Hunting antelope in Wyoming?

[Tripplebeards]

Last time I went was 02'. I put in for the wrong area by accident. My buddy and I went. I called the DNR and they gave me a list of three property owners and phone numbers. All three welcomed us to hunt their property at no charge. My buddy was done a minute and a half on opening morning shooting a nice buck. We got out of his truck and three came running right up to him. I waited and stalked over a couple of hills till I saw one with white tips on it Prongs through my scope. We were done in an hour and half and had many to choose from before I harvested mine. Good thing to, we took a pop up camper and it snowed about an hour after we were done. Neither of us expected or prepaired for snow or cold weather so we packed up the next day and went home. It was like shooting fish in a barrel imo. There were pronhorn out there like mosquitos here! We paid $190 or $290 ea per tag if I remember and got drawn the same year we put in. It was my my, and a recommended good first out of state hunt choice for everyone imo. It’s a cheap hunt and you will have many opportunities to fill your tag. It’s a good hunt to take a youth on as well. So good walking to burn off energy and they won’t get board as they will see many, many Pronghorn.

[dk17hmr]

Pick an area in the square and put in for doe tags. Learn how to hunt them first on cheap tags and aquire points then go after a buck when you get it figured out. There might be left over tags yet in the NE corner but it's alot of private land.

I hunt alot of the units in the SW corner and never have issues finding animals and getting stalks in on public lands or state leased lands.

[white eagle]

is it a point system now in Wyoming?
How does the meat taste I have heard not so good
but like all things its how well you handle the game
after the shot

[dk17hmr]

Points for buck tags in good areas with alot of public access you can get leftover tags in areas with tough access though.

The meat can be good or it can be bad. It's about a 50/50 split if you will like it. I use it for cured hams, venison bacon, and sausage. We don't eat to many steaks. Some people prefer it to elk meat some people can stand the smell of it.

[white eagle]

Wyoming and antelope have been on my list for a very long time
I love what I have seen of that beautiful state

[Tripplebeards]

I ate both Pronghorn we harvested. The one my buddy shift ad hair rubbed down in a big spot o his belly. I would assume from mating? My buddy was paranoid from CWD att He time so I got his meat. I cut it all into stakes. The meat tasted better than any WI whitetail imo.

[Beerd]

is it a point system now in Wyoming?
How does the meat taste I have heard not so good
but like all things its how well you handle the game
after the shot

and before the shot also. Some guys will chase them in a pickup for a couple of miles before shooting one and complain about the "gamey" taste.
I remember hunting near a fence line one time when I heard a dozen rifle shots in the distance. Pretty soon a small bunch of antelope come running over the hill and paused at the fence with tongues hanging to the ground. If an animal can have an "Oh ****" expression they sure did when they spotted me not 100 yards away. I wished them luck as they went on their way.
..

[Tripplebeards]

That's right, I've heard that after they run their glands secrete gamey, nasty tastes into the the meat if I remember? Both ours never saw it coming so maybe that's why they tasted so good.

[white eagle]

and before the shot also. Some guys will chase them in a pickup for a couple of miles before shooting one and complain about the "gamey" taste.
I remember hunting near a fence line one time when I heard a dozen rifle shots in the distance. Pretty soon a small bunch of antelope come running over the hill and paused at the fence with tongues hanging to the ground. If an animal can have an "Oh ****" expression they sure did when they spotted me not 100 yards away. I wished them luck as they went on their way.
..

yes their state of mind has something to do with flavor
good play on your part Beerd for givin them a pass

[dk17hmr]

I have shot them in the head with a 22/250, while they were bedded next to an agg field, I hang them and have them skinned and boned out, meat on ice within an hour ..basically the best chance they have and they still taste like antelope to me.

If you put the boned out meat in an ice bath draining the blood water and putting more ice in until the water is clear they taste better.

I'm not saying they are bad, if they were I wouldn't hunt them, I just prefer deer and elk for eating

[Tripplebeards]

I have shot them in the head with a 22/250, while they were bedded next to an agg field, I hang them and have them skinned and boned out, meat on ice within an hour ..basically the best chance they have and they still taste like antelope to me.

If you put the boned out meat in an ice bath draining the blood water and putting more ice in until the water is clear they taste better.

I'm not saying they are bad, if they were I wouldn't hunt them, I just prefer deer and elk for eating

That’s what I did. I boned them out immediately after the 2nd one was shot. Which put about an hour and a half between both harvests. I cut up and boned out both animals and put them in a cooler full of ice. I drained the cooler several times and added ice until we drove back to WI the following day. A whole day of driving and draining again adding ice. So a good two days give or take on ice drained several times until I arrived home to cut it up into steaks, wrapped, and froze. Didn’t really know how to properly age meat at the time but got lucky I guess by doing it the correct way. It was almost two decades ago but if I remember correctly all the blood was drained from my quartered up meat giving a bluish grey color when I removed it from the cooler to cut up to process. All I know is it was better tasting than any whitetail meat I’ve ever eaten. I would assume because I drained all the blood out of the meat. I was shocked at how great it tasted as I was told by several people that it would taste like sage and or very gamey. Please send my all your Pronghorn meat!

[NorthMoccasin]

Pronghorn is one of my favorite wild meats. Like deer an old rutting buck will be stronger, but still fine eating IMNSHO. IT IS different than venison, just like venison is different than beef. I don't expect venison to taste like beef, pronghorn IS different, but so is elk, cariboo, bear, sheep etc. Just enjoy it. I like speed goats!

[MT Gianni]

IME Pronghorn is dark and rich almost sweet. I don't care for the smell of the blood but that goes away when cooked. If you shoot one in the sage it is strong, those where I live have never seen sage brush but still taste like lopers.

[Wolfer]

Ive never ate antelope. I have eaten mountain mule deer that were pretty sagey and liked it.
For several years now I’ve been brine curing my deer in ice and salt water for 30 days or thereabouts. It really makes a difference. An Antelope will be treated the same way then cooked on the smoker.
I’m sure it’s possible for something to have too much sage. I haven’t found it yet. I love sage.

[Randy Bohannon]

Snow all day tomorrow should be a good opener for those who walk the walk.

[Wolfer]

I got back from my scouting trip to Wyoming last night. Thought I would go put some boots on the ground so to speak. It might be harder to find a spot that doesn’t have Antelope than one that does.
However the area around Casper is where I plan to apply for. In talking with the game dept it looks like a buck tag may take awhile to get.

[dk17hmr]

Go after the doe tags, they are cheaper, easy to draw, and they are more fun to hunt anyways