Pronghorn in Wyoming!

[jamesfromseattle]

Hello everyone,

I hope the title of this post didn't get anyone too excited to see a report because a report this is not.

I just joined the site and introduced myself over in the general discussion section, but wanted to introduce myself here as well.  I am Seattle-based and have never hunted pronghorn (or anything else in Wyoming for that matter), but am planning on doing a week long trip DIY to Wyoming next year.  Looks like a great, out of state hunter friendly, place, and I may start building some points for other species there as well.

Looks like there are a handful of guys on here that hunt down there as well, so I have been enjoying reading up on it in the archives.  I am still in the early planning phases, but would love to start making some connections and sharing info going forward.  Hopefully I will be able to contribute some knowledge and a whole bunch of pictures sometime soon!

[Ridgerunner]

Antelope hunting in Wyoming is a blast.  Do your homework and you will have a great hunt!  I love Wyoming antelope hunting and will be headed that way soon.

[Maverick]

I've got 3 points for Wyoming antelope at the moment. I need to really do my homework and figure out where to go.

[jamesfromseattle]

Awesome!

Left some voicemails with a couple of the wildlife biologists yesterday. I'm guessing they won't have a ton of info until next year's seasons are set, but I learn anything helpful I will be sure to share. If I learn anything groundbreaking, I will be sure to share via PM...

[Nature Boy]

I recommend Mike Eastman's book on hunting trophy antelope.  Mike provides some excellent information that will help with your research and planning efforts. 

[jamesfromseattle]

Thanks for the tip on the Eastman's book!  I actually ordered it the other day after reading good things about it in the archives.  Good to hear that it is helpful for planning.  It has actually been more difficult than expected to figure out where to put in for tags, etc.  Unfortunately things are even more complicated next year because we need to hunt one of the units that opens in September due to my girlfriend's school schedule.

Although it is definitely possible to draw a tag there with no points (especially with the special draw), finding a tag with huntable land is proving more difficult.  The blue chip areas with lots of public land require a lot of points, so I have been trying to find a ranch with trespass fee access in a guaranteed draw unit.  Spoke with a few of the different game wardens/wildlife biologists (all great guys, by the way) and they all said that the ranches in areas with easy to draw tags have mostly hunters that hunt there every year, so there are not many openings.  So the search continues!

Going to keep calling around, but as of now I am thinking that we will just apply for one of the units with lots of public land and leave it up to the lottery-Gods.  If no luck, then maybe we will be able to get a couple doe tags and scout for future year.  But I would rather put it off for a year than risk an overly frustrating hunt that turns the GF off hunting.  Worst case scenario: we pocket the preference points and go out to fish Sekiu for a week at the end of September instead next year...I guess life is not actually that bad.

[Halo]

Sounds like you are on the right track. I've done 3 antelope hunts in Wyoming, 2 with points and 1 with no points. It can be difficult in the easy to draw areas to find public land but It can be done in some units with some homework and a good GPS with land ownership maps. A few points and your good to go though. Wyoming is a fun state to hunt and antelope are a blast. You may want to look for a unit you can draw with no points special and a small amount of huntable land and a nearby unit with plenty of public land that you could get some doe tags in for a worst case scenario, just a thought. I'm back up to 7 points so it might be time for a 4th Wyoming antelope next year. Good luck.

[carver52]

James,
While the state guys have lots of on the ground experience there, remember their perspective is much different from guys who don't live there or hunt places with their numbers of game.  I've hunted NE Wyoming 3 times on trespass fee properties.  If you do your homework now and reserve by Jan., Feb. you should have no problem lining up a good ranch.  You'll be ahead of the rest of the crowd who waits to learn of their draw results. And in fact will probably surprise the ranchers.  Now wouldn't be too soon actually.  There are hundreds of properties to choose from.  Set some standards for yourself such as primary animal and secondary animal.  Minimum number of acres, camping vs hotel.  expected numbers of heads to see everyday.  I've always been told that numbers were down there and in fact they may have been.  On one ranch with "numbers way down"  I counted 51 different muley bucks in 3 days of hunting.  On the adjacent ranch we had our buck antelope down in the first 2 hours of hunting.  Again, a matter of perspective.  While huge trophies are there, expect in reality to see mature representative heads.  A 14 inch pronghorn and a muley with ear width 3-4 point rack is a good goal.  Unless the ranch is high dollar you may not want to pass on one of those.  Trust the ranchers as they know the ranch and it's animals and I don't feel any have intentionally mislead me.  Good luck.

[jamesfromseattle]

I appreciate the advice, everyone.  I wish I have more to contribute right now.  Pretty much any pronghorn would be a trophy to us, so we are really not picky--even something small would probably make it on the wall.  If we could get any sort of buck, a couple does to fill the freezer, and have a good time, I would consider it an incredibly successful trip.



A couple things I am still trying to figure out:

1.  Is there a good way to find landowners remotely?  I've sifted through the hunter assistance program in the fish and game website, but there are not a ton of places on there.  On various forums, I have seen people refer to "landowner lists", but have not been able to find anything other than what the fish and game dept. puts out.  Maybe individual counties maintain them?


2.  The odds for the doe/fawn are confusing me--I've read through the limited quota drawing pdf. (http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/Departments/Hunting/pdfs/WGFDAPP13_APPLYLIMITEDQUOTA0003361.pdf) a few times but still can't really figure it out.  As far as I can tell, you can apply for up to two of the reduced price (doe/fawn) licenses in the reduced price drawing. 

So theoretically, if you picked an unpopular area for both your first and second choices you could draw two tags in that same unit.  Of if you picked two unpopular units you would end up with two doe dags in two different units.  I am guessing that if Popular Unit X's quota runs out in round one, then Popular Unit X does not give out any licenses to people that listed it first.

To use a couple random units from this year as examples:

Unit 1: 93 tag quota; 23 first choice applicants; 5 second choice applicants. 

In this unit, everyone that applied would get tags and 65 would be leftover.


Unit 4: 15 tag quota; 25 first choice applicants; 13 second choice applicants.

The first choice applicant would have 60% odds of drawing a doe tag.  There would be none left over for the second choice people, so they would have a 0% chance.

Does that sound right?  If so, it looks like it is still pretty tough to draw a doe tag in the really popular units.  For example, unit 61 had a 5 doe tag quota, but 262 first choice applicants and 130 second choice.  If my interpretation is right, that is 1.9% odds.  Better than a WA moose tag, but still pretty long.

[go4steelhd]

Great hunt choice. I feel everyone should do an antelope hunt in Wyoming at least once. I've been 4 or 5 times myself.  Depending on the area you can get up to 4 doe tags. Some units you can get 2 buck tags. As far as a land owner list you call the chamber of commerce in the area you want a list of land owners that will allow hunting for a fee. I looked into doing this one year. I called some land owners , the fees in the area I called for ranged from $200 to 500 per person. I have heard of people saying that they paid $50. I never talked to a land owner that had a fee that low. And I talked to about 20 land owners. Some may let you doe hunt for free if you do a buck hunt there. There is no need to pay to hunt antelope in Wyoming. When I called land owners was when I first was thinking of going over and hunting.  I have always hunted on public there and had 100% success. Get a gps public land chip for your gps and have fun.  Things to look for when picking a unit is: If the draw odds are 100% for a buck tag on the regular tag price access will be tough. Lots of public land is land locked. It can still be done you will just spend a full day or two driving around to find out where you can access public land. If you want a less stressful more enjoyable hunt put in for an area that has 65% public land or more.  This may have lower draw odds, or you can put in for the special tag and up your odds in the good areas.

[GotMyTag]

I have been many times.  Taking the kids is the best.  Because you can see them.  Plus it is not very expensive to take the kids.
Hunting Wyoming is fantastic for antelope.
I wrote an app that I charge $2 for to make sure I never miss applying and it looks up my points.
This works in Washington and Wyoming and many other states.
The best hunts come from applying.

[Maverick]

Gotmytag, I'll be buying your app. Just waiting till I get a new phone. I have an iPhone and will be getting an HTC instead.

[GUscottie]

I appreciate the advice, everyone.  I wish I have more to contribute right now.  Pretty much any pronghorn would be a trophy to us, so we are really not picky--even something small would probably make it on the wall.  If we could get any sort of buck, a couple does to fill the freezer, and have a good time, I would consider it an incredibly successful trip.



A couple things I am still trying to figure out:

1.  Is there a good way to find landowners remotely?  I've sifted through the hunter assistance program in the fish and game website, but there are not a ton of places on there.  On various forums, I have seen people refer to "landowner lists", but have not been able to find anything other than what the fish and game dept. puts out.  Maybe individual counties maintain them?


2.  The odds for the doe/fawn are confusing me--I've read through the limited quota drawing pdf. (http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/Departments/Hunting/pdfs/WGFDAPP13_APPLYLIMITEDQUOTA0003361.pdf) a few times but still can't really figure it out.  As far as I can tell, you can apply for up to two of the reduced price (doe/fawn) licenses in the reduced price drawing. 

So theoretically, if you picked an unpopular area for both your first and second choices you could draw two tags in that same unit.  Of if you picked two unpopular units you would end up with two doe dags in two different units.  I am guessing that if Popular Unit X's quota runs out in round one, then Popular Unit X does not give out any licenses to people that listed it first.

To use a couple random units from this year as examples:

Unit 1: 93 tag quota; 23 first choice applicants; 5 second choice applicants. 

In this unit, everyone that applied would get tags and 65 would be leftover.


Unit 4: 15 tag quota; 25 first choice applicants; 13 second choice applicants.

The first choice applicant would have 60% odds of drawing a doe tag.  There would be none left over for the second choice people, so they would have a 0% chance.

Does that sound right?  If so, it looks like it is still pretty tough to draw a doe tag in the really popular units.  For example, unit 61 had a 5 doe tag quota, but 262 first choice applicants and 130 second choice.  If my interpretation is right, that is 1.9% odds.  Better than a WA moose tag, but still pretty long.

To answer your questions:
1. To get landowner info:Look up the county assessor's sight. You can also buy a landowner app/chip to find info. If you keep it up to date, it's a great resource. Next, contact the local gamie. They give lots of info on people willing to allow hunting; ranging from depredation type hunting to people who will always give permission.

2.What you have said about doe/fawn tags is pretty accurate...but remember they do grant some, a small percentage, of completely random tags. So even with 1 point, you have "a chance"...Not likely you'll get a tag, but it is possible.

Some great areas to get into antelope are units that have a lot of "on or near" (think 800 yards) from irrigation or private land tags. These are generally depredation hunts that landowners are begging people to come kill goats. I have had great success getting permission to kill does. When there is a sudden jump in doe tags, from (using hypothetical numbers) 20 tags to 50 tags, that means farmers are suddenly having issues with damage and they then have to allow a certain number of goats to be killed or they won't get paid by the state. I had this fortune when hunting in a unit. The tag numbers ballooned to nearly 500 for a unit that was generally 100...guess what, 4 goats were killed in 3 short hunts (half a day or less; all solo).

hope this was helpful.

[idaho guy]

Great hunt choice. I feel everyone should do an antelope hunt in Wyoming at least once. I've been 4 or 5 times myself.  Depending on the area you can get up to 4 doe tags. Some units you can get 2 buck tags. As far as a land owner list you call the chamber of commerce in the area you want a list of land owners that will allow hunting for a fee. I looked into doing this one year. I called some land owners , the fees in the area I called for ranged from $200 to 500 per person. I have heard of people saying that they paid $50. I never talked to a land owner that had a fee that low. And I talked to about 20 land owners. Some may let you doe hunt for free if you do a buck hunt there. There is no need to pay to hunt antelope in Wyoming. When I called land owners was when I first was thinking of going over and hunting.  I have always hunted on public there and had 100% success. Get a gps public land chip for your gps and have fun.  Things to look for when picking a unit is: If the draw odds are 100% for a buck tag on the regular tag price access will be tough. Lots of public land is land locked. It can still be done you will just spend a full day or two driving around to find out where you can access public land. If you want a less stressful more enjoyable hunt put in for an area that has 65% public land or more.  This may have lower draw odds, or you can put in for the special tag and up your odds in the good areas.

:yea



I think you are over complicating this hunt I went to college there for just a few years (got my residency) and there was no problem getting a tag or finding an average place to hunt if you don't want a trophy hunt you should have no problem having a fantastic hunt as stated already it's a matter of perspective a low qaulity hunt will still have a bunch of antelope

[jamesfromseattle]

Thanks for the replies. The plan is starting to come together. I've got my eye on a couple areas in the northwest. Current plan is to put in for a special license for the GF in the best looking public land unit I could find with historically decent chances of drawing with no points. I'd like her first animal to be on a legit, big country, public land hunt. 

I'm planning on applying for a unit that I have no chance of drawing and taking the preference point.

There is also another unit a short drive from that unit  with lots of irrigated land doe tags. We are both going to apply for a couple of those and try to line up some private land. There are some small walk in areas and a ton of land owners on the hunter assistance lists from prior years that allow doe hunting. The irrigated land tags also have an earlier season, which will be easier on the schedule.

Once the GF gets her buck we will try to fill the freezer with a few does. I'm operating under the theory that if there are lots of tags to prevent agricultural damage than it will be easy to find someone's let us hunt their land.

September can't come soon enough!!!