Wyoming Antelope Draw

[Mhayes553]

Whats everyones opinion on the draw this year with the special license price increase? I know its a crapshoot right now but trying to speculate. i wonder if the regular will see a bigger point creep and if the special license will bump you up a little. Just trying to get a feel of others opinions.

 

[wytx]

I'd say take a look at the elk draw odds when that comes out and you should see a trend there.

 

[barrettm95]

I am hoping the special draw either comes down a point or at least holds without creep. However I am sure most guys that are applying special each year are going to spend the money whatever it is going to cost to get out and hunt.

 

[RunNGunSC]

I think the impact on elk will be a good indicator. I bet mid tier special random odds double for most units and the points needed drop by 1/3. I think the top units see little change. They will struggle to sell special tags for units with difficult access.

 

[Maxhunter]

Being the first year with the 3 regions for NR elk is anybody guess on the draw odds. We’ll all find out next Thursday when the results is posted. I have two buddy’s who applied one in the Special with 4pts and the other regular price with 5pts.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

I don’t have a problem paying the extra $ for an elk (600lbs) tag in the special but a 90lb antelope?!

That is a stretch.


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[Ridgerunner]

I love to hunt lopes but $1200 for a tag is pretty steep. My guess is there will be some movement and odds will get significantly better in alot of mid tier or upper units that are not the best of the best. For those units in the eastern third of the state I cant see many being sold at the special rate.

 

[barrettm95]

I am more curious if people are continuing to not apply in the mid to upper tier units given '23 winter kill.

 

[Mhayes553]

Yea I'm definitely looking forward to the elk draw coming out and trying to decipher the odds. Burnt my elk points last year and antelope in 20. Sitting at 11 deer points which is kinda no mans land IMO. Looking at trying to decide with my 3 antelope points this year.

 

[Mojave]

If you can hunt you should apply. Weather, water, drought, whatever apply and hunt.

Not worth not hunting.

 

[steelheadmike]

I'm definitely interested to see what's gonna happen with it. The elk draw might not be the best indicator of the antelope draw as there are some additional factors going on.

My tea leaves are saying that the low to mid- point units are going to see a bump in points but less so in the high point units. I can't see a lot of guys dropping $1200 on a 3-4pt unit but I could see it in the 12+pt units.

If you're like me and geek out on points/draw odds, these are exciting times.

 

[chanson_roland]

Yea I'm definitely looking forward to the elk draw coming out and trying to decipher the odds. Burnt my elk points last year and antelope in 20. Sitting at 11 deer points which is kinda no mans land IMO. Looking at trying to decide with my 3 antelope points this year.

I'm in similar place. Burnt my elk points last year, and only 3 antelope points.

My gut feel is based on the units I might draw as non-res; I'm better off printing my three points on a sheet of paper, attaching it to my bumper, and getting one with my truck.

That 1 million grain broadhead should stop 'em in their tracks.

 

[the big game hunter]

If you can hunt you should apply. Weather, water, drought, whatever apply and hunt.

Not worth not hunting.

Good way of looking at things

 

[Mojave]

Good way of looking at things

Learned my lesson hard in Wyoming in 2022.

For some reason my Wyoming resident uncle and Wyoming resident father decided that the hunt I had 10 or 11 points in for 2020 was theirs to manipulate. Uncle is his late 70's and my father is 85.

Covid pushed me back from applying in 2020, didn't draw 2021 because they told me to hunt a certain unit that I knew I didn't have the points to draw.

Then I drew a random in a unit that took 12 or 13 points in that unit.

They were both sick with covid, got me sick with covid and we killed a dink during a super drought year, 20 minutes into the first day. Because they didn't feel well and wanted to go home.

The only positive of that is that we got to hunt together. Even with the lies and deception I guess that single factor made it worth while to sacrifice those points. It has been 2 years, I'd have rather hunted grouse with them and had a nice day then trash the tag like that.

 

[TheTone]

I am more curious if people are continuing to not apply in the mid to upper tier units given '23 winter kill.

That’s kinda my curiosity also. My group has over 10 pt average and I hate to waste them.

For those that hunted in 2023 were good bucks still around just in lower numbers? I know one year of recovery isn’t going to matter

 

[Mojave]

Antelope in the Northern Rockies generally only live to be 4-6 years of age. Their peak horn development is in that 3rd year.

I didn't see a lot of fawns in 2022.

 

[Jimss]

My guess is that guys with a gob of pts may sit out and wait for numbers and quality to improve but the guys immediately behind them will be applying in full force. Similar to elk I doubt if draw odds will change a whole lot.

There are a gob of nonres hunters applying for a lot fewer tags. Antelope numbers and tag allocations are extremely low. Nonres applicants are at historic highs. Take a look at how many nonres units are issuing only 0 to 2 tags.

 

[wytx]

We have areas with good numbers and fawns should start dropping soon.
Tags numbers will be the most limiting for NRs this year.
Yes some areas are still struggling but not all.

Shot many antelope over 4-6 years old and don't agree that they get their best horns by 3 years of age.
That may hold true in some areas but I don't believe so in Wyoming.
We get our bucks tooth aged if they have extreme wear or look older. Biologists like the data.

 

[steelheadmike]

After looking at the draw odds for elk, it looks there was about a half-point or so of creep in regular elk draw which is about normal for Wyoming the last few years. There was maybe a little more in one region than another but it was not as drastic as I thought it may have been. Point values shifted down a little bit in the special draw but, again, not as much as I anticipated.

If it hold true for antelope, there may not be as big of a point jump as previously expected. But, we'll still have to wait and see how many people want to shell out $1200 for an antelope tag.

 

[RunNGunSC]

I agree, the elk results made me think we will see little change for tags that historically went for >4 points.