Hunting antelope in Wyoming?

[Wolfer]

Ive been wanting to go Antelope hunting for some time now. Looks like Wyoming is my best shot.
The problem is that to apply for a tag I have to know what unit I want to hunt. I’m having a hard time sorting out info on the WG&F website.

I plan on making a trip out there in Oct just to put some boots on the ground so to speak. Hopefully I can find a suitable place to apply for next year.

Any tips or advise would be greatly appreciated.

[rancher1913]

might look at north east colorado as well, they are so bad here that landowners can get nuisance tags and hunt whenever they want

[oldblinddog]

I’ve been applying in WY for five years and haven’t been drawn yet.

[Minerat]

In Colorado the general draw for a public land buck takes 15 points minimum. For those not savvy with Colorado, thats 15 years waiting unless you have access to private land. It seems to jump 1 point each year.

I've been trying for 12 years and no luck, unless you want to pay a guide to get access to private land or trespass fee. Not complaining that's just the way it is. Maybe next year.

[knifemaker]

I have hunted Wyoming many times in the past for antelope. The western part has a lot of public land and most out of state hunters apply there and getting draw for a tag is hard. The Eastern part bordering Nebraska is 90% private land with ranches and it is easier to draw a tag in that area. You will have to deal with paying a trespass fee to hunt on a private ranch. Most ranchers want the antelope herds kept down in size and will charge a lessor amount for trespassing hunting antelope then they will for deer. Some ranchers will stick it to you if they get a chance, but if you shop around you should find a rancher that will treat you fairly on the fees and having a good amount of antelope on his property.
Contacting the local game warden will usually get you good information on which ranchers to contact for hunting. Also the local chamber of commerce in any town in your hunt area can usually help you. In Lusk, Wyoming, the local hardware store was a great source of information on ranchers allowing trespass with reasonable fees. If the herds are in great numbers due to mild winters, Fish & Game will be giving out doe tags for a cheap price allowing you to go home with plenty of meat.
Hunting in the Lusk, Wy. area my partner and I used to fill out 5-6 tags each with deer & antelope buck tags and several doe tags after that area had about 3-4 years of mild winters and the antelope just exploded in population and the ranchers wanted them thinned out.

[Lloyd Smale]

I don't know about today but back 15 years ago you could buy MT tags over the counter. Doe tags for cheap.

[ole_270]

Our family group has hunted Wyoming a few times over the years. We usually end up going late in the season to allow the kids to finish their fall sports season. So far we haven't hunted any private land, only BLM, State, or walk in land which makes it tough in the eastern part of the state. I can tell you that those antelope seem to know the boundrys of the private land better than the hunters by late season. My Sister in Law has family with a ranch east of Sheridan, he charges $1000 a gun and has a group from Washington booked up every year. I'm not paying that for 35 lbs of meat.
The last couple times we've tried further west and had good luck, only the bucks had been pretty well picked over by late October. Not this year. 5 of us put in for bucks in one unit, does in another after doing some research on draw odds. Had a preference point each. Turns out there were 3 times the number of applicants as when we went 2 years ago. My Son and Grandson drew doe tags, nothing else for the whole group. Seems like as the elk hunting gets harder, hunters are shifting to antelope hunting. Or maybe like me they are getting older and find antelope easier and more enjoyable.

[White Oak]

Wyoming is the best state to hunt antelope on public ground. The web site takes a little time to get accustomed to but has a lot of info.
Sad thing is Wyoming like most states around the country has raised the cost to hunt by a pretty hefty amount, while at the same time expressing concerns with lack of young people getting into hunting.

[tja6435]

I have a big Pronghorn that sleeps on our south hill a few nights a week if the dog doesn’t notice him sneaking over the fence.

[Idz]

In New Mexico I often see herds of pronghorns along I25 between Santa Fe and Raton. Also along US 285 just south of I40

[largom]

Last time I hunted Antelope in Wyoming I got buck and doe tags for Thunder Basin Grasslands. Great hunt, filled both tags by stealth hunting. Killed both animals
at less than 100 yards but took a lot of belly crawling to do it.
Larry

[sixshot]

If you draw, elbow pads & knee pads sure come in handy!

Dick

[rancher1913]

just what would be a fair price for an antilope hunt?

[Wolfer]

just what would be a fair price for an antilope hunt?

I’m not sure what your asking. How much for a trespass fee? On top of the $400 license. Drepradation license included?

I do know I’m not interested in a guided hunt. Nor am I interested in driving up and shooting one from beside the truck. I want to hunt.
While I don’t think of myself as poor I am just a working man that is pretty frugal with his money. So when I hear about $1000/1500 hunts then I’m certainly out.
Thanks,Woody

[rancher1913]

just wondering aloud mostly but if my neighbors get overrun again at least I could suggest letting somebody else shoot the critters instead of the land owner, just trying to figure a win/win from this

[Screwbolts]

I like the way Rancher1913 is thinking. There is nothing better than building a good working relationship with the land owner of a property. That alone will open doors much more sincerely, than any amount of money to many landowners.

[Wolfer]

I also like the way he is thinking. I forgot to add that I’m a hunter, not a trophy hunter.

[mattri]

The areas between Rock Springs and Pinedale are where you want to go. Huge herds, 99% public ground, lots of access. Good luck.

[Sam Casey]

Been there, done that. Not anything I am proud of. Get the license, get directions to locations of heards. Edge up on a rise and pick out some good horns and “bag your trophy”. Not a real hunt IMO.

[CLAYPOOL]

That would be great for a guy like with BOTH shoulders wore out and BOTH knee's wore out too. I was a FOOL and worked all my life. Should have been a Goose guide and drew Public Aid....

[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