NEED HELP! DIY WYOMING ANTELOPE.

[Crandall1313]

Hey guys and gals! New on here and I'm trying to plan a DIY WYOMING antelope hunt. I'm not sure were to even begin with location. I think that's my biggest obticle right now is finding access and camp sight. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

[DOUBLELUNG]

2017 or 2018?

[Crandall1313]

2018.

[bearpaw]

Apply for a quality unit with lots of public ground like the red desert with a backup plan to buy a leftover tag in an undersubscribed area if you don't draw. You will likely need to pay a trespass fee of $300 to $750 in the undersubscribed areas. That's why there are leftover tags, mostly private land.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Step 1: Buy an antelope point before the end of October https://wgfd.wyo.gov/elsapplication/ELSWelcome.aspx

[Stein]

Step 1: Buy an antelope point before the end of October https://wgfd.wyo.gov/elsapplication/ELSWelcome.aspx

 

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.

[Crandall1313]

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.

[bearpaw]

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

[Bob33]

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.

[fishsticks]

Search past posts by I believe scoutdog on ifish.net Lots of good info on how to pick an area and how the draw works.  Then, use a tool like gohunt to filter by % public land, draw odds and hunter success.  You can get that info from the WY game and fish site, but it takes some digging.  Like others have said, buy a point.  Many of the "good" units take several points and there is some point creep going on.  Our unit used to take 2 points and you could draw every other year on a "special", it's more like 3-4 points now.  Antelope in WY is one of the easiest out of state hunts you can do.  Once you've narrowed it down some hit up the biologists and wardens for the area(s) you're looking at.  They are some of the most helpful I've found.  They aren't going to tell you where to hunt, but will give you feedback on potential in an area if you ask.  Plenty of units with good access and opportunity near towns to stay in, no need to camp unless you really want to.  Many towns have game processors as well.  One of the keys to quality meat is to get the hide off and meat cool asap.

[Crandall1313]

hey thanks guys, appreciate all the help! ill do some digging on these sights and make some calls see what i can find for public access.

[DOUBLELUNG]

You will apply for antelope license between 1/1-5/31/18, with results out first week of July approx.  As a first cut at understanding land distribution, most of the land east of the Bighorn Mountains, to Casper, to the Laramie range and east is primarily private land.  There are opportunities there, but expect to pay to play, or use OnX and hunt the small accessible bits of public land.  Many of these require zero or 1 point to draw.  Area 23, as your example, has little public land opportunity and is well patrolled by ranchers who aggressively press trespass charges on private land. 

Here's a 30,000' view of Wyoming surface ownership.  Yellow is your friend.  https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Public-Access/Access-Summary

[WAcoueshunter]

Yellow is your friend.  https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Public-Access/Access-Summary

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

[Crandall1313]

Can't thank you guys enough for all your help!

[GUscottie]

Can't thank you guys enough for all your help!

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....