Antelope hunting questions

[Wolfer]

Ive always wanted to do some antelope hunting and am thinking about going in the next couple years.
Wyoming is probably the closest place to me with a decent chance of getting a tag. I would like to hunt public or BLM land but not opposed to private land. I would be on a tight budget for sure.

My question is how is the public land hunting in Wy and are there better places to go?

[45coltnut]

Well, I was in Buffalo WY exactly this time last year. Now, my buddy is there for opening day, today. He draw for non residents is 99.9%. So, great chance of getting drawn [emoji3]. And, the kill rate is very high. Both, myself and my friend that went last year killed out in two days. Now, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. But, it’s very doable. You have to find small public land that is surrounded by private and get access to cross the land. Otherwise, your chances are not as good.

My friend that’s out there now, said they scouted yesterday and have already found several shooters on two sections of public as I mentioned above.

Oh, just for clarification, I did kill my buck on public that was accessible from the road. But, I just have driven 1-2 miles back in the section. Which, is ok as long as there are two lane tracks there. So, you have to het off the road as there is a ton of “road hunters” simply riding around.

Hope this helps. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171001/1d3d3321b58f6c60e6c7a0c75b5f475d.jpg


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[runfiverun]

antelope migrate just like Africa's animals do.
only their migration isn't tied to the rain fall, it's tied to the winter and summer weather.
so it's completely possible to not see any one week and see a parade down the side of a highway the next.
generally you'll see the bucks move in and establish boundary's first [this is when the fighting starts] then the does will move through picking and choosing their mates.[causing more fights]
then the whole group will head off towards their winter grounds.
in the west half of the state they go north to winter and end up in the Pinedale area.

[oldblinddog]

Hmmm...I have NOT been drawn two years running. :veryconfu

[Texas by God]

Oldblinddog- the draw for the Rita Blanca antelope hunt is the Holy Grail. 100%percent sucess rate and 99.9% chance you won't get drawn. That is if you were talking Texas. Wolfer, you will love Wyoming. Get the BLM map. We found a little 100 acre area bisected by a highway so we chose it for a campsite only. We secured access to a huge tract of BLM land by helping a farmer mount a rear tire on his tractor. Hunted there for two days- nada. Back at our base camp we ended up with an antelope and mule deer apiece! What we didn't realize at first was an alfalfa field across the highway about a mile and one of the arroyos on our spot was the animals highway to the groceries. Not far from Kaycee. Best of luck!

[sixshot]

Had to drive over to Rock Springs about a month ago ( about 3 hours) and didn't see very many, only about 200! If you draw a tag in Wyoming you will get an Antelope, unless you're from Utah, those guys can't shoot...... well, maybe after dark.

Dick

[oldblinddog]

No, I know about Rita Blanca, was talking about Wyoming. Have a friend with some acres just East of Casper and that's where I'm putting in for. Of course that area is kind of like Rita Blanca is, which is likely why I'm not getting drawn. Last year his best buck was in his yard when he came driving up. Had to go in the house for his rifle (6mm Ackley Improved). The shot was only about 80 yards though. He got 3 antelope last year. Also, he got drawn for everything!

I haven't been applying for Rita Blanca but maybe I should.

[Texas by God]

I missed guiding by the Rita this year due to surgery. My buddy has been sending me pics. They were three for three yesterday in wind and rain yesterday- very good goats. Yes, I'm jealous. Private land leased & farmed by a couple in Oklahoma. The tags are expensive!

[SSGOldfart]

Remember to pack for bad weather, it snows earlier than expected. Every few years. Antelope is on my bucket list,but not looking so good these days.
Good luck take a good camera so the rest of us can hunt through your experiences

[oldblinddog]

When I first went up to Wyoming to work a few years ago, they told me, "We have four seasons here, June, July, August, and Winter." And they meant it! I've been in a blizzard on the 27th of August and on the 23rd of May and I'm talking 8" in only a few hours.

[MT Gianni]

When I first went up to Wyoming to work a few years ago, they told me, "We have four seasons here, June, July, August, and Winter." And they meant it! I've been in a blizzard on the 27th of August and on the 23rd of May and I'm talking 8" in only a few hours.

Pretty much the norm for the Northern Rockies. Only wimps cancel the Fourth of July parades for snow.

Montana has three seasons, Winter, Relatives and Road Construction.

[Texas by God]

North Texas normally has one month of winter, four months of beautiful, four months of summer, and three months of Hell!

[SSGOldfart]

North Texas normally has one month of winter, four months of beautiful, four months of summer, and three months of Hell!

True in East Texas we have rainy,dryer ,hot ,Hell and okay mostly windy.only place you can get sunburned and rained on at the same time.:roll:

[sixshot]

Idaho has 5 months of winter, 4 months of Utah fishermen & 3 months of Utah hunters.

Dick

[Tripplebeards]

I went 17 years ago. I called the dnr there and asked for land owners names after I put in for the wrong area. The warden gave me three names and numbers. I went to two of them the day before opener to scout. Opening morning we parked by a windmill...My buddy got out out of the truck , three antelope ran up to him and he was done in 30 seconds. I walked for an hour and half and passed some nice ones till I cherry picked a nice buck. They were all over like our mosquitoes here. Not much of a challenge. It's a great first out of state hunt to guarantee to bring home an animal. I'd like to go back and harvest a mule deer some day.

[dk17hmr]

I have never not filled my antelope tags here in Wyoming. I have had at least 1 tag every year and several years up to 3. The last 6 or 7 antelope have been on private land that's been enrolled in the walk in area or hunter management areas.....(not many people are willing to walk in for a goat)

I'd suggest start buying points sooner than later. While your building points try and draw some doe tags, they are cheap and it's a better hunt than a buck anyways.

Don't listen to the hype about needing to shoot long, sometimes it's required but honestly you probably don't want that antelope anyways because if you can't get close to it it's probably been run or shot at already. Out of the last 10 antelope I have killed 8 of them have been inside 200 yards, mostly with a 22-250. The doe I killed last weekend with a head shot was in its bed at 122 yards.

[Greg G]

I have hunted a lot in the Medicine Bow forest south of Rawlins. I can usually get within 200 yards of a herd, but there were a couple of years where they were scarce and had to make long shots.