Wyoming Antelope Input

[MuleySniper]

Hey guys, myself, my dad and a buddy have time set aside for a Wyoming antelope hunt. We have a couple points but are wanting to head down on a guaranteed draw hunt to hopefully put some meat in the freezer and explore a little country while we are down there for when we have more points to hopefully draw a more quality unit. My buddy has a buddy who lives in Sheridan. This guy is so green to hunting and a little naive. His buddy tells him the lopes are everywhere and getting on to private is no problem. Myself not knowing this guy at all have no intention on banking on some he said she said info. We are looking at unit 22 as an option and I know the amount of public is pretty limited. Anyone have any experience with unit 22 or should we look elsewhere? Sure it would be great to know "that guy" but like I said I don't personally know him and don't want to go that far on a wild goose chase. We would like to remain to the northern part of the state but are willing to venture if we have better odds. They say there are trophy bucks in all the units which is great but Id be happy with just a meat hunt since we love to eat antelope. Any advice would be appreciated.
MS

[Chesapeake]

Have you looked at the hunter access in that unit (county)? Public access in that area is limited as you know. I'm not aware of any premier lope units in that area, so what would you be going to look at? That entire corner of the state is fairly limited for public access for lopes except maybe the grasslands.
Pretty sure the premier units are between Casper and the Wyoming range.

[Bwana Bob]

Any area you can draw as a second choice will have a lot of private land in it. A little late in your planning but you could pay a tress pass fee and hunt. Sometimes the regional office for an area will have a landowner list for people that will let you hunt for a fee. That way you won't burn your points if you draw your second choice hunt. Or just buy antelope doe tags in an area with lots of public land.
The last option is go in the special draw. You can draw quite a few good areas with 2 points. I plan to do this myself this season.

[Chesapeake]

Go here:

These areas will be a fall back plan:
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/plpwhmprogram/frmWalkinHuntingHome.aspx

22 is in Johnson county and no walk in area listed. Next look at BLM and state lands (Yellow and blue on most maps). Some of this may be accessible.

[Bigshooter]

If you put in for the more expensive draw with a couple pts it will open up a lot more options.  If you don't  want to spend the extra money take a look at unit 72.  It has private land issues a bit, but a lot of it is open through the hma program.  72 is a little more in the middle of the state. 

[Bigshooter]

Just looked at 72 and it took 3 pts to draw last year in the regular  draw.  72 has had a huge cut in tags since 2011.  2011 it had 1250 tags last year it was down to 400.  If they increase tag numbers for 72 you might be able to draw with 2pts.  If not it will probably be 3pts again.  I would really consider spending the extra money and apply  in the more expensive draw.  Lots more options with 2 pts.

[bobcat]

Looks like area 72 went from 400 tags last year to 250 tags this year.

[Stein]

I read guaranteed tag and meat in the freezer which for me means a couple of doe tags.

[WAcoueshunter]

Looks like area 72 went from 400 tags last year to 250 tags this year.

I was just looking for this year's tag numbers, where did you find them?

[Bigshooter]

Looks like area 72 went from 400 tags last year to 250 tags this year.

Forget about 72 then.

[bobcat]

Looks like area 72 went from 400 tags last year to 250 tags this year.

I was just looking for this year's tag numbers, where did you find them?

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/Departments/Hunting/pdfs/REGULATIONS_CH5_FILING0006964.pdf

[GUscottie]

22 is almost all landlocked or private land. When you have checker-board public/private mixes, it's nigh impossible to get onto it. I would think this would be a great hunt for does as most farmers/ranchers have very cheap trespass fees for those...So if you were to say hunt 4, 8 or 10 does, you may get a discount on the bucks...Some farmers allow trespass fees of $100 bucks or so for bucks....All depends on what you're looking at doing. In areas with very low public land, your best bet is to pay the piper and get a trespass fee. The "premier" units have tons of public land and no issues with access, they also often have fewer doe tags...If you talk to a biologist, they will often get you phone numbers for farmers and ranchers with issues with the speed goats. It's worked for me in the past. Good luck!

[Chesapeake]

72 was cool till Eastman's and Huntin Fool started listing it as a "Trophy" unit, then it started downhill and points creep set in. Then a bad winter knocked the population down and they cut the tags.

[MuleySniper]

Thanks for the input guys. I currently have 2 points so I'm considering just getting another point this year and bagging the trip down. For some reason Wyoming totally confuses me. I hear all kinds of different opinions and stories regarding their access to public land and issues. Nothing is really cut and dry.
MS

[Chesapeake]

Access is pretty easy. Use the link I posted and you can easily see what walk on stuff is available where. BLM and state is easy, just make sure it's not land locked, or tied up by some user that restricts access.
If you get the Hunt Maps for your GPS they have the walk in stuff right on your GPS. Real easy.

Your issue is your asking about an area of the state that's not easy access, and more specifically a unit that's not easy access.
Unless you want to bank on your " friend of a friend" deal, you should broaden your search area.
2 points will have you hunting easy with access if you want. Pretty good units as well. Just not near Sheridan.

If you began with "I have 2 points, would like to make a maiden voyage to Wyoming for speed goats, and would like to have a chance at some doe tags". Suggestions would flow easy.

Wyoming has a great website with tons of info.
This is the leftovers from June last year. You could go look now. Those "20" series units don't sell out their doe tags because access sucks, so not many non-locals buy the tags. If access was decent those tags would sell out to guys like you and me.

[Bwana Bob]

Stop complaining your making it more complicated than it has to be. Buck up and pay the $200 more for the special tag. Lots of good areas you can draw with tons of public. Hey, for $50 more I'll even pick some great areas that I've hunted in the past for you.
!0 WY antelope hunts and many hours on the pot reading the WY regs and Eastmans picks has made me an antelope expert, Right.

[GUscottie]

For my next buck hunt I'm just bucking up and paying the special price. Opens a lot more options...plus points creep is drastically reduced.

[Chesapeake]

We've killed some decent (to us, not record book stuff) bucks in the easy to draw units. Just have to hold out. Easy to hold out with a fist full of doe tags. Always see the biggest bucks on private land along the highway driving there.
Never paid the special price before. Sure seems like an expensive antelope tag to me.
This dude was sick or something. He just stood there. But it made a good photo op. He's average sized for what we see most of in the easy units.

[Bwana Bob]

For my next buck hunt I'm just bucking up and paying the special price. Opens a lot more options...plus points creep is drastically reduced.

Smart man Scottie, I'm doing the special thing this year and hope to draw a real decent area.
Point creek and the reduction in tags in a lot of units has led to some real tuff draw odd even in marginal areas.

[cem3434]

Chesapeake, I have 4 points for speed goats and would like to have a chance to kill an average buck and some doe tags. We have never put in and have just buying points for the last couple of years, so what units would you suggest that my hunting partner and myself look at drawing?

On a side note, I still don't understand how its possible to draw your second choice and not burn your points. Can someone break this down into layman's terms for me? If I have 4 points and my first choice takes an average of 7 points to draw and my second choice takes an average of 2 points to draw, does that mean I will draw my second choice and hold onto my preference points?

[bobcat]

I'm no expert on Wyoming but I believe you would not be able to draw a tag that takes two points as a second choice. To draw a second choice it needs to be an undersubscribed tag. (More tags available than first choice applicants)

[Chesapeake]

Chesapeake, I have 4 points for speed goats and would like to have a chance to kill an average buck and some doe tags. We have never put in and have just buying points for the last couple of years, so what units would you suggest that my hunting partner and myself look at drawing?

On a side note, I still don't understand how its possible to draw your second choice and not burn your points. Can someone break this down into layman's terms for me? If I have 4 points and my first choice takes an average of 7 points to draw and my second choice takes an average of 2 points to draw, does that mean I will draw my second choice and hold onto my preference points?

I don't have time to look for you now on unit suggestions, I'll have to look at points creep and tag reductions, ect.... to give a good suggestion.

Your looking for units you can draw with 4 points, have access, and have doe tags. The good buck units don't typically have lots of doe tags. Say for instance 72. You had 30 some buck tags and 20 some doe tags. With 220 some odd folks trying for them. Your in a points range that you'll probably need to hunt bucks in one unit and does in another to avoid wasting your 4 points. The key will be finding these units close enough to be feasible.....

I'll send you a PM in a day or two.

As for second choice draw. The only tags that go into the second choice are for units that have tags left after the initial draw. (read tough access). They don't take your points for second choice draws.

[Chesapeake]

So lets talk about trying to figure out draw odds, points creep, and quota's (Non-res only gets up to a percentage of the tags).

So talking about 89-1. You can see that only 4% of those with 4 points drew. 100% of those with "less than 5 points" drew (Wyoming averages your points when in a group, so if 1 guy had 4 and 1 had 5 in a 2 person group then you'd have 4.5 points or "<5" points. Wyoming has middle groups, so 0, less than 1, 1 point, less than 2, 2, less than 3, 3 ect......)
But look a little lower. 22 folks with 4 points didn't get tags last year. You can expect some of them to be back this year, as well as a few new folks with 4 points may jump in the race.
Look lower yet.  171 folks with <4 points put in. You can expect some of those folks, and some folks that have just been buying points to be in the race next year as well. With a 17 tag non-res quota this unit will creep, because the demand (~200 tags) would take several years to be filled with just 17 tags.


Go here for the quota's.
http://gf.state.wy.us/web2011/Departments/Hunting/pdfs/REGULATIONS_CH5_FILING0006964.pdf