Blue Chip Unit's question for Mike

[huntnrich]

Mike, I had Max Non-resident bonus points this year, so I put in for one of your blue chip area Unit #94. I've spent 9 days up there and I honestly haven't seen a buck that would go 74 inches. I haven't seen a buck I'd shoot the last day, last minute of the hunt. I know the winter was bad there, but I was told by the biologist that we lost most of the younger deer & antelope in this area. So that don't make sense why I can't find even a 14" Antelope. My friend finally shot a 13" dink, and he said it was the best he could find. That's alot of points and years to waste on a 13" Antelope with no mass.

Rich

 

[DrHJH]

I'm not Mike, but remember antelope push the old horns off the cores in November and are growing horns all winter. If, like me, you typically draw licenses in the "best" areas after a bad winter, you may not find animals of trophy quality, because the bucks spent their energy trying to stay alive rather than growing larger horns. Exceptions might occur where antelope were near fields of alfalfa and went into the winter in better shape. It's nature, and sometimes those are the breaks after bad winters.

 

[huntnrich]

DRHJH

Your probably right. I'm just sick, waiting that long to draw. Last year I put in for 90/2 with 4 points and didn't draw. So I jumped shipped to unit #94 because my friend shot a 85" and I knew of several other 80+" shot in 94. Anyway just my luck.

Rich

 

[Elkoholic307]

What's your question?

 

[Drhorsepower]

What's your question?

Guess that's why they call it hunting and not killing. Sorry dude.

What is your question?

 

[Elkoholic307]

Mine or huntnrich?

 

[Mike]

I just got back from trophy trout hunting and checked in to the forum. Huntnrich, southwest Wyoming had a bad spring. It started to snow heavy in March and didn’t let up until will into May. The first groups to winter kill is of courses the young plus also the older bucks and does. During the spring bucks grow the length of their horns. But with a bad spring it will effective length and of course base growth. Hey! Out west winterkill will happen sometime in every unit. This unit has excellent trophy bucks on a normal year. Read section 2 of my antelope book and Chapter 9 Field Judging. With the plan I outlined you can hunt every fall for antelope. At least every other year you can hunt an excellent unit. But most importantly you can hunt every fall for buck antelope in some unit. All of us hunters have had winterkill effect units we hunt at one time or the other. Don’t give up! Good Luck Next Fall Mike Eastman

 

[Elkoholic307]

Trophy trout hunting?

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

That's very good information about watching the winter situation for antelope in Wyoming...you're right the horn growth occurs earlier in the year then for deer or elk. I'll add that to my notes!

 

[EBOLAVIRS]

In my opinion by the time a unit gets hot enough to make the magazines, its not going to be hot anymore. If I was you I would do some boots on the ground type research and rely less on the magazines for unit info. Call around to some taxidermists in the areas you want to hunt, talk to people who have actually hunted the areas you are interested in, scout some if you can. You will get better information that way.

 

[dhaffner]

Non-Res otc 4th choice unit. Building points is fine, but there is no excuse for not hunting.

 

[Muley Crazy]

WOW great buck thanks for posting !!!