Wyoming Antelope units 69 and 70

[Airborne1]

Do any of you wyomingites have an insight in regards to the health of the pronghorn in these two hunt areas? I hunted area 70 last year and it was rather dreadful on public land, we did see some good bucks in area 69 though. Just curious how things are looking this year?

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

We bought a leftover unit 70 tag in 2011. After doing our research we decided to scrap it and not even go.

 

[WapitiBob]

shouldn't have any problem tagging a 13" buck in there.

 

[shootbrownelk]

A lot of the antelope in 70 will head to private land after the opener. There is BLM in 70 to hunt, but a lot of hunters as well. Lots of Private ground in 70, you best have a good GPS and a land status chip. Plenty of G&F presence to enforce trespass laws. I quit hunting area#70 10 years ago. Trophy quality isn't there anymore, the bucks get shot off young. Just my opinion.

 

[shootbrownelk]

We bought a leftover unit 70 tag in 2011. After doing our research we decided to scrap it and not even go.

Hunter, I've seen a lot of non-residents go home discouraged and without an antelope in area #70. There are leftover tags for a reason.

 

[EBOLAVIRS]

I hunted 70 two seasons ago. We got our goats but it required a huge amount of time and effort and was a brutal hunt. I would never put in for that tag again unless I had access to a large piece of private land. It is deceiving because the maps show a bunch of huntable land in southern part of the unit but there was not a single goat in that area. Waste of time and money in my opinion.

 

[PlainsHunter]

Airborne1, I hunted the 63-2 along the south border of 69 and did see quite a few antelope in area 69 while driving to and from Alcova. Did not see anything huge but did see what looked like 11-13" bucks in area 69. Haven't been there this year, just commenting on what I did see last year.

 

[Airborne1]

My dad and I hunted area 70 in 2012 and killed our antelope on private land for a $100 trespass fee. I lined up two ranches about 8 months in advance after seeing the asterisk next to unit 70!! We did scout the public land in the southern portion of unit 70 and saw a couple groups of does around Ryan's Hill (Prospect Hill) but that was it. We didn't really get into the unit though due to my dad's health, we just glassed along CR 319. I plan on really walking into unit 70 this year to fill my doe tag. I drew an either sex tag in area 69 with 2 pp, based on the draw results I got pretty lucky drawing area 69 this year!! We did see quite a few antelope in area 69 however so my hopes were pretyy high until I saw that the quota was reduced in area 69 leading me to believe the qauntity of antelope were down in area 69 this year but we'll see? Plan on getting there 3 days before the season opener to scout both hunt areas. I did purchase a GPS and the Wyoming land ownership micro chip based on last years hunt simply using the BLM map for unit 70, the GPS and chip should help out a bit I would thing? Does anyone know of a good meat processor in Casper?

 

[MWScott72]

Airborne1, I hunted the 63-2 along the south border of 69 and did see quite a few antelope in area 69 while driving to and from Alcova. Did not see anything huge but did see what looked like 11-13" bucks in area 69. Haven't been there this year, just commenting on what I did see last year.

PH-
What did you end up going home with last year on 63-2 hunt? We hunted in the southeastern part of the unit and after sorting thru a lot of smaller bucks were able to get two mid-70s bucks. Just curious what quality of bucks you were seeing on the northern end of the 63-2 unit.

 

[PlainsHunter]

PH-
What did you end up going home with last year on 63-2 hunt? We hunted in the southeastern part of the unit and after sorting thru a lot of smaller bucks were able to get two mid-70s bucks. Just curious what quality of bucks you were seeing on the northern end of the 63-2 unit.

MWScott72-
Mostly 10"-13" bucks. I did see 2 or 3 that were fairly tall 13"-14.5" (guessing) but they didn't have much mass. I ony hunted for 3 days and didn't really know what I was doing. I'm sure there were bigger ones in there. I ended up shooting one that I taped at 12.5" each side with good bases and prongs but really weak tops. Nothing close to mid 70's. I think I rough scored it in the mid 60's. He is still getting beetled at the taxi. Bugs must not be hungry, its been almost a year. Didn't know if I could drive thorough the Forsberg? ranch so I didn't get very far in the south end of the unit on after crossing the river at the miracle mile.

Sorry for getting off topic but where I was huting was only about 2 miles from the 63-2 / 69 border..........

 

[MWScott72]

PH-
You could have driven through the Forsberg. We stopped and talked to the ranch owner, and he was super nice. As long as you didn't shoot goats in his front yard, he was fine with it. We ended up shooting both our bucks above the Forsberg and Miracle Mile Ranch. Signed our landowner coupons and dropped them in the Forsberg's drop box. No way in getting on the Miracle Mile. Much the same quality as you saw. Lots of bucks in the 10-13ish" range, but you had to really look hard for anything bigger. Looking hard on an antelope hunt is relative though compared to deer and elk! Someday, I hope to hunt it again, but it will be a few years building points. I burned mine this year on Unit 48. From what I hear, quality/access is very similar to 63.