Trying to decide between 3 Wyoming units

[gfontela]

My buddy and I currently have 1 preference point and are thinking about using it to go on a hunt this coming fall. We have tentatively narrowed things down to 48(2) Special Draw, 91(1) Special Draw, and 83(1) Regular Draw. I understand that our draw odds at 91 would be pretty low, but not impossible according to the MRS.

We have never hunted antelope before (or anything out west for that matter) and are trying to pick a hunt with decent public access, good antelope numbers/sightings on the public land, and decent trophy potential (we would be happy with antelope in the lower to mid 70s, they don't need to be monsters but we want something we can put on the wall). We will probably not hunt opening weekend and plan to have 5 or 6 hunting days (probably Sunday to Saturday) a week or two into the season.

I would appreciate any advise regarding the current state of these units and recommendations between them.

I also wanted to try gather more information by calling biologists and any other resources available, but am not sure who to contact or where to start. I have only been able to find the phone numbers for Game and Fish Regional Offices.

Thanks a lot for any help. I am really excited to finally go on my first hunt out west.

Gaston

 

[Hilltop]

I have no experience in those areas so I can't offer too much advice in choosing. To gain more information, I would speak with the game wardens for these individual areas. Some of the areas will have more than one warden as they sometimes are split by region. The Game Wardens will have real time information and have been extremely helpful to me anytime I have called with questions. You will typically have to leave them a message and they will call you back. You can search on line to find their information and how to contact them. If you call the regional office over your areas they will also give you the warden's contact info. The regional offices will also maintain a list of landowners that allow hunting for each area. Some charge a fee and some do not. I would also research any HMAs in the specific areas. They are private land that the WGF contracts to allow public access for free. They can be very good hunting- especially a week or two into the season. Good luck guys!

 

[hoshour]

I'm guessing you have no preference points. The way I read the MRS, the only one of the three you can draw in the special draw with no points is 48-2. For Area 91 you have a 32% chance and in 83 a 21% chance.

If I was interested enough to pay the extra money to put into the special draw for antelope, I'd want the unit with the best odds. They're all good units.

 

[gfontela]

Me and my buddy each have one preference point. According to the MRS I would have 100% draw odds at 48(2) Special Draw, 32% at 91(1) Special Draw, and 60% at 83(1) Regular Draw which is surprisingly higher odds then the Special Draw.

 

[Musket Man]

I think any of those would be a good hunt. I would also consider 73. 48 would be my last choice of those only because the areas of public land are smaller in it and I like larger pieces of public land to get away from other hunters. Also I think some of the southern part of 83 is on the Reservation, but there is still plenty of blm to hunt in the northern part. From what I have herd they have had a pretty decent winter and there is some chance of some quotas increasing so draw odds could get a bit better but its too soon to know on that yet.

 

[WapitiBob]

I'd apply for 2 doe tags each and figure on getting 2 more in the leftovers, maybe a close unit, and figure out what you're doing then burn points next year when you have some mud on your boots.
Those 4 doe tags will run about $165 and that dinker buck will cost you about $280.

 

[gfontela]

Thanks for the info Musket. I was actually considering 73 as their Special Draw has 77% odds with 1 point, but I noticed that the buck success rate for 73(1) was only 66% last year (MRS success rates include does and fawns), and the days/harvest was 6.1 which was really high compared to most units. It also only has 45% public land. Should I not rely on those numbers for some reason?

 

[gfontela]

Wapiti, my buddy and I are in Miami, Florida and would have to fly out there which is really expensive, and take a full week off work. I would definitely like to start doing something like that if I was close by, but this is going to be a big trip for us.

 

[Musket Man]

Thanks for the info Musket. I was actually considering 73 as their Special Draw has 77% odds with 1 point, but I noticed that the buck success rate for 73(1) was only 66% last year (MRS success rates include does and fawns), and the days/harvest was 6.1 which was really high compared to most units. It also only has 45% public land. Should I not rely on those numbers for some reason?

I see an 81% success rate and 4.2 days/harvest for 73 in the MRS. 45% public land is pretty good since its a big unit, the chunks of public land are fairly big and and there is good access to them. I might switch to 73 my self if the unit I been hunting doesnt stop taking so many more points then it used to.

 

[Scott Allen]

Wapiti, my buddy and I are in Miami, Florida and would have to fly out there which is really expensive, and take a full week off work. I would definitely like to start doing something like that if I was close by, but this is going to be a big trip for us.

From Miami my self and went out last year for the first time. You will have a great time... do your research on public land and the access to public land, it can be tricky.

 

[gfontela]

Those are the 2012 numbers. The MRS does not show the 2013 success rates, but if you to the Wyoming Game and Fish website you can see them. The dropoff from 2012 to 2013 scared me off a little bit.

 

[WapitiBob]

Wapiti, my buddy and I are in Miami, Florida and would have to fly out there which is really expensive, and take a full week off work. I would definitely like to start doing something like that if I was close by, but this is going to be a big trip for us.

Exactly my point. That boned out buck will fit I your fanny pack, and it's a one and done deal.
WY is a 16 hour drive, one way for us. The cost isn't lost on me. I'm out to get the biggest bang for my $$ when I go to WY, which is why I shoot does there.

 

[Musket Man]

Those are the 2012 numbers. The MRS does not show the 2013 success rates, but if you to the Wyoming Game and Fish website you can see them. The dropoff from 2012 to 2013 scared me off a little bit.

I wouldnt worry about 1 years numbers all that much. Alot of numbers are pretty deceiving anyways since you have no idea how many were taken on private land. Large pieces of public land and someway to access them are the biggest things I would look for. Doe tags can be good and I have got a few for extra meat but does just arent very exciting to me and I doubt I will get any more of them.

 

[MWScott72]

WapitiBob is right...squirrel away as many of those doe tags as you can. If you're flying out from FL and have a case of the itchy trigger finger on day 1 of your hunt, it may be a long hunt. Might as well whack a few does - despite what many will say (not on this site though), antelope is really good IF you take care of it (don't shoot them after being run, shoot them calm, and cool them off immediately).

I hunted 48 last year. Plenty of public land and with 5-6 days of hunting you should easily find a 70s buck for the wall. One word of advice though...get a hunting GPS chip. There's a lot of checkerboard throughout most of the unit, and you'll need to know where you're at in real time. There are 2 HMAs too (Hanna Draw and Simpson Ridge) that you can get access to. You have to apply though.

Fringe benefit of 48 is that the western boundary is the Miracle Mile of the Platte. Great trout fishing at that time of year.

Word I have heard is that goat levels are lower in 83. Still there no doubt but less usable habitat leads to few animals overall. That's just hearsay, but generally the central / southern desert areas of WY will have more goats than units around the Bighorn Basin (I think that's where 83 is located...haven't looked at the map in awhile).

If you draw 48, let me know and I can help you out with what I know. B/t/w - I shot a 70s buck in less than 3 days of hunting. My partner and I also shot our 3 does in that same amount of time. He also had a buck tag that he filled. They are there.

 

[WapitiBob]

The whole btm half of 48 is unlimited hma after the first week of October. But, it's a little flatter and more open than the upper half.

 

[gfontela]

WapitiBob, I don't really understand your post. Is there a Hunter Management Area that is closed until the first week of October then opens to everyone? The bottom half of 48 looks like checkerboard to me.



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[Hilltop]

Those are the 2012 numbers. The MRS does not show the 2013 success rates, but if you to the Wyoming Game and Fish website you can see them. The dropoff from 2012 to 2013 scared me off a little bit.[/QUOTE]

Please keep in mind the weather last year. I'll tag on a picture of my antelope hunt. It was the most snow I have ever had to hunt in that early. I guarantee the weather had an influence on those success rates. In some areas the drifting was bad enough to limit vehicle access. I literally went through a 5 foot deep, 50 yard wide, drift during my stalk. The ground blizzard made the shot very difficult to say the least. I had to leave my scope covers on until the last few seconds before the shot. This was on opening day for my area in September- Very unusual early storm.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

The early storms had a lot to do with success rates last Fall. Many of the old timers told me they hadn't seen an October like that in 60 to 70 years. I've only missed a couple years out there since1992 and have never seen weather like we had that early on into most of October.

For the OP: If you intend to fly out from FL, what transportation and lodging have you looked into while on your hunt? The reason I ask is that anyone venturing off the blacktop or gravel roads out there to do a good hunt better have a 4x4 vehicle and some chains along for at least two, and preferably all four wheels, the way the dirt turns to snot out there with very little precipitation. Even if you can get a rental vehicle, it probably won't have chains for it and they can get expensive IF you can find ones to fit the vehicle. Also, if you fly I would assume you will have to stay in a motel and drive to and from the hunt area, unless you stay in the vehicle overnight wherever you end up each day. The latter may be difficult since you also need to look at the food issue you'll need on the hunt. Just the vehicle issue alone could cause a tremendous problem if you get out there and what is supposed to be "reserved", if you can even find a suitable rental, is not there! To do a DIY hunt, rather than an outfitted hunt when you fly takes an awful lot of extra planning and some good luck to accomplish.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

From Miami my self and went out last year for the first time. You will have a great time... do your research on public land and the access to public land, it can be tricky.

Did you fly out or drive from FL for your hunt and was it a DIY hunt?

 

[CrossCreeks]

I have not been in the other two areas but have been through 48 and hunted area 47 next to it . Saw lots of antelope in 48 more than in 47 where we hunting ( and we saw plenty in 47) . You should be able to a kill a respectable one no problem. You might run into some hunting pressure the 1st week but if you hunt after the 1st week you will find the antelope a lot more skidish at least we did. At any rate I think you will have a good hunt if you choose # 48. We stayed in Medicine Bow.