Going to try this again, but much earlier in the process. Advice on a WY mule deer and pronghorn combo hunt.

[ForrestGuy82]

Good afternoon everyone. I am going to try this again, but much earlier in the process. I appreciate all the advice last year right before the WY deer and pronghorn draw.
With my brother, cousins and Uncle heading to Idaho for mule deer in two different units and hunt dates, I was not able to participate in the ridiculous chaos of the Idaho Over the Internet tag buy system. So I am going back to my original idea of heading to Wyoming for a combination pronghorn and mule deer rifle hunt. I have 4 points for each species so that helps some, but my units available with 20% or more public land is still rather limited to about 25 units mostly north, south and east of Casper, WY.
Since I am planning on adding mule deer to the docket of a hopeful 10 day hunt, I am debating what hunt dates to go with. A Mid October hunt like around the 10th to 20th which is when my youngest brother is heading to his unit in Idaho or the last 10 days such as the 21st to the 31st of October with my uncle and cousins, so I can caravan out there with them and then turn off when I get close to my pronghorn unit. I know that the closer to the rut in Nov the more likely I will see bucks moving around checking does, etc.... so I am leaning that way, but most of those 25 units I mentioned for pronghorn have earlier dates. I also will go with the general deer region that includes my pronghorn unit or is very close to it. I know the units for both have different boundaries.
My biggest concern like before is access to these checkerboard chunks of public in those less than 30% public land units. I will have to get the county road maps, etc... somewhere before I choose which unit to go with.
I know that others have done this type hunt. Did you hunt pronghorn for the first couple days and hopefully get your buck, possibly a doe as well then go to your mule deer hunt or did you hunt deer in the morning and evening and pronghorn throughout the afternoon. Also thinking of applying for a reduced price doe pronghorn tag, what is your thoughts on that as well?
Any advice as always would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Forrest A. Earnest

 

[Macintosh]

I have not done a combo hunt. And I really am not the one to take advice from on this topic. However, I have seen plenty of mule deer when looking for antelope on some of the units in that area you are talking about, all on public. We were recently there for the last week of antelope which I believe was the 1st week for deer in that unit. We didnt see any monster bucks—not by a long shot—but I was in easy rifle range of 2 muley bucks while antelope hunting, and we saw multiple doe groups every day. We were out late every day, so it's not even like we were looking for them. Id say its very doable depending on the caliber of animals you are after.
Antelope does taste great. Population was down significantly from when we were there in 2018. We had antelope doe tags as well, and with a full cooler and seeing low numbers of antelope in comparison to the past (as well as timing with butchering) we ate our doe tags.

 

[Rich M]

Ridiculous chaos! LoL! If you want to play, you take your opportunities when you get em. We do stuff like that down here every year just to hunt ducks on a refuge. We were applying for hunts during a hurricane in 2022. Took 2-3 hours to do what usually took 2-3 minutes when the internet was running at full speed. Had a good season too.

The hunt will likely be dictated by whatever unit has antelope and deer concurrent. You could always hunt adjoining units, one for goats and one for deer.

unless a public road touches a piece of public, or the public land is contiguous, you can't hunt it. Corner crossing is taking a risk and is totally up to you. Can call LEO/GW and ask him if corner crossing is allowed in that unit. He's the one who will put the squeeze on you and its good to get it from the horses mouth. There is a GIS map showing the public roads - google it and look around til you find it. I haven't used it since 2017.

Don't forget to factor in the weather. Late October might give you the opportunity to hunt in a blizzard. I'd rather have snow than rain. The roads get slick in the rain.

My last antelope hunt - saw a lot of deer on the fringes of the public, where the flats met the hills. Saw a nice buck the day before antelope season opened - he was feeding on private and bedding on public. The rifle deer season didn't open for another 2 weeks. An archer could have hunted him.

 

[Tod osier]

I don't think you can plan the way you want to with the points you have. There is too much variability in point creep - the draw odds the last few years have been very unpredictable and with 4 points, you don't have that much of a buffer. Drawing a deer tag and a an antelope tag in the same area and then maybe a doe antelope tag - the odds are very low. Apply to everything you are willing to hunt and then hunt what you draw at the best time.

Caravanning with family from WI to WY gets you maybe a perceived day of safety on the road and nothing more. You just have to do it if you want to hunt, plan your trip.

Getting the three tags you can do the odds... of you are 90% sure you will get deer (this is a made up number and depends on how close to last years points required you apply), 90% antelope and 10% doe antelope (generous given the units I've applied to), the odds are .9*.9*.1 (8%) that you will get all three.

 

[BarCO]

I would recommend tire chains for when it rains.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I did a hunt like this in '20 in the areas you are describing, filled both tags nothing big but about average for the public areas I was hunting. It can be done.

 

[YellCoAR]

It can be done if you are just looking to fill tags. If you are hunting for mature better class trophies it can be a struggle in the areas you can draw both tags with 4 points. That being said we have managed to fill 8 tags between 2 guys once. and 3 tags out of 4 another. I sure hope the antelope numbers are getting better. They were pretty bad in 2020.

 

[ForrestGuy82]

I have not done a combo hunt. And I really am not the one to take advice from on this topic. However, I have seen plenty of mule deer when looking for antelope on some of the units in that area you are talking about, all on public. We were recently there for the last week of antelope which I believe was the 1st week for deer in that unit. We didnt see any monster bucks—not by a long shot—but I was in easy rifle range of 2 muley bucks while antelope hunting, and we saw multiple doe groups every day. We were out late every day, so it's not even like we were looking for them. Id say its very doable depending on the caliber of animals you are after.
Antelope does taste great. Population was down significantly from when we were there in 2018. We had antelope doe tags as well, and with a full cooler and seeing low numbers of antelope in comparison to the past (as well as timing with butchering) we ate our doe tags.

That’s a good point about taking more of the resource than one should with the lower population. Just was thinking if I don’t find a deer that I can harvest it would be nice to have the opportunity for more meat since I am driving such a long way.

 

[ForrestGuy82]

It can be done if you are just looking to fill tags. If you are hunting for mature better class trophies it can be a struggle in the areas you can draw both tags with 4 points. That being said we have managed to fill 8 tags between 2 guys once. and 3 tags out of 4 another. I sure hope the antelope numbers are getting better. They were pretty bad in 2020.

Being my first western big game hunt where I have a tag or hopefully two I am not holding out for an 80” pronghorn or a 180” mule deer buck.
That would be cool to fill that many tags I might have someone else come with me too outside of possibly traveling with family

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Don't forget about leftover tags...My 1st western hunt was antelope tag...found a leftover cow tag for a unit a couple hours from the antelope unit got lucky and filled them both. It's a 27ish hour drive to WY for me so I always like to have more than one tag even if it's a left over reduce price tag.

 

[ForrestGuy82]

Don't forget about leftover tags...My 1st western hunt was antelope tag...found a leftover cow tag for a unit a couple hours from the antelope unit got lucky and filled them both. It's a 27ish hour drive to WY for me so I always like to have more than one tag even if it's a left over reduce price tag.

I have thought about that since a reduced price cow elk tag is $288 which is a good value for the amount of meat one gets vs other species.

 

[willfrye027]

I would pick two different units in the same part of the state. Pretty easy to be hunting deer all week, then drive a few hours possibly spend one night to get your antelope. Rather than be stuck for 10 days in a spot that is mediocre for both. Antelope is easy unless you are trophy hunting. Deer probably more difficult to find a “representative” specimen and will likely take the bulk of your time and effort.

 

[ForrestGuy82]

I would pick two different units in the same part of the state. Pretty easy to be hunting deer all week, then drive a few hours possibly spend one night to get your antelope. Rather than be stuck for 10 days in a spot that is mediocre for both. Antelope is easy unless you are trophy hunting. Deer probably more difficult to find a “representative” specimen and will likely take the bulk of your time and effort.

That definitely makes a ton of sense to me. I am on GoHunt and Taghub and also will be on the WY Hunt Planner to figure out what would be best. I wouldn't mind a couple hour drive from one unit in a general deer region that gives me better opportunity to find a representative of the species to where my pronghorn unit is.
Speaking of representative, congrats on the brute in your profile picture.

 

[ForrestGuy82]

I did a hunt like this in '20 in the areas you are describing, filled both tags nothing big but about average for the public areas I was hunting. It can be done.

For my first hunt they don't have to be Boone and Crocket, I am looking to learn have fun and bring home some venison and great memories. Maybe later on I will focus solely on getting a 4 year old or older mule deer buck, but not for my first western big game hunt where I actually have a tag. Still kicking my butt for not getting an Idaho mule deer tag in 2019 before their crazy system was enacted.

 

[hunt1up]

If you are set on both species then make the planning for the deer the priority and let the antelope follow. Hunting dates for antelope doesn't nearly as much, if at all. Same with units. Any of those units in that area will have antelope to hunt and you'll kill one.

 

[ForrestGuy82]

If you are set on both species then make the planning for the deer the priority and let the antelope follow. Hunting dates for antelope doesn't nearly as much, if at all. Same with units. Any of those units in that area will have antelope to hunt and you'll kill one.

That is a good point. I just was thinking if I wait too late for pronghorn that they might be pressured into the private property. I know that they don’t shed their horn sleeves until November or into the winter months.

 

[willfrye027]

That is a good point. I just was thinking if I wait too late for pronghorn that they might be pressured into the private property. I know that they don’t shed their horn sleeves until November or into the winter months.

Nah, they seem to run around and wander quite a bit. After opening weekend I can see them sticking to private, but as the rut goes on and hunting pressure decreases they will be back on public, from personal experience. I think it’s a more enjoyable hunt later in the season.

Deer on the other hand I would try to be there a few days before opener, scout hard, and try to get your deer in the first few days.

 

[ForrestGuy82]

Nah, they seem to run around and wander quite a bit. After opening weekend I can see them sticking to private, but as the rut goes on and hunting pressure decreases they will be back on public, from personal experience. I think it’s a more enjoyable hunt later in the season.

Deer on the other hand I would try to be there a few days before opener, scout hard, and try to get your deer in the first few days.

Thank you for sharing this intel. Depending upon if I get a new job or stay with the one I have I want to take 14 days off work for this. It’s a two day drive from here to the border of Idaho if you do 15 hours one day and 13 the next.

 

[willfrye027]

Thank you for sharing this intel. Depending upon if I get a new job or stay with the one I have I want to take 14 days off work for this. It’s a two day drive from here to the border of Idaho if you do 15 hours one day and 13 the next.

Hope you guys enjoy your trip out west!

 

[ForrestGuy82]

Hope you guys enjoy your trip out west!

Thank you very much. I pray that I get to do it. If I can only go for a week I will just go for pronghorn and do some grouse hunting and fishing if I tag out early. Might apply for a $34 doe pronghorn in a different unit or the same one not sure yet.