WY archery help

[sivart]

Gonna burn my 10 points this year. I’m looking at the Shirley mnts unit and the unit north of that. Will only be able to hunt the 3rd week in Aug. please pm me if you have suggestions. Thanks.

 

[sivart]

I should also mention I prefer spot and stalk

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

You will see antelope and stalk many

 

[wytx]

Lots of prairie rattlers too.

 

[huntabsarokee]

Tell me more about these snakes. Thinking about taking my 16 year old daughter to Wyoming on an antelope archery hunt due to the timing with school summer vacation. Only been to the mountainous elk units in September so never ran into a rattler yet. We have them in PA but I am not usually stalking through the brush at home. Do folks worry enough about them to wear snake boots? Would probably try and minimize tent camping for this trip.

 

[wapitibob]

I've been all over the Shirleys and have never seen a snake.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Tell me more about these snakes. Thinking about taking my 16 year old daughter to Wyoming on an antelope archery hunt due to the timing with school summer vacation. Only been to the mountainous elk units in September so never ran into a rattler yet. We have them in PA but I am not usually stalking through the brush at home. Do folks worry enough about them to wear snake boots? Would probably try and minimize tent camping for this trip.

We've never seen one on a bunch of September trips, we wait for the crowds to die down though so if it matters it's a littler later in the season. We deal with snakes weekly back home so not a concern on our radar, but admittedly let our guard down when up there in WY. I wouldn't think snake boots are required, we have multiple pairs per person for back home but I wouldn't consider bringing them up there. You can see where you're walking, just watch your step and look at the ground when you're crawling on your belly, you're gonna be doing so anyway since there's cactus everywhere.

 

[wytx]

We take the time to leave early for the machine Gun shoot in June so we can get rattlers off the highway as we go through Shirley Basin and up into the other area.
There are a ton of snakes in Shirley Basin. I know where a big den is.
Not going to find them up in the mountains.

Prairie rattlers are not aggressive so to speak and before we started just relocating them we took a few, longest is 58 inches and that is big for these guys. Most seem to be about 3 ft ish or so long.

 

[bdan68]

I've seen three rattlesnakes in Wyoming, two were in September and the other was in October, if I remember correctly. They never seemed too aggressive though, even though a couple times we nearly stepped on them.

 

[NW_Whitetail]

Have yet to see a rattler in Wyoming as well - I know they are there and have been in early-mid September. Having two sets of eyes would be more advantageous for spotting if you did bump into one. I would not worry enough to not bring her, what an incredible experience for her and you!

 

[manitou1]

We encounter about four or five a year here. Two-three are usually in our yard.

I have never been bit and spend a lot of time hunting and scouting the prairies here.

Neighbor was hit stepping off his porch a few years ago.

Another neighbor had his horse nailed on the snout a couple of years ago. Almost lost him since his nose swelled up like a soccer ball. They put sections of garden hose in his nostrils to keep his airway open. Tossed in some IM anti biotics and he survived.

Our vet tended four dogs to rattle snake bites in one day (one succumbed) while we were there getting our dogs treated (for preventative care).

Yes, there are rattle snakes here in WY, but they aren't behind every bush... at least the ones you see.

 

[7RemMag]

Tell me more about these snakes. Thinking about taking my 16 year old daughter to Wyoming on an antelope archery hunt due to the timing with school summer vacation. Only been to the mountainous elk units in September so never ran into a rattler yet. We have them in PA but I am not usually stalking through the brush at home. Do folks worry enough about them to wear snake boots? Would probably try and minimize tent camping for this trip.

I've lived in Wyoming since August of '22. I've spent a fair bit of that time out hunting and working in the prairie. Where I work now, we regularly are digging in livestock waterlines. I hadn't seen a prairie rattler alive in person until my sheep hunt this past September. It was on the county road before our turnoff onto BLM land to set up camp. The following night, after walking off the mountain/rockpile from scouting, I got within a few feet of one right before dark. We never saw him, but he rattled and made his presence known, and we skirted around him.

They're definitely around, but I'd advise good judgement and caution, and you should be fine.

 

[MTNHNTR Brad]

You should have a great hunt over there. The Pinedale basin has been the hardest hit part of the state for antelope numbers, but once you get farther east and into central Wyoming I think the populations have been much more stable. There may be a few other hunters out there during the archery, but you should find areas to yourself during that time period.

 

[dwhite0622]

Tell me more about these snakes. Thinking about taking my 16 year old daughter to Wyoming on an antelope archery hunt due to the timing with school summer vacation. Only been to the mountainous elk units in September so never ran into a rattler yet. We have them in PA but I am not usually stalking through the brush at home. Do folks worry enough about them to wear snake boots? Would probably try and minimize tent camping for this trip.

Interesting to see the responses here. I’ve hunted Wyoming and eastern Montana quite a bit, and it seems that there is a perfect temp where they are just around. I’ve hunted the prairie multiple days in a row and seen zero snakes, and then seen quite a few in a single day. It seems to be that low 70s temp and overcast. Maybe I’m totally wrong, but that’s my observation. Don’t sweat them too much. They seem to give a good warning, and as others have said you can see where you’re walking. Be careful around fences, prairie dog towns and old homesteads. Where there’s mice… there’s snakes.

 

[KHNC]

Sounds like Griz in the mountains. None around until they are all over!