Total Newb - Would Appreciate Some Advice on Antelope...

V

VanderLaan

New Member
Oct 4, 2013
6
0
I am trying to lay the groundwork for an antelope hunt in Wyoming for 2014 for me and my son. Outside of ducks and roosters in ND and SD, I have never hunted "out west". To be honest, this is a bit overwhelming. I understand that I need to get BLM maps and compare them to Wyoming antelope units to ensure that there is enough public ground in the unit that I intend to draw. Therein lies my problem. How does one determine if an antelope unit has decent population?

Given that I am the proverbial virgin when it comes to hunting the west, I am not looking to hold out for a monster, but I do want to apply for a permit in a unit with a good population that will allow us to have a good hunt and a chance at some decent bucks (and perhaps a few does too). Not looking for anyone to divulge their honey-holes, but rather for someone to point me in the right direction or area. Any other ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks-

Bill
 
AT Hiker

AT Hiker

Very Active Member
Aug 2, 2012
638
0
Tennessee
If you havent already, subscribe to Eastmans magazine and start researching there MRS. In the special application for WY you could likely draw a OK area with 0 points. Basically you want accessible public land with decent antelope numbers.

Or you could start looking into trespass fees right now, pricey but secures you a spot to hunt.
 
MWScott72

MWScott72

Active Member
Jan 27, 2012
220
0
West Jordan, UT
Bill-
If you're wanting to chase antelope in WY, really all you have to do is pull a tag and make sure that you have access to hunt - whether that be private or public. Take a look at the info available on the WY Game and Fish website - you'll see that the average success rate is in the 80s or higher with most taking an animal in the first 3 or 4 days. I honestly think it's that long because many people are more selective. Info presented can also tell you which units are the most popular and how many points it's going to take to draw individual units (on average). Generally the eastern 1/3 of the state is 100% draw because there's so much private land to deal with. Central and western WY take anywhere from 2 pts up to draw tags. If you're a WY resident, there are no points that I'm aware of - it's just a straight up, random draw for resident tags.

So...my advice. Pick a couple units that interest you and get on the horn with that unit's warden and biologist to see if there are the number of animals that you want. At the same time, inquire about public access / lands - generally the eastern third of WY has lots of private land and small, cut up chunks of public land mixed in. The farther west you go, the more public land that is available. Finding out exactly where public land is located is as easy as getting a 1:100,000 BLM map that will show you how the land is divided up. Once you have a unit decided upon and draw the tag, I'd get a GPS with a hunting chip in it so you know exactly where you are in relation to the various boundaries. WY puts it on the hunter to know where they're at - landowners are not required to post their land (as far as I know), and you can be cited for trespassing even on unmarked private land.
 
R

Rutt

New Member
Sep 18, 2013
2
0
An easy option is to find an area with easy draw odds, locate private land through a warden or chamber of commerce and pay a trespass fee to hunt. The rancher will let you know where to hunt, the speed goats will be relaxed and there will be more goats than on nearby public land. The money spent on a trespass fee was worth it to me as a first timer feeling a unsure of what to expect.
 
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