New to Eastmans

[Joseph]

I found this site while researching antelope hunting in Wyoming. I really like how it is set up. First of all I'll introduce myself. I'm Canadian and live in southern British Columbia(BC), I'm basically a mountain hunter due to the fact that 99% of my hunting is within 40-50km(25-30miles) of my home. I hunt mule deer, whitetail, elk, grouse, rabbit, coyotes, wolves, turkey and waterfowl. I was successful in one of our draws and had the opportunity to hunt mountain goat in my region(4-06) but discovered quite quickly that goat hunting is perhaps not my thing. I tried hard but in reality I think I would need to find a goat with vertigo, they live in places that I find insane. I hunt on foot and my favourite way to hunt is backpacking up into one of our high alpine lakes and hunting the subalpine for mule deer or elk. The cutthroat fishing is often very productive(not huge fish but between the two of us we usually catch enough for a meal) so some trips more fishing gets done then hunting.
The reason I was researching Wyoming was all due to a magazine article in Successful Hunter this past summer which described a hunt into Wyoming's high mountain valleys. The author backpacked into some incredible backcountry where I would never have guessed Pronghorn live. Now I realize from reading the regs that nonresidents require a guide in designated wilderness areas but many antelope hunt areas, specifically 84,85,86,87 have large portions which are not designated wilderness yet are still in the mountains. In the next 4-5 years I would love to hunt pronghorn so I'm starting now looking at what is involved. I am not a trophy hunter so I'm not interested in a monster, in fact I would even be interested in taking a doe just to be able to do a trip like this. And truth be told the budget is tight so buying a lot of pp is not feasible. Does anyone have first hand knowledge of what these areas are like, ie public access, what camping is like, would packing in 5-6hrs to a day on foot get me far enough in to be out of the crowds, do I need to be drawn for a doe or if it possible to purchase a tag over the counter. Honestly though my backpacking trips are more about the getting into some really incredible areas than putting an animal on the ground. Not saying I don't try hard but if I only hunted for the kill I would have given up decades ago.
Anyhow thanks in advance to anyone willing to share information and once again this has to be the best hunting forum I've come across yet.

 

[N.Y.ArcheryMadMan]

Welcome to the Forum there are alot of Great people here from Coast to Coast.....

 

[CoHiCntry]

Backpack antelope hunting? I've never heard of that or read any articles on it. Sounds interesting though! I'll be curious to see if anyone has any information. Welcome to the forum!

 

[mnhoundman]

Welcome! There are alot of super good people on here that may help you out. I've only been out goat hunting once so I can't be much help, but seems they move alot when everyone's chasing them around.I would say the best bet that I've seen is to stay close to the truck so you can keep moving, unless on private ground they seem a little tamer. When I went out there was alot of people out chasing them so they were really spooky covering alot of ground and they seem to stay where they can see miles, that's about all I know. Not sure on those units though. Good luck!

 

[HiMtnHnter]

Backpack antelope hunting? I've never heard of that or read any articles on it. Sounds interesting though! I'll be curious to see if anyone has any information. Welcome to the forum!

I've "backpacked" a few antelope out . . . There are some areas in Wyoming, primarily western Wyoming, where you can find antelope in higher remote areas that may necessitate a backpack camp. Look for a hunt that starts as early as possible in September, when the weather is more likely to be nice. I've seen them then up above 9,000 feet near aspen stands in early September.

 

[mnhoundman]

I've "backpacked" a few antelope out . . . There are some areas in Wyoming, primarily western Wyoming, where you can find antelope in higher remote areas that may necessitate a backpack camp. Look for a hunt that starts as early as possible in September, when the weather is more likely to be nice. I've seen them then up above 9,000 feet near aspen stands in early September.

That sounds like fun, have to keep that in mind.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Joseph]

I've "backpacked" a few antelope out . . . There are some areas in Wyoming, primarily western Wyoming, where you can find antelope in higher remote areas that may necessitate a backpack camp. Look for a hunt that starts as early as possible in September, when the weather is more likely to be nice. I've seen them then up above 9,000 feet near aspen stands in early September.

This is the exact type of hunt I'm interested in, remote mountainous and requires a backpack. Himtnhnter did you find a lot of other hunters out there? Western Wyoming is definitely where I'm looking and yes I would appreciate the better weather in September but I am fairly well prepared for snow. Most of our trips after September are in the snow, this year my hunting partner and I spent 6 days chasing mule deer in 8-9inches of snow(this was where we had our camp some higher elevations had more). However am I correct in guessing that the first real snow gets the antelope heading for lower ground?

 

[hardstalk]

I've BACKPACKED a few as well. Welcome to the forum Joseph! Do you by chance have a link to the article you are referring to? I would be interested to read it. Most people stay pretty mobile while chasing antelope, its the most efficient way to hunt them in my opinion. Of course one could backpack/bivy after them. But once you blow an opportunity (which is pretty common with their vision) they will put a couple miles between you and them pretty quick leaving you spending the day following a dust trail.

 

[HiMtnHnter]

This is the exact type of hunt I'm interested in, remote mountainous and requires a backpack. Himtnhnter did you find a lot of other hunters out there? Western Wyoming is definitely where I'm looking and yes I would appreciate the better weather in September but I am fairly well prepared for snow. Most of our trips after September are in the snow, this year my hunting partner and I spent 6 days chasing mule deer in 8-9inches of snow(this was where we had our camp some higher elevations had more). However am I correct in guessing that the first real snow gets the antelope heading for lower ground?

In general you will not find as many guys hunting higher country. Any antelope area that has mountain country has the chance of harboring herds of antelope up higher if the conditions are right, like migration corridors with sage brush pockets leading to higher country. Dense timber will usually cut them off. I would put a call into some of the G&F offices in the western 1/3 of the state to narrow down areas that have what you're looking for. Once the snow flies the antelope are quickly bound for lower country. The foothills of the Absaroka and Wind Rivers would be a good starting point, but also the lesser known mountain ranges throughout the state will hold antelope in less traditional areas.

 

[Musket Man]

Thats about how I BACKPACKED my buck most of a mile this year hardstalk! Antelope at 9000 does sound interesting. I had never considered hunting them up that high.

 

[Joseph]

I've BACKPACKED a few as well. Welcome to the forum Joseph! Do you by chance have a link to the article you are referring to? I would be interested to read it. Most people stay pretty mobile while chasing antelope, its the most efficient way to hunt them in my opinion. Of course one could backpack/bivy after them. But once you blow an opportunity (which is pretty common with their vision) they will put a couple miles between you and them pretty quick leaving you spending the day following a dust trail.

Hey hardstalk, Sorry I can't set you up with a link but the article I was referring to was in Successful Hunter July/August 2013, the Backcountry Bound section, Hunt Pronghorn Where They're Not by Jack Ballard. It's a very interesting article with the style of hunting being somewhat similar to highcountry mule deer hunting, spot and stalk or still hunting the edges of high mountain valleys.
Anyhow thanks for all the replies, I've got a lot of homework to do.

 

[MWScott72]

Another possible location to check out (again in the western 1/3 of WY would be the east side of the Wyoming Range. I still think you'll see most of your antelope at lower elevations. We have seen some up higher on the eastern side of McDougal Pass though.

Personally, I think if you're going to come to WY for an antelope, you might as well embrace the experience and go mobile as many here have suggested. Even if you're not a trophy hunter, a mobile antelope hunt is one of the funnest things on this planet. The sheer number of animals you can see (if you pick the right unit which isn't too hard in WY) is amazing. If you want a backpack hunt, go for mule deer, whitetails (in the right areas where they are present), elk, or bear. Plenty of opportunities in the high country for them.

Incidentally, if you live in BC and are considering a trek to WY, how is $100-150 in preference points out of the question? It only costs $30 per year to buy a preference point (there is no requirement to purchase the tag up front), and with 4 or 5 points, the whole antelope world opens up in WY with only a couple of the most difficult to draw areas being out of the question. 5 years of points is only $150 total. How much are you going to spend just to get to and from WY?

Just some things to think about. Good luck if you do make the journey. As most here will attest, we are jealous of your living in such prime hunting country there in Canada.

 

[Joseph]

Another possible location to check out (again in the western 1/3 of WY would be the east side of the Wyoming Range. I still think you'll see most of your antelope at lower elevations. We have seen some up higher on the eastern side of McDougal Pass though.

Personally, I think if you're going to come to WY for an antelope, you might as well embrace the experience and go mobile as many here have suggested. Even if you're not a trophy hunter, a mobile antelope hunt is one of the funnest things on this planet. The sheer number of animals you can see (if you pick the right unit which isn't too hard in WY) is amazing. If you want a backpack hunt, go for mule deer, whitetails (in the right areas where they are present), elk, or bear. Plenty of opportunities in the high country for them.

Incidentally, if you live in BC and are considering a trek to WY, how is $100-150 in preference points out of the question? It only costs $30 per year to buy a preference point (there is no requirement to purchase the tag up front), and with 4 or 5 points, the whole antelope world opens up in WY with only a couple of the most difficult to draw areas being out of the question. 5 years of points is only $150 total. How much are you going to spend just to get to and from WY?

Just some things to think about. Good luck if you do make the journey. As most here will attest, we are jealous of your living in such prime hunting country there in Canada.

Thanks for the reply, I am definitely more interested in the western side of Wyoming. As to why I'm not really interested in a more mobile style of hunt is that I really don't like using my truck to hunt from. Yes it gets me to where I want to hunt but most times once I've left the truck in the dark I don't see it until either I'm done for the day or I find someone else in the area. Which leads me to another reason why I'm more interested in a pack in or walk in style hunt, I don't like seeing other hunters while I'm hunting or houses, or highways, or vehicles. I do like a challenge. The article I mentioned kind of piqued my interest so to speak.
As to the priority points for a more desirable draw for some reason I understood each point cost $100, as I said before I am very much in the early stages of planning this so $30 is a much better number and as you pointed out would be a minor cost overall. You also suggested a back pack style hunt for elk, mule deer, whitetail, or bear; well I already do those hunts right from home. Our rifle season starts September 10 and goes through until November 30 for some species (elk ends October 20 and mule deer November 10). Antelope however I can't hunt here and I would like to give them a try and see some different backcountry.
Unfortunately our prime hunting country is changing very rapidly, it is getting more and more difficult to find game. Fire suppression(causing rapid ingrowth on winter ranges), increasing predator numbers(wolves, cougars, and bears, but especially wolves), and habitat fragmentation. Even though hunter numbers are down there seems to anecdotal evidence that game numbers are way down.

 

[Musket Man]

Points in WY are $100 for trophy species. Deer/antelope are $30 and elk are $50. The best way to avoid other hunters antelope hunting is to not hunt the opening of the season. Most tags will be filled in the first days or week of the season and most of those antelope will be killed less then a mile from a road. After that you will have alot of country to yourself. If you hunt a unit with lots of public land there will be plenty of country you can walk into and not see other hunters. Look for areas with good public land and few roads. Most hunters wont walk very far and if you are willing to walk you shouldnt have a problem getting away from other hunters. On the ranch I hunted last fall there were some other hunters that were just baffled that I walked in about a mile in the mud, killed the biggest antelope that had been killed on that ranch in the last few years and packed it out on my back, all within about 3 hours of getting there. They had been there for nearly week driving on the 2 gravel roads that were passible and still had their tags in their pockets.

 

[Joseph]

Points in WY are $100 for trophy species. Deer/antelope are $30 and elk are $50. The best way to avoid other hunters antelope hunting is to not hunt the opening of the season. Most tags will be filled in the first days or week of the season and most of those antelope will be killed less then a mile from a road. After that you will have alot of country to yourself. If you hunt a unit with lots of public land there will be plenty of country you can walk into and not see other hunters. Look for areas with good public land and few roads. Most hunters wont walk very far and if you are willing to walk you shouldnt have a problem getting away from other hunters. On the ranch I hunted last fall there were some other hunters that were just baffled that I walked in about a mile in the mud, killed the biggest antelope that had been killed on that ranch in the last few years and packed it out on my back, all within about 3 hours of getting there. They had been there for nearly week driving on the 2 gravel roads that were passible and still had their tags in their pockets.

Thanks for the information Musket Man, a decent walk in area with the opportunity to camp would be just fine, not all of my pack trips have to include mountains. In fact as I'm quickly becoming closer to 50 than 40 the mountains seem to be getting steeper, just got to keep doing it as long as I can.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Deer PPs are $40 in Wyoming, not $30, and moose are $75, not $100!

 

[MWScott72]

Antelope hunting is just a different hunt altogether. You can find some up high, but most will be in lower country that is cut up with roads, gas lines, well heads, power lines, etc...all signs of man's impact on the land. If you want to do a pack in hunt, I'd do what Musket Man advises and just hike in a mile or two off a road and hunt from there. Unless you have scouted a lot, that is going to likely limit the size of antelope you shoot. Most antelope country (especially in the western 1/3 of WY) is pretty harsh, high desert stuff and populations are spread out (more so on a wet year than on dry years where they're closer to water sources). Being mobile just allows you to see more animals, which typically, if you can hold off the trigger, allows you to shoot a bigger speed goat. To each their own though. You gotta do what you enjoy. If you get into the planning stages and need more info, I'll help where I can.

B/t/w - Sheep and mountain goat bonus points are the ones that are $100 in WY.

 

[Joseph]

Thanks MWScott72 for all the info. It probably makes more sense to just do as Musket Man suggested and do a walk in style hunt, as you say this limits me somewhat but still gives me the style of hunt I enjoy. As to the size of antelope I'm looking for, should I be lucky enough to do this hunt, it really does not matter. I'm not interested in taxidermy so size doesn't matter I would just like to hunt antelope at some point.