Thinking about putting in for one of these units with 3-4 buddies next year. Not terribly concerned with trophy quality just looking to get these guys feet wet out of state. Any thoughts on these areas? Probably buy a Region M deer tag as well.
Area 20 or 21 Antelope 2014 Wyoming
- Thread starter mattdeere
- Start date
MWScott72
Active Member
Both of the units you list have difficult public access, so unless you have an in with a landowner or know something the rest of the public doesn't, I'd look elsewhere. Nothing worse than thinking you're in a slam dunk unit only to find out all the land is locked up. If you're not concerned all that much with trophy potential, find a unit with decent draw odds and put in there. I'm sure you could find an "average" unit with odds that are doable. Buy a preference point with your application, so your odds increase the following year if you're unsuccessful the first time around.
Thanks MwScott72. My wife and I have 2 points each but these other guys don't have any. I'll do the research and see what I can't come up with. Thanks again.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Remember when you put in as a group or party, your points will be averaged. If there are 4 of you and 2 have 2 pts and 2 have none, your party average will be 1.
A thought is that you and your wife could draw a decent unit and your buddies could draw a surrounding unit that requires 0 points. That way you could share camp but still hunt your own areas. This may pose travel issues, but at least 1/2 of you will have a decent unit to hunt and the other two could get their feet wet and still have a good time helping you guys hunt.
Or you could look into the spec app and research what units can be drawn with 1 point that have decent access.
Or you could look into the spec app and research what units can be drawn with 1 point that have decent access.
BobT
Active Member
I hunted unit 20 and 21 both this year, only hunted one morning in 20 so I can't really say too much about it but if I were going to hunt either unit again it would only be with private land access arranged before hand. I will say the area is very scenic and I had a great time just taking pictures, there were antelope on public land but the public spots were so crowded for the most part that it was very unlikely that a stalk could be completed without interference from other hunters. Saw guys chasing pronghorns with ATV's herding them onto private land too. Part of the area was inaccessible due to muddy roads which concentrated people even more. I would recommend looking at other units, Kaycee is worth a stop though, they have a small museum that was fun to see.
Bob
Bob
Topgun 30-06
Banned
The OP idea of a deer tag in Region M is also probably a big mistake as there is very little accessible public land in the region that holds deer to any extent. Licenses were cut way back a year ago and this season the doe permits issued were also limited strictly to private lands because deer numbers have been going down. I would strongly suggest that unless you also have access to a ranch in that region that you forget that idea too!
Musket Man
Veteran member
There are some good units you can draw with 2-3 points in the reg draw and 1 point in the sp draw. I would not burn points on a unit with marginal access. There are to many units with good access to deal with poor access if you have points. There are plenty of units with access issues that you can draw 2nd choice or even have left over tags you can hunt if you do your research if you just want to go hunting and wont be upset when most of the antelope are 100 yards from the BLM line on private property. 20 and 21 both had leftover tags last year.
Eberle
Veteran member
Musket Man
Veteran member
I expected to draw region C 2nd choice last year and it went from having leftover tags the year before to about 5 to 1 odds 2nd choice last year. I think region E did something similar. Just saying some things have changed recently with quota cuts and areas that usually have leftovers may not anymore.
Topgun 30-06
Banned
im confused. i'm looking at a topo map for antelope unit 21 (aka middle fork, between casper and buffalo) . it seems at least 25% of the unit is BLM land, most of which is accessible via county roads, i.e. not land locked.
yet DNR warns that 21 is low on public land, it has left over tags every year, and people in this thread says to look elsewhere if you dont mind paying for access to private land.
can anyone tell me what i am missing? the topo map is here:
http://www.mytopo.com/products/hunt-area-unit.cfm?state=WY&species=ANTELOPE&gmu=21
yet DNR warns that 21 is low on public land, it has left over tags every year, and people in this thread says to look elsewhere if you dont mind paying for access to private land.
can anyone tell me what i am missing? the topo map is here:
http://www.mytopo.com/products/hunt-area-unit.cfm?state=WY&species=ANTELOPE&gmu=21
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Some or part of the roads listed have been given back to the landowners which makes them a private road, not public. No public road no access. A lot of people make the mistake that there's a road so I can drive on it. Need to talk to local wardens to verify that the roads are not seasonal and don't get gated and locked or that there just that not a private road and you can actual drive down it.
GOSHENGRUNTER
Active Member
hunted 21 last year....there are several roads on the topo and gps that aren't actually roads when you get there....some are totally non existant. Plan on being able to drive the perimeter roads and some 2 tracks...that's it
thanks for the answers guys! so even numbered county road (e.g. 113/114/115 that makes the southern border of unit 21) are not necessarily open to the public? seems its a gravel road and one can clearly see the cattle grate on google street view. as strange as it sounds, i read elsewhere that this may be a good sign the road is closed to the public (?)
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.419465,-106.38736,3a,75y,265.8h,58.15t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6ShaBaAuHDHzC4GhE9-5Xw!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.419465,-106.38736,3a,75y,265.8h,58.15t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6ShaBaAuHDHzC4GhE9-5Xw!2e0
PlainsHunter
Active Member
There are cattle gates (auto gates) on many public roads in WY from what I've seen. The maps that I have show 113,114 and 115 as public roads.
I've read in other posts that some roads in 21 have locked gates....
I'm not looking to hunt 21 but it looks to me like 113,114 and 115 are public.
BobT and MWScott72 - any comments? Sounds like you guys both have experience in the area
Thanks!
I've read in other posts that some roads in 21 have locked gates....
I'm not looking to hunt 21 but it looks to me like 113,114 and 115 are public.
BobT and MWScott72 - any comments? Sounds like you guys both have experience in the area
Thanks!
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Go to the WY county website in question. They should have a link on their website that shows a map of all the roads maintained by that County (i.e. public). Take your paper BLM map if you have one and use a color highlighter to mark these roads on your map.
I haven't yet figured out a way to know 100% for sure if a non-county road shown on a BLM map road that crosses private lands is open to the public or not. Primary BLM roads with BLM access signage are pretty easy to figure out. The secondary roads are a different story. It gets interesting when you get to a barbwire cross-fence on what appears to be an open BLM roadway with an unlocked unsigned barbed wire closed cattle gate crossing the roadway you are traveling right on the line dividing private property and BLM. Are you permitted to travel through the private on the roadway to the public on the other side or not?
With regards to cattle guards, they are are pretty standard on the primary roads in cattle country, and to the contrary usually means the road IS open to the public...
Horniac