Best state to go to for speed goats

[Bigshooter]

For numbers and quality Wyoming is #1.  Wyoming ranks #1 with the most bc heads.  Almost twice as many as #2 New Mexico.  Wyoming has put more bucks in the books than #2 New Mexico and #3 Arizona combined.  If you don't want to hunt wyoming, put in for eastern montana.  Not because Montana has big antelope, but they have a lot of them and the tags are fairly easy to draw compared to New Mexico, Arizona, or Nevada.

[DOUBLELUNG]

2/3 of all the world's pronghorn live within 300 air miles of Casper Wyoming.  In Wyoming you will have to look at more antelope than in a premium draw unit in AZ, NM or NV, but the trophies are there. 

[jdb]

Wy, by far is your best bet due to sheer numbers.

I heard Monday that the Yakima tribe is bringing some antelope in. If they don't kill them all, we should be able to hunt them in 10 years. There's already a small herd above Naches on private land.

exactly where above naches??

[Hangfire]

Where did the information come from about pronghorn near Natches, or the Yakima's bringing in animals?

In the 70's there were a few pronghorn on the firing center, I believe they were poached out. I saw the head of one a agent had confiscated. person thought it was a deer.

I have heard of a small inbred group some where around Ephrata? Any one know about them.

What I have heard is these pronghorn are leftovers from some introductions in the 30's prior to the irrigation projects.

There are pronghorn in Oregon just across the river at the east  end of the gorge. I wish they would swim the river.

[cohoho]

Wyoming for speed goats...  A couple trips in a row and we have done pretty darn well.  Tap into every resources as stated in here.  Alot of guys on here with a alot of knowledge of good areas and some with great inside information about speed goats.  Pretty easy to tell from their posts...  You don't have to pass trespass fees, hunt public or find HMA area and just do it.

[BushMonster]

WYO all the way.  Tons of them everywhere.  Took many when I lived in Colorado.

[npaull]

Bob and others with knowledge of WY antelope:

How realistic would it be for a bowhunter (longbow, 20-25 yards) to hunt for doe antelope in WY, do-it-yourself?

I'd love to go and hunt, I really don't care at all about antlers, but a lot of the country looks like stalking would be difficult. Could a bowhunter expect to get a doe or two?

Thanks.

[Bob33]

Bob and others with knowledge of WY antelope:

How realistic would it be for a bowhunter (longbow, 20-25 yards) to hunt for doe antelope in WY, do-it-yourself?

I'd love to go and hunt, I really don't care at all about antlers, but a lot of the country looks like stalking would be difficult. Could a bowhunter expect to get a doe or two?

Thanks.

Very realistic to hunt!  Now, harvesting one is another question

Here is the great thing about Wyoming: you get an antelope tag that is not weapon specific like Washington.  You can hunt with archery equipment starting September 1.  If you don't fill your tag by rifle season, you can use the same tag to hunt with a rifle.

I tried archery a few years ago.  I was not able to get any closer than 80 yards to a doe.  Believe it or not, the bucks are easier to stalk in September.  I think the only realistic way to hunt antelope with a bow is either with a decoy, or a blind by a water hole.  However, there is no real drawback to trying.  Just bring a rifle.  Try archery a few days before the rifle season.  If it doesn't work and you want to fill your tag, hunt with the rifle.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Bob and others with knowledge of WY antelope:

How realistic would it be for a bowhunter (longbow, 20-25 yards) to hunt for doe antelope in WY, do-it-yourself?

I'd love to go and hunt, I really don't care at all about antlers, but a lot of the country looks like stalking would be difficult. Could a bowhunter expect to get a doe or two?

Thanks.

Extremely doable.  Spot and stalk is possible, you have to be strategic in where you hunt - fortunately, those interspersed irrigated lands and sage uplands are where most of the doe tags are.  Should have no problem getting access to hunt does on the private.  Irrigation ditches and stream courses are great stalking.  Antelope are very predictable in where they crawl under fences or walk trails between alfalfa and uplands.  Ranchers or ranchhands can often point out where they come in and leave.  In dry country, you could sit a blind over a water tank or small pond - not my cup of tea though.  I hunted with a compound, but all my shots were between 22 and 35 yards.  Find the trails they are using, look for ambush points with tall sagebrush or greasewood for concealment.  I never dug ground blinds, but would find strategic spots where I could sit with my legs hanging off a bank and tall brush to the sides and behind - take a small saw to trim up your shooting lanes.  Your best bets, IMHO will be along the I-25 corridor through Sheridan and Casper regions, a late July call to those regional offices will help identify alfalfa growers with damage claims where tags are available.  Cody and Lander Regions have similar issues, with more public land uplands and are closer, but antelope densities are generally lower. 

Early archery seasons open in August for some areas, my advice would be to bowhunt mornings only (like 4am to 9am), and have a cooler 1/2 full of ice at the ready to bone that critter out and get it on ice ASAP. 

[npaull]

Thanks for the advice Bob33 and Doublelung. Sounds like I need to look into it more - seems like a really fun hunt. Any other advice you guys would have for a longbow hunter looking to head down there?

[ribka]

Thanks for the advice Bob33 and Doublelung. Sounds like I need to look into it more - seems like a really fun hunt. Any other advice you guys would have for a longbow hunter looking to head down there?

Good advice doublelung

It is possible to get within distance with a long bow. Not easy but doable with the right terrain. PM Ray He took a yote doe with a long bow.

http://www.pronghornbows.com/Pages/Photos-Pronghorn.htm

[carpsniperg2]

Where did the information come from about pronghorn near Natches, or the Yakima's bringing in animals?

In the 70's there were a few pronghorn on the firing center, I believe they were poached out. I saw the head of one a agent had confiscated. person thought it was a deer.

I have heard of a small inbred group some where around Ephrata? Any one know about them.

What I have heard is these pronghorn are leftovers from some introductions in the 30's prior to the irrigation projects.

There are pronghorn in Oregon just across the river at the east  end of the gorge. I wish they would swim the river.

Yep they got poached out. And yes i wish they could swim the river Or maybe someone leave the gates open, on the dam Like they did with the big horn sheep

[MtnMuley]

npaull --  don't over look MT for archery antelope.  Not to argue at all that WY isn't much better, but if I remember correctly you can pretty much guarantee to draw a statewide archery antelope tag (400) or something of the sort.  It's a rut tag, and I've seen plenty of lopes within longbow range.  Just a thought.  As for the original poster of this thread, don't overlook MT also.  Definately some areas there with near guaranteed draw odds.  I have a group of friends that do this every year and each come home with a buck and several does.  They say it's a great time.  It's a closer drive than WY, and I believe cheaper.  Not a trophy hunt by any means. 

[DOUBLELUNG]

Thanks for the advice Bob33 and Doublelung. Sounds like I need to look into it more - seems like a really fun hunt. Any other advice you guys would have for a longbow hunter looking to head down there?

If you go in September, you can hunt deer too in the same spots.  Doe/fawn deer licenses are same price as antelope.

[Hangfire]

In late September 2009 EASTWAVIKING had his whole hunting season on here. He took a Pope and Young pronghorn at I believe 14 yards, spot and stalk. He had pictures of the buck. He has taken many pronghorn both does and bucks on public land with his compound bow. He does not believe in baiting and has not set on water holes. If you can find it, worth looking at. He is a serious archer with a very good set of ethics and how  he wants to hunt.  If I can find it I will try to bring to this post.