Wyoming Antelope- Unit 93

[Duckhunter14]

HW Team-

I got lucky and drew a unit 93 antelope tag. I have been doing all the research I can online and with OnX and google earth, I'm getting excited for the hunt. I am planning on buying the archery permit so I can start hunting August 15th, and taking my first trip to the unit the weekend after the archery opener to check it out and see what I can find for quality. As well as access points and spots to camp; I already have a dozen or so pins dropped on OnX.

I reach out this group with two questions; 1.) to see if anyone has hunted this unit and what I should hold out for quality? 2.) Is it worth hunting during the archery hunt? Setting up ground blind over water or spot and stalk? I've killed several antelope and never been too picky. I am trying to find a good one. From all I've read finding antelope in the unit wont be an issue, but quality bucks may be harder to find.

Luckily I just moved to ID and am only about 5-1/2 hours from the unit so I don't feel the same pressure as I would if it was a 15hr drive.

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom. Overall I'm just excited to chase antelope again. I haven't been in a long time. With several other tags in my pocket, moving, and getting married this year was already pretty booked and I applied for this tag as a long shot (>3%). I just got lucky and so I'm trying to do the tag justice and make time for it.

Clint

[Bob33]

I'm eager to hear how your hunt goes.

You might want to contact the local bio for information.

Good luck.

[Duckhunter14]

I'm eager to hear how your hunt goes.

You might want to contact the local bio for information.

Good luck.

I was planning on contacting the local Bio as well as the Game Warden (who have helped greatly on other tags I've drawn in other states as well). My biggest problem is staying off the trigger! 

Thanks Bob

[Duckhunter14]

This is my best loper to date. Tall, not great mass and broken prongs. At the time I thought it was all about how tall they were. This one was 14-1/2". And yes I scoped myself. 

[WAcoueshunter]

I’ve hunted nearby a few times. Tons of goats in 93, hard part is going to be judging and staying off the trigger. Most of our bucks from nearby have been mid to high 70’s. With time and ability to judge, you could absolutely find an 80” goat there.

[Duckhunter14]

I’ve hunted nearby a few times. Tons of goats in 93, hard part is going to be judging and staying off the trigger. Most of our bucks from nearby have been mid to high 70’s. With time and ability to judge, you could absolutely find an 80” goat there.

Thanks for the info! That's what I was hoping to hear. Appreciate it. I agree, staying off the trigger is going to be the hardest part! I'm working on my judging skills!

[Cleetiswillfeedus]

That’s one of the best units in the state in my opinion. Tons of antelope. Look them over as you should have multiple opportunities.

[Duckhunter14]

That’s one of the best units in the state in my opinion. Tons of antelope. Look them over as you should have multiple opportunities.

Awesome. Thanks for the input! I have a buddy coming to hold my shells. 

[Duckhunter14]

In mid August after the archery opener my wife, daughter and two dogs headed to the unit to scout and hunt. It was the girls first time chasing antelope and we had a blast. We spotted a lot of antelope and I made some really fun stalks but opted to pass on the bucks I got within shooting range of; several younger bucks just stood next to the road. But in the back of my mind was several people telling me that mid 70's or better was attainable if I held out. I was told the unit was very dry this year and that 80" may be tough to find, but 75" or better was doable. 

During our hunt we also saw some nice Shiras bull moose, mule deer, coyotes and whitetail. The girls loved it, until a summer storm rolled in and we had to lock the dogs in their kennel inside the alaknak at the campground and wait out the storm in the truck. Lightning striking all around us, hellacious wind and marble sized hail. The moisture made traversing the roads off the main highway impossible the next day, but we were able to spot plenty of antelope from the highway and I got some more stalks in. Getting to bow range on speed goats is a challenge! Their eyes are incredible!

We went home empty handed but had a great time. We were not able to find anything even close to 70". so I was a little nervous for the rifle hunt. But I was hoping the more mature bucks were laying low and getting ready for the rut.

Sep. 14th my hunting partner had a couple days available to meet me in the unit and he made the long drive down from western MT. We stayed in a sketchy motel and got an early start to the day Sep 15th and were glassing antelope by daylight. We decided to explore a different part of the unit than I had hunted with the girls and we were finding plenty of critters to look over. Just nothing worth chasing. We just couldn't find a buck that had decent height, mass and prongs. We found several with good mass, but no prongs. Or decent prongs and height but no mass. I don't think we saw a single buck in the unit over 14-15".

The search continued and mid morning we stopped to make coffee and breakfast. We spotted a buck that looked good about a mile away, but after checking OnX realized he was just across a fence on private. There was a two track that went right down to a pond on public land that was near where the buck was rutting does and chasing off smaller bucks. We decided he looked good enough to get a closer look, so we jumped in the truck and headed back down to where the two track took off from the road we were on. Part way down the hill I spotted a lone antelope a couple hundred yards from the road feeding about 1/2 mile below us. I stopped and we glassed him with the spotters, but only got a brief look before he fed into a small ravine. He looked funky, but massive. We parked the truck and headed to the bottom of the ravine and situated ourselves in a shooting position within 300 yards from where we thought he may feed out. We waited and waited....nothing. We decided he either changed directions or bedded down. We decided to ease over the ridge and see if we could get a closer look at him. The wind was right and we crept towards the ridgetop, scanning as we went. Finally I spotted white and hissed STOP, he's bedded right there. We both pulled up our binos and that sucker had already picked us off. He was bedded 300 yards out, facing us. I set up the tripod and attempted to get a good look at him, but he wouldn't turn his head. He was staring a hole right through us. My buddy said get set up, and Ill get a good look at him when he stands. I set up for the shot and he stood, my buddy said hes super cool and he has great hooks and mass. The buck decided he had enough and ran into the drainage below. We ran to the edge and I got the spotter back on him...he stopped at 600 yards. Dangit that's an awesome buck! Massive, hooks that curved back and out and good hooked prongs. Then he dashed away and was gone. Well bummer, that's ok. Lets go see what that other buck looks like and who knows, that's the direction he went too. Maybe we'll see him again.

Hiked back to the truck, organized our gear and headed out the two track. Part way down I spotted another buck across the drainage. I pulled out the spotter and was attempting to size him up when my buddy said there's two other bucks farther down the ridge from him, both nice! One is the buck we spooked earlier. We were able to size both bucks up and they were both solid bucks. One was super unique and the other was just your really typical pretty buck. Good length, good prongs and decent mass. I had a decision to make and decided I liked the heavy weirdo better. We let them feed out of sight down the ridge and made our move. As we crept around the next ridge we could see them feeding in the bottom about 800 yards away. Again we let them feed out of sight and ran for the bottom, coming up on the ridge that looked into the next drainage. We eased up to the top and there they were feeding on the face across from us, working their way up the drainage. 330 yards my buddy whispered, I got on the gun and all I could see was the pretty buck, the grass was too tall in my position to see the other one. I crept forward, staying low without being picked off. Now I could see the buck I wanted, he was feeding closer, 310 yards. He's broadside, boom! They trotted up the hill and stopped. Did I miss? Boom! Down he goes. You got him that time. We were both surprised when we got up to him. More mass and better prongs than we thought. Not often they do the opposite of ground shrinkage. I was super happy with him and it was a great day of hunting with my best friend since kindergarten. We snapped some photos cut him up and packed him out to get on the ice we had ready at the truck because it had warmed up and was over 70 degrees.

Thank you to the people who reached out with info on the unit. I appreciated the help. Ill try to add some photos.

Clint

[Duckhunter14]

 

[Rydonn]

Nice job!

[ShaneTyTrey]

Nice buck, congrats!

[Widgeondeke]

Good looking speed goat. Thx for sharing

[hard hunter]

Nice