Antelope Hunting in Wyoming

[jwhunter]

My Buddy and I are planning a Wyoming antelope hunt this year and was wondering if anyone put in for these hunts and how was the experience. Any information to help put us in the right direction will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Buckhunter]

Hunted in 08 during the snow storm. saw hundreds of lopes around Lander. My advise to you is hunt them in oct. not the first 2 weeks of the season. Lots of BLM land to hunt.

[billrquimby]

Hunted in 08 during the snow storm. saw hundreds of lopes around Lander. My advise to you is hunt them in oct. not the first 2 weeks of the season. Lots of BLM land to hunt.

 

It's been about eight or nine years since I was last in Lander, but before that I attended the Lander One Shot Antelope Hunt and hunted there every year from about 1982 onward. Killing an antelope is not a problem in that region, and there is plenty of BLM and Forest Service land there. There were some private inholdings, though, and unlike Arizona, landowners are not required to post their land. I would suggest that you buy land ownership maps before you go. Some of the best horns come from the Red Desert, but that fact is well known and permits can be tough to draw. There is less public land in the eastern Wyoming units, I've been told. Buckhunter's suggestion to hunt in October is a good one. Opening weekend is a zoo, and it takes a couple of weeks for the herds to calm down. Late in the season you'll have your unit mostly all to yourself. It's been my experience that the average Wyoming pronghorn's horns are heavier but shorter than an average buck from Arizona and New Mexico, and will score better by the B&C method because their prongs typically are better developed than those on our antelope. One more thing: if you do draw near Lander and decide to hunt that first weekend and want a motel, start calling them as soon as you know you have a tag. The One Shot event is held the week of the third Saturday in September, and nearly all rooms are reserved at least a year in advance.

 

Bill Quimby

[Red Rabbit]

I have been putting in or buying points for the last few years trying to get a Red Desert tag. As Bill mentions, the draw for units 61, 62 is tough, like drawing an AZ tag. Plenty of other units with BLM land and good draw odds. Landowner access is supposedly not too expensive, possibly only a few hundred dolllars, not thousands. Don't forget to get the inexpensive doe tags.

 

You might look on other sites like Monster Muleys to read some other info. Their Hunt Odds may help you choose a unit.

http://huntodds.monstermuleys.com/

http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/hunting/index.asp

[coueshunter]

I have hunted WY. 3 times. I would call the chamber of commerce in the closest city you plan on hunting. The chamber typically has a list of private landowners who allow trespass hunting for a fee. You can get the list and call the landowners and find a place to hunt. Like Bill said, get your motel booked early early because they go fast. Allen Taylor............

[Slayer]

There are tons of antelope in wyoming. We hunted a leftover tag last year and had shots at nice bucks all day long. Plenty to go around up there. I shot a 14.5" buck the 2nd day. Hunted around Laramie. You definitely need to know the landowner boundaries as they are very tricky and broke up. I heard of a guy that got a fine from game warden for hunting the unit he had a tag for, but was on landowner property.

 

Good luck up there,

[az4life]

I live in eastern Wyoming and yes the goats are plentiful. In the early part of the season they are more huntable. The bucks are maybe a 1-10 or 15 ratio and smaller satellite bucks often near the heards. I've not hunted near lander but have heard they are plentiful. As everyone says there are a lot more private lands in Wy and there are a lot of smaller BLM and state lands spotted in and around them. A lot of these are viewable in online maps. You may try the Gas Hills area outside casper. The area is smelly, but most landowners will let you hunt and there are very few hunters as the area is huge with easy access.

 

If you need more info, PM me with specifics and I'll see what I can do.

[jwhunter]

Thanks guys! I appreciate all the information and advice. Doing alittle more research on some of the units and plan on calling some of the game wardens and the chamber of commerce. Also for the special tags, does that mean you pay more money for better draw odds? Just curious

 

Thanks again

[markhunts]

jwhunter, I lived in Wyoming for 15 years and hunted Antelope many times while there... You won't have any problem finding antelope in just about any unit, but as stated some units have a lot more private than others. PM me if you want and I'll give you some info. Most areas take max points to draw, but there are some with alot of private ground that you could hunt every year with permission. My son and I drew last year with max points and bowhunted the area, and killed 2 Pope and Young bucks. Probably one of the funnest hunts you'll go on. If you miss, there's usually another one down the road a ways... Good luck.

[pirogue]

You have the right idea about starting to beat the bushes and call. Trespass fees not that much for average unit. Special fee is suppose to have a little better odds, but it won't get you in the Red Desert. I used to work back there and got to know some landowners and took a couple. I got a nice buck out of unit 9 and when people look at the mount, I like to tell them it came from the least populated county of the least populated state in the United States.

[coueswt]

I have been holding out for a unit in the Red Desert and hope to draw in the next few years but the draw %'s are quite low. You might want to also subscribe to Huntin Fool as that is a very helpful magazine IMO. Eastman's also have some helpful info in their magazine.

[jwhunter]

PM sent markhunts

[Red Rabbit]

How have the antelope populations in southwest WY (units 57-64) responded after the hard winter a few years ago (2006/2007?) ?

[ffjpayne]

my brothers inlaws live in Cheyenne are they many public places to hunt around there? i would like to go up there in the next year or two

[az4life]

places around cheyenne are possible but much is private. You should download a map from Wyoming game and fish that shows the public, BLM and Walk In areas open to hunting. I'd suggest contacting the GF area office as well for info on open areas and those that ranchers will open up to hunters for a small trespass fee.