Wyoming antelope advice for family hunt

[Swedishhunter]

I am looking to take my Dad and son (14 yrs) on a pronghorn hunt next year. We have 6 points each and I am kind of scratching my head on what is the best option. We have lived overseas for 4 years and I have not been up to date but kept buying points thinking we would be in good shape by the time we moved back but now it seems creep has gone up quite a bit.

Anyway it is time to burn those points. What we are looking for is mostly a good time with family style hunting. Will drive in probably from Billings and set up base camp in a motel or camp ground. Happy to walk a bit to get away from crowds but only day-trips. Trophy quality is not important, but I'd really like to find an area where we can get on some animals on public land. Also willing to pay trespass fee but seems like a long shot, I suspect most private land is locked up by outfitters by now.

Obviously not looking for anyone's secret spots and will do my own research. But would truly appreciate some advice to put us in the right direction, which units to start looking at. I have hunted the Sheridan/Buffalo area before with an outfitter but there seems to be very little public land available so not sure it is worth the 6 points. Also not clear to me if the Special tags are worth a try, and whether they even exist for youth hunters.

Any advice appreciated.

Rick

 

[RICMIC]

I have hunted a north central unit in WY four times for antelope and was successful 1x on a buck, and 7x with 8 doe tags. The only reason that I didn't fill the last doe tag was my partners decided to go home early. We would camp 40 miles from the nearest town, and depending on the road conditions would hunt from camp on foot or branch out quite a ways on a UTV. I have found that in many cases it would have been easier to fill a buck tag than the doe tags (as long as you weren't particular about trophy size).
I finally have enough points to draw a buck tag again, but other hunts will keep me from applying for a year or two. I suggest that you start by looking at units that required 4 or 5 pts. this year, then look at the public land and access issues for that unit. Some areas had a significant downturn in antelope numbers, and I have noticed this to be the case in the area that I hunt. Good luck.

 

[Hilltop]

I think it may be challenging to predict points required for 2022. Over 4k tags were cut last year and I anticipate further reductions will happen this year. If I were in your shoes I would research several areas that took 4-5 points in 2021 and then wait for quotas to come out prior to making a decision. I'm glad to help if you research anything on the southern end of the state via PM. Good luck

 

[Rich M]

I first went in 2017. Since then permits have been harder to come by and the point requirements have done pretty decent jumps every year.

My advice is to find the hunt you want, the unit you want. And start applying. Keep buying the preference points in between and you'll get it sooner or later.

It's nice that half the guys in the game have this "hunting is better than waiting" attitude, that keeps the low point units active and allows the rest of us a chance.

 

[bux4brainz]

I would personally direct you to some of the units in the southwest corner of WY. Most of them can be draw with about 6 points...units 93, 94 & 100. But, who knows what will happen with the tag cuts?? Those units have plenty of public to hunt. A lot of the checkerboard stuff in 94 & 100 is run by a cattle association that allows hunting.

 

[NEWHunter]

Put in for the special tag. Check the odds on the WY game & fish website and apply for a unit that took five points to draw last year. A unit that took five points last year will have enough public for all of you to fill your tags. You won’t need to pay a trespass fee with six points in the special. Good luck.

 

[ScottR]

2021 will be available very soon, here is what 2020 looked like.

 

[ScottR]

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Put in for the special tag. Check the odds on the WY game & fish website and apply for a unit that took five points to draw last year. A unit that took five points last year will have enough public for all of you to fill your tags. You won’t need to pay a trespass fee with six points in the special. Good luck.

Before you apply for the special tag (costs a lot more $$), check the history of the unit draw. I have found that sometimes a unit will take more points than a regular tag or you can draw the regular tag with less points than the special. Just sayin................

 

[ScottR]

Before you apply for the special tag (costs a lot more $$), check the history of the unit draw. I have found that sometimes a unit will take more points than a regular tag or you can draw the regular tag with less points than the special. Just sayin................

Yup, it has been known to happen. And it happens more than people realize, especially in this covid crazy era.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Yup, it has been known to happen. And it happens more than people realize, especially in this covid crazy era.

Yep it happened to me a couple of years ago. I applied for a NR deer tag and went special to make sure I got it. I didn't draw because the number of applicants for the special was way high that year. If I had applied for the regular tag, I would have drawn it.