wishing I was there

[maine canoe guide]

I'm reading all of these posts everyone headed out on trophy hunts, meat hunts and everything in between. As things are I'm stuck here in Maine for this season... whitetails for me this year. Next season I'm headed to Wyoming for a diy antelope hunt so i'm doing the internet research picking a zone and such. I like the advise of contacting landowner personally but I don't have that option being 2,000 miles away. Any one had any luck putting ads in the local paper or other resources Craigslist etc?

That being said I would like to say I have learned a lot from reading this forum and good hunting to all those lucky enough to be in Wyoming this season

 

[ivorytip]

I hear ya man, obviously sucks more for you living so far away but im sitting at work right now while my usual hunting party is up in the mountains hunting elk. just doesn't feel right. I keep waiting for the phone call to come up and help haul meat off of the mountain!

 

[hoshour]

I would pick a unit that's got some public land and some walk-in areas or hunter management areas so you have some places you know you can hunt, then ask the ranchers in person when you get there. You can get their names ahead of time from onXmaps and do some googling to find out where to find them. Plan on spending the first day or so knocking on doors.

Bring your laptop and do some Google Earth research at the motel on the areas you get permission for, plus some ranchers may help you out and tell you where they have seen good bucks, especially if you buy a doe tag.

 

[maine canoe guide]

Yeah this isn't totally new to me I went on a guided goat hunt last year and got the bug bad. This time I think it would be fun to go at it diy style. Why would it be better to have a doe tag or do you mean as well? That's exactly what I want to do is spend a few days glassing for a buck and then pick a doe for the freezer. I'm sure ranchers are tired of phone calls from out of state hunters. I'm always up to meet locals where ever I go. what are onxmaps I haven't seen that name yet?

Thanks

 

[ivorytip]

http://forum.eastmans.com/showthread.php/15100-ONXMAPS-which-one
The state chip by far IMO is the way to go. sd card for gps shows public and private lands including owners names of private. best $100 ive ever spent

 

[hoshour]

onXmaps is a company that mainly makes chips for GPS units or software for phones. Both show the topo lines and land ownership with boundaries, and if you get the state version, the landowner names as well. Use it with the the Base Camp download to use it on on your desktop. It is amazing - super helpful.

It will also show you the roads, unit boundary and water features, including springs, which of course is extremely important when you're hunting antelope because they won't be too far from water - they live in a dry climate (especially this year) and need to drink often

 

[maine canoe guide]

That is what I'll do. The antelope I shot last year we spotted close to a cattle tank but it was getting dark. The guide said he would hang right there and the next morning we spotted him about 1/4 mile away. That would never happen here in maine hunting whitetails. We have water everywhere. From your post it sound's like its been dry in Wyoming. That's too bad

 

[hunter25]

I'ts nearly impossible to draw a unit with public land without preference points. Plus the unit I like has gone from 3 points to 6 in just the last couple years. I used to go every year but have skipped the last couple as we haven't even been able to draw doe tags lately.

That said I've made good use of hunter management areas in the past. Although somewhat crowded usually they always seem to produce. At least if hunted in the opening week. Later I've not done so well. I've hunted at least 5 of them in different units and always filled the tags.