WY Antelope Application & Hunt Questions

[Crusader]

My hunting partner and I each have 6 points that we've decided to use this fall. I've spent hours and hours combing through all the info on the WGF websites, including demand reports, harvest data, hunt planner, post-commission meeting hunting season info, etc. I've taken into account amount of public land and accessibility in each unit. Point is to say, I've done my homework. I've narrowed our possibilities down to about 6 units, some with greater chance of drawing than others. But I have some questions relating to I guess I'd say, the strategy of applying. I'm going to throw them out here and if anyone could chime in with some input/tips, I'd appreciate it.

First, if I do indeed list first, second, and third choice of units and draw a tag in any of those choices, we lose our points, right? That is to say, if we don't draw our first choice but draw our second or third, our 6 points are used up, correct?

Second, should we put our most desired unit as first choice, even if it has a slimmer chance of being drawn than our second or third choice? I guess another way of putting it is, if 6 points can't get us our first unit choice or our second choice, will our 6 points then give us as much of a chance for our 3rd choice unit as someone who may have put that unit for their first choice, also with 6 points? Not sure if I explained that clearly.

Third, this is kind of a conceptual question I guess, but it relates to nunber of lopes in a unit and the corresponding hunt quality. Is it better to have a tag in a unit with a lot of antelope and a lot of tags issued (i.e., lots of hunters) or to be in an area with fewer antelope and fewer tags and therefore, fewer hunters? My assmumption would be that WGF knows the population density and as closely as possible, issues the appropriate number of tags so maybe the hunt quality in both scenarios would be roughly equivalent? I'd like to lean to a lower hunter density for enjoyment sake but also, have a good chance for a representative buck.

Thanks in advance and sorry for being so long-winded!

 

[wapitibob]

I'd suggest going back and learning the basics of the WY Pronghorn draw.

As for the 3rd question, go after the 1st week and people won't be a problem.

 

[7RemMag]

I'd suggest going back and learning the basics of the WY Pronghorn draw.

As for the 3rd question, go after the 1st week and people won't be a problem.

That is not always the case in my experience. Hunted a specific area as a resident last year that nonresidents can draw on 2-3 points. We did so out of convenience. Hunting pressure was absurd the entire season, and only 3/5 of us filled tags and one of those was a doe. We had a difficult time getting very far from people the entire season. The exception was one weekday my work was rained out and the weather was particularly lousy. I was able to hunt all day and hardly saw a person.

I wouldn’t expect that the OP would have that issue with 6 points, but I suppose it’s something to be mindful of. Planning your hunting days to be during weekdays will definitely help curtail this.

 

[baz77]

To draw a tag as the 2nd or 3rd choice that unit must have leftover tags so if you put a unit that requires say 5 points as your second choice you will not draw it same goes for third choice....that said if you do happen to draw a second or third choice Wyoming doesn't take your points.

As far as areas go just pick one and go you'll fill your tags in any decent unit.

 

[Walla7]

That is not always the case in my experience. Hunted a specific area as a resident last year that nonresidents can draw on 2-3 points. We did so out of convenience. Hunting pressure was absurd the entire season, and only 3/5 of us filled tags and one of those was a doe. We had a difficult time getting very far from people the entire season. The exception was one weekday my work was rained out and the weather was particularly lousy. I was able to hunt all day and hardly saw a person.

I wouldn’t expect that the OP would have that issue with 6 points, but I suppose it’s something to be mindful of. Planning your hunting days to be during weekdays will definitely help curtail this.

dang, this is my fear. I went over to scout the unit I'm interested in and thought "hey, this is great, no people at all." Of course that all changes when the season opens.

 

[7RemMag]

dang, this is my fear. I went over to scout the unit I'm interested in and thought "hey, this is great, no people at all." Of course that all changes when the season opens.

I should add that in the area described, we had a new hunter trying for a goat with a bow. We weren’t the only hunters during the archery season but there weren’t many. Definitely a total night and day difference from the regular firearms season in terms of pressure and number of people.

 

[Walla7]

thanks
WY is all new to me, but hunting Whitetail in WA the pattern seems to be preseason: wow, this spot is great, surely I'm the only guy going way the heck back in here. To season opener: orange dots every 200 yards. (a bit of hyperbole, but you get the idea)

 

[AntelopeEater]

I could be totally wrong, so take this free advice for what it is worth, but I think you only lose your points in Wyoming if your first choice is drawn.

I personally think the best way to find less crowded hunting areas (besides getting access to private land, lol) is to pick units that are farther away from cities, the more remote the better if you are ok with going to remote areas.

 

[Walla7]

I could be totally wrong, so take this free advice for what it is worth, but I think you only lose your points in Wyoming if your first choice is drawn.

I personally think the best way to find less crowded hunting areas (besides getting access to private land, lol) is to pick units that are farther away from cities, the more remote the better if you are ok with going to remote areas.i

incredibly based if true

 

[AntelopeEater]

incredibly based if true

ok, not sure if your comment was sarcastic or not but I decided to go ahead and double-check if my recollection was correct, and indeed, it is true you only lose preference points in Wyoming antelope if you draw your first choice.

Here is a quote from and link to the official Wyoming Department's website:

"

• The draw only looks at an applicant’s first choice for nonresidents during the preference-point draw. Nonresidents want to make sure they list their most coveted license as their first choice because if they draw their first choice license their preference points are marked as unavailable in future years.
• Nonresidents can draw their second or third-choice license without losing their preference points."

Understanding the Draw | Wyoming Game & Fish Department

When we say “the draw,” images of an old, western town on a hot summer day come to mind. The tumbleweed blows across the prairie as two gunslingers square off in the middle of town. The townsfolk quickly scurry indoors to escape the inevitable violence to come. Spurs jingle as the dusty...

wgfd.wyo.gov

 

[Walla7]

ok, not sure if your comment was sarcastic or not but I decided to go ahead and double-check if my recollection was correct, and indeed, it is true you only lose preference points in Wyoming antelope if you draw your first choice.

Here is a quote from and link to the official Wyoming Department's website:

"

• The draw only looks at an applicant’s first choice for nonresidents during the preference-point draw. Nonresidents want to make sure they list their most coveted license as their first choice because if they draw their first choice license their preference points are marked as unavailable in future years.
• Nonresidents can draw their second or third-choice license without losing their preference points."

Understanding the Draw | Wyoming Game & Fish Department

When we say “the draw,” images of an old, western town on a hot summer day come to mind. The tumbleweed blows across the prairie as two gunslingers square off in the middle of town. The townsfolk quickly scurry indoors to escape the inevitable violence to come. Spurs jingle as the dusty...

wgfd.wyo.gov

nah man, I was being sincere. That's awesome.

 

[FredH]

That is not always the case in my experience. Hunted a specific area as a resident last year that nonresidents can draw on 2-3 points. We did so out of convenience. Hunting pressure was absurd the entire season, and only 3/5 of us filled tags and one of those was a doe. We had a difficult time getting very far from people the entire season. The exception was one weekday my work was rained out and the weather was particularly lousy. I was able to hunt all day and hardly saw a person.

I wouldn’t expect that the OP would have that issue with 6 points, but I suppose it’s something to be mindful of. Planning your hunting days to be during weekdays will definitely help curtail this.

If hunting on weekdays reduced the number of people you saw then non residents were not the reason for weekend crowds. Most NR hunters travel on weekends and hunt during the week.

 

[7RemMag]

If hunting on weekdays reduced the number of people you saw then non residents were not the reason for weekend crowds. Most NR hunters travel on weekends and hunt during the week.

I encourage you to reread my comment. The day of “reduced” hunting pressure was probably some of the shittiest weather of the entire season. It was also late in the season. It goes without saying that hunting pressure would decrease during the week because more of the local guys are working.

The point of my comment was that in low point units like this, a guy can expect to see pretty significant hunting pressure.

 

[FredH]

I encourage you to reread my comment. The day of “reduced” hunting pressure was probably some of the shittiest weather of the entire season. It was also late in the season. It goes without saying that hunting pressure would decrease during the week because more of the local guys are working.

The point of my comment was that in low point units like this, a guy can expect to see pretty significant hunting pressure.

Actually work is also why most NR hunters travel on weekends, generally taking the week between weekends to hunt, at most two of those weeks. Yes the first two weekends of any season see the heaviest hunting pressure. Generally crappy weather doesn't phase someone who has driven 800 miles or more to hunt unless it makes getting around tough. I lived in Wyoming for 19 years. What I mostly noticed is a decent fish and game department turning into a POS fish and game department. Ling, Wolves, refusing to delist Grizzly bears, too many tags, turning into what was mostly wildlife management into an enforcement agency run by leftist DEI jerks.