Have any of you hunted some of the many HMA's in Wyoming? Seems like a good place to DIY. I assume all the rules concerning draws and preference points would be the same but It looks like you could access some state and BLM land from these places. Or are they just overrun with hunters?
Wyoming HMA
- Thread starter maine canoe guide
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wy-tex
Veteran member
Most have permit restrictions meaning they limit the number of hunters on them. Some are open to everyone. But you can only hunt the species listed on them . We hunt them all the time when needed. Yes they get hit hard but usually during the week they are less crowded. They open up some good chunks of private and land locked public places.
Manualman
Active Member
My nephew and I hunted one a few years ago and we had to work our way through the bucks to get to the does. It was late season and we had the place to ourselves
WapitiBob
Veteran member
I hunted one last year in a hard to draw unit south of rawlins and never saw another rig in 3 days. Had antelope walk up to my truck to get their picture taken.
hunter25
Very Active Member
I've hunted many of them over the years. Most get hit pretty hard especially opening day. Depends on how many permissions given for each particular one maybe. I've always been successful on decent bucks using them though with one exception at the beginning of the down years awhile back. did't see a single goat that time.
Just do your research. They're a great addition to available land.
Just do your research. They're a great addition to available land.
Hilltop
Veteran member
Agree with the others. They get hit pretty hard opening day generally but then the pressure drops significantly. I have taken several great bucks off of them, including one B&C buck. I really like them for archery season as you rarely see another hunter (antelope).
hunter25
Very Active Member
I hunted one later in the season that had unlimited permission slips. That's the one where I didn't see any. Too many people had pushed them out I believe. There were plenty there before the season opened. Just overhunted due to the unlimited slips.
NDHunter
Veteran member
I'd say no matter what, it's definitely worth checking out. You just never know. As with most public land, the stuff a mile from the road is probably worth walking into.
I've hunted one HMA so far, for doe antelope 3 non-consecutive days. On day one, I saw very few antelope, and the ones I did see were very skiddish. This was during a time when permits were limited. A couple days later I went again and didn't see any on the HMA. A week later, when the permits were unlimited, I didn't see a single antelope on the HMA again.
I ended up filling my tag outside of the HMA on a piece of land the game warden told me most people don't realize they can hunt on. It was crawling with antelope. Prior to talking to us, he talked to a group of hunters that literally watched me kill my doe. According to him, they were very surprised to see me so far from the road. I will be hunting 2 or 3 more HMA's this season for antelope and deer. I think hunting HMA's is just like hunting public land. Go where the animals are which is usually where people aren't willing to go. I didn't cover the entire HMA.
I ended up filling my tag outside of the HMA on a piece of land the game warden told me most people don't realize they can hunt on. It was crawling with antelope. Prior to talking to us, he talked to a group of hunters that literally watched me kill my doe. According to him, they were very surprised to see me so far from the road. I will be hunting 2 or 3 more HMA's this season for antelope and deer. I think hunting HMA's is just like hunting public land. Go where the animals are which is usually where people aren't willing to go. I didn't cover the entire HMA.