Unit help for antelope please?

[SmokeRock]

Hey guys, new to the forum here. As usual, it seems I'm late to the party. I have about 24 hrs to figure out what units to put in for. My FIL and I are planning to make our first western big game hunt this year. We are going DIY in Wyoming for antelope with rifles. We each have 1 PP from last year. I have been looking over this stuff for months and talking to anyone I could, thinking I could find a ranch to hunt in an easy to draw unit. All that has fallen through, so now I'm back to finding a unit with reasonable public access. We aren't worried about trophy size but would like to get bucks.

So, my first question is regarding the Eastmans' MRS data tables. The table lists three columns that describe access, and it seems they sometimes contradicts each other. For example, unit 21 has an *, indicating difficult public access, as well as "Fair" under access, yet somehow gets a letter grade of "B" for access. Then unit 51 has no *, yet gets "Poor" and "D" for access. Am I misunderstanding what one of these three represent?

For units, with 1 PP in mind, I am looking at 31, 7, 18, 21, and 51 at the moment. Based on those tables, these units had 100% success with 0-1 PP last year and have access described as "fair". Does anyone have experience in these? How is access? If am certainly open to other suggestions as well.

Thanks!

 

[Work2hunt]

I have hunted 21, but can not speak to the access of the others. 21 is accessible, but get off the road and you will do better than the guys that do nothing but drive the roads all day long.

The * is just trying to let you know that the area has a high private to public land ratio. That can also be seen in the Public Land % column. As for the Access to Public Land Fair, Good, Poor....I think they are more trying to give you a heads up on how easy you can access the public land. For example, if you look at 108 it is 70% public land, but the access is poor because the unit looks like a checkerboard. Again the letter grade is just trying to apply a grade to the good, fair, poor IMO.

I was in your shoes not too long ago and here is my recommendation. Use the MRS as a starting point along with the draw odds for the species and sex of the animal you are looking to hunt. In the case look at the draw odds for (I assume) a buck pronghorn. Find units that took 0 or 1 PP and were 100% draw with those PPs. Point creep may get you in some units but that can be hard to predict. Then start looking at some BLM or topo maps with land ownership (such as mytopo.com or similar). When you are looking at the maps look for the public land and then the roads to access the public land. Cross out the public land areas you can not access. A tip....in Wyoming just because a road leads to it does not mean you can access it. When in question call the local county road maintenance crew and see if they maintain the road or not. If not, mark it as private.

From there hopefully you feel comfortable with a couple units and can make your decision.

Good luck.

 

[go_deep]

There's plenty of antelope, and land in everyone of those units. Just got to pick one and apply.

 

[hoshour]

The Access grade combines the Public Land % and the Access to Public Land rating. It looks like it might be a little off for units 108, 110 and 21.

Unit 51 is the highest rated of the units you mentioned but, while it did take only 1 point to draw in 2015, it took more points in the special draw and took 2 and 3 points to draw 100% in 2014 and 2013. You may find that 1 point is not enough in 2016. This is why the MRS should be used as a starting point for research, not the end point. Next year, you will need to start your research earlier.

Of the other units you mentioned, my choice would be 31 and listing a 2nd choice from among the units listed in the MRS that last year were drawable for some as a 2nd choice.

 

[SmokeRock]

Wow guys, all three quality responses! I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. Let's me know I'm on the right track. Will for sure start much earlier next time.

I have a quick question about doe tags. Once I choose a unit to draw for, do I also put in for doe tags or do I wait to see which unit I draw and buy tags over the counter?

 

[Work2hunt]

Wow guys, all three quality responses! I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. Let's me know I'm on the right track. Will for sure start much earlier next time.

I have a quick question about doe tags. Once I choose a unit to draw for, do I also put in for doe tags or do I wait to see which unit I draw and buy tags over the counter?

You can apply for doe units too. If memory serves me correctly there is a check box to use that will only let you draw the doe tags if you draw your buck tag.

 

[SmokeRock]

Ok, just pulled the trigger. 1. 31, 2. 7, 3. 16
I guess we'll see what happens! Thanks again for the help guys.

 

[WapitiBob]

But there is no correlation between the doe tags and buck tag units when more than one choice is made for each. The op could draw his 5th choice buck tag and his 1st choice doe tags.

 

[SmokeRock]

That's how it looked to me when I applied so I decided to just hold off on the doe tags until I see the draw results.

 

[Alabama]

Ok, just pulled the trigger. 1. 31, 2. 7, 3. 16
I guess we'll see what happens! Thanks again for the help guys.

It looks like 31 had about an 80% chance as 1st choice. If the trend continues like the last few years you will have a 0% chance of drawing unit 7 as your 2nd choice. Unless you put in for the special tag. It says in the MRS it was a 100% draw with 0 points with a chance of drawing as 2nd choice, but in reality it was only about 18% draw as 1st choice with 0 points. I would change my app to a different 2nd choice if I were you. You can draw the following units as 2nd choice: 1,2,3,4,10,15,16,17,19, 20,22,23,24,25,29-2,102,109,113-2, and maybe a small chance at 8 and 30. 16 is a lock as 3rd choice.

 

[SmokeRock]

It looks like 31 had about an 80% chance as 1st choice. If the trend continues like the last few years you will have a 0% chance of drawing unit 7 as your 2nd choice. Unless you put in for the special tag. It says in the MRS it was a 100% draw with 0 points with a chance of drawing as 2nd choice, but in reality it was only about 18% draw as 1st choice with 0 points. I would change my app to a different 2nd choice if I were you. You can draw the following units as 2nd choice: 1,2,3,4,10,15,16,17,19, 20,22,23,24,25,29-2,102,109,113-2, and maybe a small chance at 8 and 30. 16 is a lock as 3rd choice.

Wow, you're right. I just went and looked at the actual numbers from WY G&F and it looks like there shouldn't have been a chance to draw 7 as a 2nd choice. I wonder why MRS showed it did. Gonna try to quickly make a new game plan. Thanks.

 

[buckbull]

Wow, you're right. I just went and looked at the actual numbers from WY G&F and it looks like there shouldn't have been a chance to draw 7 as a 2nd choice. I wonder why MRS showed it did. Gonna try to quickly make a new game plan. Thanks.

The MRS is an excellent research tool but shouldn't be the only one. Mistakes happen. Once your research whittles down the number of units to a manageable list its a good idea to look up the draw odds on the states website or even other websites like hunterstrailhead.