Wyoming antelope advice

[Rutjunkie]

Hi, the wife and i plan on doing an antelope hunt in conjunction with a tour of yellowstone and the tetons. How inportant do you guys feel it is to hunt the beginning of the rifle season. Do the antelope get run onto the private land once the guns start going off?

 

[DunnCoHunter]

I’m sure it really depends on the area. But my dad and I both shot our antelope the second week of the season last year. We spent a lot of time watching them on private hoping they cross onto public though.


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[Bighorner]

I really just depends on the area you drew. Top units hunt good the whole season. The lower end units the animals get pretty skidding, but it seems there are always some around if you look hard.

 

[kcm2]

Hunt when you can. Antelope move a lot. What 's the worst thing that can happen? You hunt antelope in Wyoming, whether you get one or not. Wyoming is a special place...every minute I spend there is a gift.

 

[CJinGA]

Antelope move a lot. Two years ago we were hunting a lower-tier area with limited public access. We figured out a large loop that allowed us to check the most likely public spots and we would drive that loop a few times per day. Eventually, we made a pass and found them on a plot that they weren't on just a few hours before. Unfortunately, it became the epitome of 'truck hunting'. We did eventually get one 'stalk' in where we had to work around the back of a ridge and crawl up to get a shot so it felt like a hunt you see on TV, but a lot of was just covering ground and looking and trying to catch them moving through the public land.

 

[Rutjunkie]

Thanks for the responses guys. We have 3 pts so it will be a lower end unit. I will plan accordingly. I want the best shot at success. I know in the deer woods, sometimes when everyone is done with there rut hunts and burned there vacation all up the hunting can get better with the woods void of hunters. Just wondering if this happens on antelope

 

[wytx]

Can depend on when you plan to hunt also, in correlation to other seasons opening.
Deer opener will have hunters chasing deer not antelope, same for elk. Those days can be less pressure on the plains for antelope, not always though. Week days are also usually better.

 

[Rutjunkie]

Can depend on when you plan to hunt also, in correlation to other seasons opening.
Deer opener will have hunters chasing deer not antelope, same for elk. Those days can be less pressure on the plains for antelope, not always though. Week days are also usually better.

I did see some deer season overlap in a few that we could possibly draw. Thanks i will keep it in mind

 

[CJinGA]

I did see some deer season overlap in a few that we could possibly draw. Thanks i will keep it in mind

Last year, opening of deer season in Area C was insane. Trucks on every pull-off. I assume it was the good weather (as in not brutally cold or wet) had everybody and their brother (including me, though I would have gone even if the weather had been bad) out in full force. Last year we didn't see a single antelope on the public areas we had hunted and had success on the year before. So if possible, I would suggest NOT trying to hunt antelope at the opening of deer season. That suggestion is based on a whopping ONE year of research though, so YMMV.

 

[mojofly]

Went on our first Antelope hunt this year and we saw plenty on private, off private. I think if they are on private if you wait long enough they do come off, especially if there is some water on public.

 

[houghton_hunter]

If you have three points, not saying you can draw a stellar unit, but three points in WY can get you into some good Antelope units in terms of opportunity.

I think everyone nailed it. Map out the public parcels, and just go from parcel to parcel, thats how I have had success in areas with 10-15% public land (second choice tags), have gone 10/12 the last 5 years (gotta love those Doe tags!!).

Also if you see a good spot on the drive, be there before first light and hike in, they move at night and sometimes you can catch fair size herds or bucks there before everyone moves them around.

An anecdote: I had a buck and three doe tags in 2019, killed this buck and a doe at dawn on a pretty pressured parcel (judging from all of the trucks at the turnoff the day before). As I was taking care of them three groups of hunters passed by me, they all filled tags as well. I was ferrying loads and another herd moved into the area, took two more does. So even with pressure, the groups move enough that new goats can move into the area. This was on a 200 acre chunk of BLM land.

 

[Jimss]

Generally speaking the more public land available to tougher the draw. Obviously some of the top bucks get cherry=picked opening day and the first week. There may be fewer top bucks available the later into the season. Generally speaking there are fewer hunters as the season progresses. Antelope may wander off private land. Another consideration is snow. Where there are hundreds of antelope one day there may be 0 the next if there is deep snow. Antelope in Wyo often wander great distances after deep snow. Some units may have vast areas that are almost void of antelope if there is deep snow. This can happen anytime from Oct 1 through the remainder of the season. It really helps to know the trend in units and areas where antelope migrate.

 

[rlmmarine]

I would look for a rancher offering a traspaass fee.
I hunted a ranch in nm with 400 sq miles for 500 dollars and wy with half that for 300. It was alot better than waiting for them to cross the line or paying an outfitter

 

[Rutjunkie]

I would look for a rancher offering a traspaass fee.
I hunted a ranch in nm with 400 sq miles for 500 dollars and wy with half that for 300. It was alot better than waiting for them to cross the line or paying an outfitter

I am thinking like you. I am hunting with the wife and young kid i also dont need to be tripping over people. The way public is in the midwest since covid. I am gonna bet pressure is thru the roof on the low pt units.

 

[EdP]

Quotas have declined so much in the less desirable eastern units over the past couple of years that pressure may not be an issue if you manage to draw a tag.

 

[chasethomas]

If you cant make opening day then the last few days of the hunt should have the pressure down enough the antelope are coming back onto public

 

[WDE91]

Forgive the amateur question on trespass fee clarification
If you pay a rancher/private property owner their trespass fee, do you still have to have preference points or does the trespass fee circumvent points?

I currently have 3 points for Wyoming Antelope.

Thank you.

 

[chasethomas]

Forgive the amateur question on trespass fee clarification
If you pay a rancher/private property owner their trespass fee, do you still have to have preference points or does the trespass fee circumvent points?

I currently have 3 points for Wyoming Antelope.

Thank you.

Yep in wyoming you cant buy landowner tags so you still have to draw the tag and that takes points. You don't need private property to kill a antelope.

 

[Ryanbusk23]

Heading out there next year, can’t wait!

 

[William Sublette]

. You don't need private property to kill a antelope.

Right, but your not drawing a tag on public anytime soon unless you've already wasted 5 or 7 years buying points.