Antelope help

[haftard]

So im wanting to do an antelope hunt. But i dont know where to go, or what to put in for. I would like to do it with a muzzleloader. If you know of muzzleloader hunts with high odds or a otc tag i would love to know about it. Public land or good access is a must

[LDennis24]

Guys I know always go to Wyoming

[87Ford]

May want to consider buying a Wyoming antelope preference point.  I believe you have till Nov 2nd to buy a point only.

[Stein]

I wouldn't suggest ML for your first antelope hunt, but have at it if that is your thing.  WY, MT, pick a unit and go for it, plenty of research info available for free on their websites or GoHunt.  I don't know of an otc antelope tag, so you are looking at 2021 at the earliest.

What research have you done so far?  You might have trouble getting feedback if you don't at least have a state and some areas picked out.

[haftard]

Well ive bought a point for wyoming. I looked,into oregon but the 200 bucks just to put in every year is kinda killer. Havent looked into montana that much.

[Bigshooter]

Go with WY.

[ibuyre]

Go with Wy. I have yet to shoot a buck. Was drawn for a Mt buck tag and hunted that, had a shot on a nice goat, but it was a long shot (500ish yards), and the grass was showing the wind was going 3 different ways along the bullet path, so didn't take the shot. What I did was bought random reduced price doe tags all over Wy and have watched goats and shot 4 does in Wy. It's cheap fun, freezer filling education about goats. Mt was a harder hunt than Wy. lol I had a dandy buck goat at like 20 feet that I spent about 20 min with but had a doe tag.... In Wy. Get on x maps or something like that. Watch where you are... Wy is goofy, you can be trespassing and be on a rd that most maps show as a county rd. BUT that one ranch won't have a easement for the rd.... So you can dive the rd up to that ranch from both directions, but you can't drive the county rd though that ranch... and there's no signs telling you that.... Crazy easy to get in trouble for trespassing. Plus it doesn't help when the ranchers accuse you of trespass and try to run you off when you are on BLM. Or when you see "no trespassing" signs on BLM land.  A lot of ranchers lease to guides or are guides and they view BLM that they graze on as there land, in addition to there actual land.  Know exactly who's land you are on. Call the local game warden and talk to them, they are super helpful.

[theleo]

If your just in it for chasing goats Wyoming is the state to go to. Oregon isn't worth it from the non resident perspective and the closest thing Idaho has to OTC tags are some unlimited draw archery tags. Like others have stated, I wouldn't take a muzzleloader if it's your first time going after them. My last one was only about a 90 yard shot, but I've chased them before and have at least some real world experience on how they differ from deer and elk. Limit yourself to 300 yards or less with a rifle and I think you'll get more of challenge than you're expecting. They're different critters. Watch them enough and you'll see what I mean.

[dvolmer]

I hunt unit 99 in Wyoming and it has decent antelope.  There are some Hunt Management Areas (HMA) that have good access for antelope (if you ever get drawn let me know and I can help you out).  There is also some good walk in areas that are open to the public.  The interesting part of unit 99 is that they have a special hunt/season for muzzleloaders.  They have there own permit quota and the season starts a little bit longer and earlier so you get a first crack at them.  Worth looking into. (Took 3 points in the normal draw last year and 2 points in the special draw to get a tag.)  Hunt number 99-0 is the muzzleloader hunt.

[Pathfinder101]

Agree with Wyoming.  If you want to hunt without spending a lot of years building points, that's where I'd go. 
HOWEVER... read my thread on PathfinderJR and Little Pathfinger's Antelope hunt last week.  We drew that unit with no points, but when we got there there were absolutely NO goats on public land.  That's the general rule in Wyoming... If it's easy to draw... there won't be enough public land to have a good hunt.  We got really lucky and got on some private property.  My suggestion is to build points for a few years until you can draw a unit that has a high percentage of public land.  We drove and hiked around in Unit 17 for 18 hours and did not see a buck antelope on huntable land.  Period.

[Stein]

For me, deer and elk hunting are all about finding the target.  Antelope hunting is all about finding something where you can legally shoot it, so that's consistent with most people doing public land hunting, especially lower point hunts.  Unless you are in a truly horrible unit, there will be plenty of targets all around.

So, you have a few options to get a tag.  Option 1 is throw some money at it, either the special application in WY, a guide or a landowner fee.  Some states have landowner tags too.  This is the easiest way of course.

Option 2 is to consider doe hunts, easier to draw and many times the opportunity to harvest one as there are a bunch of them around and they are all pretty much the same and you can't really be picky.

Option 3 would be getting REALLY good at reading maps and REALLY good about knowing exactly where you are at.  If you hunt tiny parcels or right on the border your odds sometimes can go up dramatically, but you have to be 100% sure of what you are doing.  Those places will be easier to draw.  There are also tags with heavy restrictions like only hunting within 1/2 mile of irrigated land.  Those are a real crapshoot in my mind, I've showed up to brown dirt that was green crops in Google Earth which is a bummer to say the least. 

Option 4, either tag along or find a great friend with tons of points you can party apply with.  I actually like hunting other people's tags even better than when I have the tag, all the fun and none of the stress.

Option 5, win the lottery, apply for every opportunity in every state you can and focus on those that have at least some type of random tag available (apply in a state that has a random allocation and then in units with tons of tags instead of the unit with only 2 tags as it likely won't have any random allocation).

Option 6 - check tribal opportunities (kind of like option 1).  I haven't done this but I think there are some tribes that run hunts you don't need a state tag for.

There are probably other ideas, but either pull out your wallet, be prepared to hunt a place that might not have any goats, or be patient and wait 3-5 years or more.

[ibuyre]

For me, deer and elk hunting are all about finding the target.  Antelope hunting is all about finding something where you can legally shoot it, so that's consistent with most people doing public land hunting, especially lower point hunts.  Unless you are in a truly horrible unit, there will be plenty of targets all around.

So, you have a few options to get a tag.  Option 1 is throw some money at it, either the special application in WY, a guide or a landowner fee.  Some states have landowner tags too.  This is the easiest way of course.

Option 2 is to consider doe hunts, easier to draw and many times the opportunity to harvest one as there are a bunch of them around and they are all pretty much the same and you can't really be picky.

Option 3 would be getting REALLY good at reading maps and REALLY good about knowing exactly where you are at.  If you hunt tiny parcels or right on the border your odds sometimes can go up dramatically, but you have to be 100% sure of what you are doing.  Those places will be easier to draw.  There are also tags with heavy restrictions like only hunting within 1/2 mile of irrigated land.  Those are a real crapshoot in my mind, I've showed up to brown dirt that was green crops in Google Earth which is a bummer to say the least. 

Option 4, either tag along or find a great friend with tons of points you can party apply with.  I actually like hunting other people's tags even better than when I have the tag, all the fun and none of the stress.

Option 5, win the lottery, apply for every opportunity in every state you can and focus on those that have at least some type of random tag available (apply in a state that has a random allocation and then in units with tons of tags instead of the unit with only 2 tags as it likely won't have any random allocation).

Option 6 - check tribal opportunities (kind of like option 1).  I haven't done this but I think there are some tribes that run hunts you don't need a state tag for.

There are probably other ideas, but either pull out your wallet, be prepared to hunt a place that might not have any goats, or be patient and wait 3-5 years or more.

I would second all of that. Great post. And I will add, more to the knowing exactly where you are and little parcels. All 4 of the goats I shot where on super small chunks of public land. We are talking 3-5 ac pieces. So small most people didn't even look at them. But I would go check those tiny spots out and low and behold goats... BUT have know exactly where you are, and where the goats are, and hit them in a way that they can't run or they would be off the property and you can't recover them without getting permission that you most likely won't be able to get. That was something I found frustrating. Tons of people told me up front, "don't even ask, about recovering a animal, can't do it". It has something to do with the leases that the guide services use, and the reason I will NEVER use one of said guides. Makes me really against any money going to anyone that doesn't want animals recovered.

Be warned though some of the guides are total jerks, I had a couple try to run me off public land. He was telling me I was trespassing and threatening me. I stood my ground and proved I was on public and had the number of the game warden and was "let's call him" (have the name and number of the game warden in your pocket, I needed it 2 times). At that point the tune changed to, if a animal runs off this land, I have everything around this place under lease and I will charge you if you attempt to recover anything. Hence I like to see people do it there self and not pay jerks.

[opdinkslayer]

The biggest questions to ask yourself with an antelope hunt is what caliber of goat am I looking for & how long do I want to wait to hunt? Killing an antelope is not hard but being in an area to have a chance to kill a big one is a bit more challenging.

[rainshadow1]

Tagging... looking into it for next season myself...

[haftard]

Well i dont wanna shoot a little buck that aint bigger then his ears. I want there to be plenty of public land to accualt get out and look for the right goat. Honestly i would like to go every 2 to 3 years.

[robb92]

Mt is a special drawing, it's $205 to put in for it, if not drawn they refund all but 5 dollars. I have applied for the last three years  and so far not successful in getting drawn. I would also agree with going to Wyoming.

[actionshooter]

Good info on this thread!

[Pathfinder101]

Well i dont wanna shoot a little buck that aint bigger then his ears. I want there to be plenty of public land to accualt get out and look for the right goat. Honestly i would like to go every 2 to 3 years.

You can probably draw a decent tag with 3 points.  I have 4 right now, and probably could draw a decent tag. I am going to wait a couple of years before I actually put in, but that's because I'm not in a hurry and I have other hunts I would like to do.   

[Stein]

My WY tag takes 2-3 points to draw depending on the year, this year would have been many more due to the lack of tags in the general area.  My area is pretty small and all the goats are concentrated in a very small area that is easy to miss and it has tons of restrictions on where you can hunt and when.

I think an area with a bunch of accessible public with goats on it will take a significant amount of research to draw with 2-3 points in the normal draw, but it varies year to year. 

In MT, the tag I have this year is also a 2 point, sometimes 3 point unit.  Again, a tiny chunk of ground the public can get at that usually holds goats and there is usually 2, maybe 3 decent bucks, no book bucks by any means but what I consider a solid mature buck, just not with the genetics to be great.  Most tags go to people hunting private where the opportunity is much better, but it's still not a great unit.

Those are all relative terms, what one guy considers tons of opportunity another guy may think is marginal at best.  Same with bucks, the difference between a good and great buck may only be 1-2" in length.

[ctwiggs1]

This was my first year for goats and everything I've read on this thread is pretty much what I found to be true as well.

The only thing I'd add is that Randy Newberg and the other guys who onX sponsors tend to make a big deal about how you can apply to those "*mostly private land" units and still have a lot of success with onX.  While there is some truth to that, the other side of that coin is that a bunch of your best buds have also heard that rumor and are out there with you.  When there are 15 or so 150 acre parcels that are being hammered by the same 50 people, it tends to get cramped.  My buddy and I ended up getting to know a lot of the other guys driving around because they'd always drive by and see us actually getting out of the truck to go glass for awhile.  We would be unloading and going "Oh there are those guys with the red truck and black canopy.  Think they want to talk about the Packers again?"

I didn't mind the pressure because most of it is road-based, I don't mind walking, and I wasn't looking for a "quality" hunt on this trip.  In addition, we were able to secure a few small pieces of private land a few days into our hunt which helped enormously.  That said, if you're looking for a "quality" hunt, I would focus on lower draw odd/higher public land access units.

[rainshadow1]

What are the prospects (MT or WY) of getting kids or new hunters a shot at a warm game animal? Does that still vary by unit? Can you drive a half hour from a drawn buck unit and get it done if the B or 6 tags are gone there?

The trip I'm considering includes getting a couple of my step kids back into hunting, one of my step kids first, and a couple cousins' and an Uncle's firsts. Trophies are not important!

[Pathfinder101]

This was my first year for goats and everything I've read on this thread is pretty much what I found to be true as well.

The only thing I'd add is that Randy Newberg and the other guys who onX sponsors tend to make a big deal about how you can apply to those "*mostly private land" units and still have a lot of success with onX.  While there is some truth to that, the other side of that coin is that a bunch of your best buds have also heard that rumor and are out there with you.  When there are 15 or so 150 acre parcels that are being hammered by the same 50 people, it tends to get cramped.  My buddy and I ended up getting to know a lot of the other guys driving around because they'd always drive by and see us actually getting out of the truck to go glass for awhile.  We would be unloading and going "Oh there are those guys with the red truck and black canopy.  Think they want to talk about the Packers again?"

I didn't mind the pressure because most of it is road-based, I don't mind walking, and I wasn't looking for a "quality" hunt on this trip.  In addition, we were able to secure a few small pieces of private land a few days into our hunt which helped enormously.  That said, if you're looking for a "quality" hunt, I would focus on lower draw odd/higher public land access units.

This post is spot on. 
Until you do it, you don't really know what you're up against.  We probably talked to 30 guys in our unit.  EVERY single one of them had OnX on their phones.  ALL of them were doing the exact same thing we were; hopping from piece to piece trying to find a goat that had accidentally wandered across the line into public.  A few years ago this skill was limited only to guys who can read a map and estimate distance very well (a much less common skill than most people like to admit).  Now, it's just a matter of pressing your thumb on your phone. 
I like Randy Newberg as much as anyone else (I truly am a fan of the guy), but he is selling OnX on his show/podcast etc...  He's not going to tell his viewers that "everyone else in the west is doing this too..." 

[andrew_in_idaho]

What are the prospects (MT or WY) of getting kids or new hunters a shot at a warm game animal? Does that still vary by unit? Can you drive a half hour from a drawn buck unit and get it done if the B or 6 tags are gone there?

The trip I'm considering includes getting a couple of my step kids back into hunting, one of my step kids first, and a couple cousins' and an Uncle's firsts. Trophies are not important!

My dad, uncle, 89 year old grandpa and I all went back to a easy draw unit in Wyoming this year and managed to go 12 for 12 on our antelope tags. As soon as my oldest turns 12 if he desires we will he back there hunting antelope


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[Stein]

I couldn't agree  more, OnX is pretty much a given for just about anyone out there these days.   The less public land there is available the larger the chance you won't find an animal.  Most of the time, it's a choice between taking bigger risks every 1-3 years or going for more high probability hunts every 5-10 years.

Of course, you can always throw money at it, buy permission to hunt on private or hire a guide that has access to private, or get really lucky and knock on doors and get cheap or free access although any landowner understands they can get money for access and likely gets asked 100 times a year from tons of people with out of state plates.

[rainshadow1]

What are the prospects (MT or WY) of getting kids or new hunters a shot at a warm game animal? Does that still vary by unit? Can you drive a half hour from a drawn buck unit and get it done if the B or 6 tags are gone there?

The trip I'm considering includes getting a couple of my step kids back into hunting, one of my step kids first, and a couple cousins' and an Uncle's firsts. Trophies are not important!

My dad, uncle, 89 year old grandpa and I all went back to a easy draw unit in Wyoming this year and managed to go 12 for 12 on our antelope tags. As soon as my oldest turns 12 if he desires we will he back there hunting antelope


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Sweet!

I was thinking of trying that because we're thinking of retiring in a more timbered region of WY. Kinda wante to look it over, so it'd be a good dual purpose trip... but there are still goats there. SOOO much to research!