Post by: Crandall1313 on September 07, 2017, 04:16:27 PM
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on September 07, 2017, 04:22:30 PM
Post by: Crandall1313 on September 07, 2017, 04:23:17 PM
Post by: bearpaw on September 07, 2017, 04:27:16 PM
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on September 07, 2017, 04:31:19 PM
Post by: Stein on September 07, 2017, 04:42:11 PM
Step 1: Buy an antelope point before the end of October https://wgfd.wyo.gov/elsapplication/ELSWelcome.aspx
:yeah:
There is a virtually unlimited amount of public land to dry camp on or you can stay at a campground at any of the small or larger towns - I wouldn't worry about that part.
Post by: Crandall1313 on September 07, 2017, 05:29:07 PM
Post by: bearpaw on September 07, 2017, 06:20:01 PM
Ok so buy a point.... now so I pick an area ? Like area 23 on there website has 1400 tags, sounds like alot to me.
Buy a point before the deadline this year so you already have one point when you apply for a tag next year. Points increase your odds of drawing.
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/elsapplication/ELSWelcome.aspx
Post by: Bob33 on September 07, 2017, 06:31:46 PM
Ok so buy a point.... now so I pick an area ? Like area 23 on there website has 1400 tags, sounds like alot to me.You don't specify an area when purchasing only a point.
You have until next Spring to research areas and select a unit to apply in.
Here are some factors to consider when deciding where to antelope in Wyoming. The order they are placed in depends on the priorities of the hunter.
• Draw odds/Availability of licenses. Some units may take ten or more preference points to draw (i.e. ten years), while other units have leftover licenses available every year to anyone who wants one. Generally speaking, units with a lot of public land have lower draw odds.
• Quality of antelope. Trophy quality antelope can be found any unit. Units with a reputation for trophy quality animals will have lower draw odds.
• Availability of huntable land. If you don’t wish to pay for access, the options are (a) public land, (b) Hunter Management Areas, and (c) Walk-in areas. Public land is generally either state land or BLM land and do not require anything to access them. Hunter Management Areas are managed in a partnership between the state’s wildlife department and private landowners. They do have some restrictions, and may not be available on an unlimited basis. Walk-in areas don’t require anything to access them.
Some units have large amounts of public land, while others have little. If you wish to hunt public land, an essential piece of gear is a GPS with landowner boundaries.
If you wish to hunt private land, trespass fees can run from nothing to hundreds of dollars or more.
• Buck vs. doe/fawn licenses. Hunters may get up to two “any antelope” licenses, and up to four “doe/fawn” licenses. Doe/fawn licenses are less expensive, and some landowners accept doe/fawn hunters for reduced or no trespass fees.
• Lodging. If you plan to stay in motels, you should select units with motels within one hour of your desired hunting area. You can camp on BLM land but not state land.
• Game processing. If you plan to have you meat processed locally, research firms that will do so in advance. They should ideally be within an hour of where you plan to hunt. Some get too busy to take additional animals during peak hunting times. Also, some may not offer rush processing and can take several days to process game, so plan accordingly. If you plan to process your own meat you will need a means to keep your meat cool during your stay. Expect 20 to 25 pounds of boned meat from a doe, and 35 to 40 pounds of boned meat from a buck.
• Seasons: different units have different hunt seasons. Most start in September or October and run between two weeks and one month. A few units have seasons that start in August. Type 1 (any antelope) and type 6 and 7 (doe/fawn) licenses in the same unit often have different dates, and may not overlap. Plan accordingly. August and September weather will most likely be very warm, with daytime highs in the mid to upper 80s and lower 90s. Mid to late October will most likely have pleasant temperatures, but also has a risk of early snow storms.
Post by: fishsticks on September 07, 2017, 06:33:17 PM
Post by: Crandall1313 on September 07, 2017, 07:53:43 PM
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on September 08, 2017, 08:21:51 AM
Here's a 30,000' view of Wyoming surface ownership. Yellow is your friend. https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Public-Access/Access-Summary
Post by: WAcoueshunter on September 08, 2017, 08:51:13 AM
Yellow is your friend. https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Public-Access/Access-Summary
:yeah:
Pretty much all the yellow (BLM land) has antelope. You'll have one point next year. The key will be finding a unit that you can draw with one point that has a decent amount of accessible yellow. Find a unit on the WGFD website that (i) has a good amount of BLM land, (ii) gives out a few hundred buck tags or more (indicative of high antelope population), (iii) has a high harvest/success ratio (like 80% or better), and (iv) can be drawn with zero or one point in the special drawing. It can definitely be done with one point in the "special" drawing.
Here's the interactive antelope hunt planner map:
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Hunting/Hunt-Planner/Antelope-Hunting/Antelope-Map
Post by: Crandall1313 on September 08, 2017, 09:57:47 AM
Post by: GUscottie on September 08, 2017, 11:05:27 AM
Can't thank you guys enough for all your help! :tup:
My questions:
Do you have any preference points at this point in time?
Do you plan on DIY (public land only) or DIY (Private land) hunting?
What's your goal? Goat hunting with lots of land to roam, or just to get out there?
Do you have a price range you intend to keep this hunt under? If you're planning a BLM hunt without paying a trespass fee, you'll need multiple points, like in the 5 point range to guarantee a hunt...
I have lots of good info, and lots of insight, but to give some of it up, I need to know what you're thinking....
Post by: Crandall1313 on September 08, 2017, 05:19:44 PM
Post by: Stein on September 08, 2017, 05:39:33 PM
1- no preference points 2- DIY public! 3- we would like room to roam 4- our goal is to enjoy the hunt. Not to crowded and we aren't looking for record bucks but we would like to have a chance at a decent buck but wouldn't be disappointed with any animal. 5- not really a price range. Can't imagine it would get to high. Anything helps man!
Do some research to find units where your chance to draw with 1 point is high or 100%. Cross out the units with poor access (not all that many). Then, wait until the tag info comes out next year and find ones with tags open when you want to hunt (August - late season). That should leave a couple units, pick the one with the shortest drive.
I hunted three years for goats, the first year there were two other trucks in the entire unit and the second year there was one truck in a different unit. I never ran across or saw other orange when I was actually in the field.
Post by: Crandall1313 on September 08, 2017, 09:57:46 PM
Post by: Bill W on September 08, 2017, 10:07:12 PM
Post by: Bob33 on September 09, 2017, 11:09:13 AM
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Post by: HUNTNORTHWEST on September 09, 2017, 11:11:02 AM
Post by: Crandall1313 on September 09, 2017, 08:58:08 PM
Post by: Stickerbush on September 10, 2017, 10:38:46 PM
Post by: HuntnFishnRyan on September 27, 2017, 08:45:33 PM
Post by: cem3434 on September 27, 2017, 08:58:17 PM
Post by: Eric M on September 27, 2017, 10:50:59 PM
Post by: GUscottie on September 28, 2017, 09:09:28 AM
1- no preference points 2- DIY public! 3- we would like room to roam 4- our goal is to enjoy the hunt. Not to crowded and we aren't looking for record bucks but we would like to have a chance at a decent buck but wouldn't be disappointed with any animal. 5- not really a price range. Can't imagine it would get to high. Anything helps man!
Based on this @crandall, you'll want to have 3-7 preference points to be able to hunt public lands for bucks. you can often get doe tags in these same areas every year or two. Doe tags are on a simple lottery, they just draw names out of the hat. For bucks, they base it on preference points, so, high numbers get picked before low numbers. Then, if the unit allows, they will do a random draw on people who had that unit as first choice.
If you're doing public lands and DIY, you will want to hunt western and SW wyoming. The better units take points to get buck tags...I drew one with 4 points. Most good areas are in the 5-7 point range for lots of public lands and few people/tags allotted.
Good luck!!
Post by: GUscottie on September 28, 2017, 09:11:14 AM
Good luck and buy those preference points!!