficult to fill as well. As mentioned above, try applying for the standard area type 6 tags that allow you to hunt the entire area. The draw odds are much lower for those but at least when you draw it won't be "a donation".
 

Winchester

Veteran member
Mar 27, 2014
2,464
1,821
Woodland Park, Colorado
28704
Here's a pic of my buddy's Colorado Buck.
I've known my friend since we grew up together in PA but he never hunted out west.
He came out to hunt for the first time last month and he had a great time.
He was so excited he shot the first buck that we got close to … at about 200 yards.
Many thanks to Slugz for helping me research/find a nice unit for him to use his 9 Pref Points.
 

marcusvdk

Veteran member
Dec 13, 2011
5,381
1,653
Michigan
Getting one of these is going to be my first out west hunt soon hopefully. But love coming on the forum and seeing the pics and reading the stories.
 

Yell Co AR Hunter

Very Active Member
Dec 10, 2015
842
672
Yell County Arkansas
Getting one of these is going to be my first out west hunt soon hopefully. But love coming on the forum and seeing the pics and reading the stories.
Don't let these photos trick you. Antelope are no fun to hunt. The meat taste really bad. They don't have much horns. There are not near as many of them as people say and the views are all barren land. Hunting gators in Florida is where the fun is.
Just kidding a hunt everyone should experience at least once in their life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Big Chief J

marcusvdk

Veteran member
Dec 13, 2011
5,381
1,653
Michigan
Don't let these photos trick you. Antelope are no fun to hunt. The meat taste really bad. They don't have much horns. There are not near as many of them as people say and the views are all barren land. Hunting gators in Florida is where the fun is.
Just kidding a hunt everyone should experience at least once in their life.
Lol I been on here long enough to know better after the first two sentences that my chain was being yanked lol.
 

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
9,581
10,279
56
idaho
I killed a doe around noon today. took a tumble and messed up both legs , so I was to busy trying to hobble my goat and myself to the truck to think to take pics.
scraped up one shin pretty good and twisted ankle on other leg. hope to be ok by next weekend to continue my cow elk hunt but I don't expect I'LL be doing any 5 mile hikes anytime soon.

thankfully my cow elk hunt doesn't usually require it
 
  • Sad
Reactions: marcusvdk

bdan68

Active Member
Nov 13, 2013
303
40
Rochester, Washington
There is a reason those particular tags are readily available - others find them difficult to fill as well. As mentioned above, try applying for the standard area type 6 tags that allow you to hunt the entire area. The draw odds are much lower for those but at least when you draw it won't be "a donation".
Type 6 doesn't always mean you can hunt the entire unit. This year my daughter had a type 6 tag for area 77 and it had the 1/2 mile from irrigated land restriction. And the year before I had a type 6 tag for area 83, and it also had the same restriction.

I do agree that they should make it more than a half mile. If it were 1 like that would give you a lot more area to hunt, and you'd still be targeting the antelope that are feeding in the irrigated fields every day. Two miles would be even better.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,074
4,301
82
Dolores, Colorado
Type 6 doesn't always mean you can hunt the entire unit. This year my daughter had a type 6 tag for area 77 and it had the 1/2 mile from irrigated land restriction. And the year before I had a type 6 tag for area 83, and it also had the same restriction.

I do agree that they should make it more than a half mile. If it were 1 like that would give you a lot more area to hunt, and you'd still be targeting the antelope that are feeding in the irrigated fields every day. Two miles would be even better.
The "special Irrigated land" type 6 tags are explained in the regs. I hunted this type of tag near Farson one year. I also had to get landowner permission to hunt most of the area.