[3arabians]

So I didnt draw a deer tag and for the first time in 23 years I will not be chasing a buck this fall. I think I will try and wash this difficult pill to swallow down with a WY antelope tag. I have zero experience with hunting in wyoming. Does anyone have some advice on a good unit to apply for that has good public access and decent odds of drawing? I really appreciate any info provided.

 

[huntinfanatic]

Don't have any info to help with Wyoming but I'm sure there will be some leftover deer tags in a few units if you just wanting the opportunity to get out in the hills with a tag in hand.

 

[Dahlmer]

Do you have any points? and do you want to hunt a buck?

 

[DallanC]

If you can secure permission for private lands, the units composed of mostly private lands are fairly easy to draw. I used to hunt private lands up around Gillette until they raised all the tag prices. Landowners up there were pretty easy to work with, the guy's property we hunted didnt hunt himself but he loved being out there so he pretty much drove us around in his truck and let us pick whatever we wanted to shoot. Fun times.


-DallanC

 

[willfish4food]

DC, what were the trespass fees (approximately) when you hunted up that way?

 

[goshengrunter]

Sending a PM with info. 100% draw odds and I can put you on em!

 

[MWScott72]

Antelope are a good elixir to wash away disappointment. Most "good" units take at least a point or two to draw, but the further east you go, there are units that are 100% draw - mainly because they are largely private holdings. Some units within the Thunder Basin National Grasslands (I think that's their name - they're in the NE corner of the state) might be good to look at if you don't want to pay a couple hundred bucks to a rancher for a trespass fee on private ground. If you want a list of landowners for whatever unit you're looking at, call the regional G&F office, and they can provide you a list. Finally, take a look at https://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/hunting-1001914.aspx. Draw odds are listed here and you can pull up last years results to get a good idea of how many points it takes to draw a given unit. I'm assuming you don't have points, so you'll want to concentrate on units that can be drawn without them...again, mainly in the eastern portion of the state. You can also apply for doe tags and should do so. While a buck tag will run you $300, you can usually grab a couple doe tags as well for $50 a pop. It makes the hunt much more fun, and you get to bring home more of the best wild game meat on this earth.

 

[MuscleWhitefish]

Idaho OTC Deer $301.75

Wyoming Draw Antelope $286

Without going special, you'll have to look at type 2 (Later starting hunts).

This is the draw odds https://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/Departments/Hunting/pdfs/DRAW_ANT_RD_NONRES_20140005881.pdf

This is the harvest stats
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/Departments/Hunting/pdfs/HR2014_ANT0006656.pdf

The harder to draw places have a lot of public land, the left over places have checker-boarded public land.

With my money, I would go to Idaho and hunt deer. Put in for points in Wyoming to assure yourself of a good area in the coming years.

Also, If you are willing to drive Nebraska has deer tags for $209 and you can pick up two.

 

[willfish4food]

I've been doing a lot of research on some units, but mostly directed toward the doe/fawn tags. Here are links for the draw odds from last year for the buck antelope tags and the Antelope unit map.

If you have any questions about public access shoot me a PM. I'm by no means an expert but I'll give you what I've found. The units I've been focusing on are 26, 27, 29, 103, 111, 34, 38, 43, 45, 55, 61, 94, 99, and 100

 

[brisket]

While not an expert, I hunted antelope a few years ago in an area north of Evanston, it was a really fun hunt. We had 5 doe tags (love the meat) in our group, and in one morning of hunting we had 5 antelope in the coolers and were heading back to Utah by 2:00 p.m. Lots of public land on the unit. There are gates off the main road marked as "Sportsman's Access" (if I remember correctly), that you can use to get on the dirt roads to the hunt-able area.

Unfortunately, we haven't drawn since, so maybe the areas with better draw odds, will work better for you if you are set on going this year. I'm really hoping to draw this year, I've been craving some antelope kabobs.

PM me if you want specifics on the area, I'll be happy to share the limited info I have.

 

[wyogoob]

Call me crazy, but I moved this to "Hunting outside of Utah"

In spite of the map circulating around and shown below; Southwest Wyoming is not in Utah, sorry.

 

[DallanC]

DC, what were the trespass fees (approximately) when you hunted up that way?

It was $200 for a guaranteed harvest, we got to hunt opening day and the owner "guided" us. I don't think we ever had a hunt go longer than 10:30am and we killed some nice old goats. Did that I think 4 years in a row before the F&G raised the prices.

Would really like to go back for Sharpies... the property we hunted had tons of those things running around.

-DallanC

 

[3arabians]

Good deal. Thanks for all the info everyone I even got a couple pm`s so this is cool. I will look into all this and respond to these PM messages I got and hopefully draw something.

 

[3arabians]

Don't have any info to help with Wyoming but I'm sure there will be some leftover deer tags in a few units if you just wanting the opportunity to get out in the hills with a tag in hand.

I will definitely take a look at the leftovers come july. Ive been doing so good with my sad face the past couple days the wife might let me get away with doing both

 

[3arabians]

Do you have any points? and do you want to hunt a buck?

No points. I would love to hunt a buck but forking out the change on that will be hard with such a short time frame I'm dealing with. Probably will just go for a doe this time.

 

[willfish4food]

It was $200 for a guaranteed harvest, we got to hunt opening day and the owner "guided" us. I don't think we ever had a hunt go longer than 10:30am and we killed some nice old goats. Did that I think 4 years in a row before the F&G raised the prices.

Would really like to go back for Sharpies... the property we hunted had tons of those things running around.

-DallanC

Thanks! That's good to know for the future.

$200 doesn't seem too bad if you're trying to hunt a trophy or you really want to hunt a buck antelope. I'm just after meat though and will only be looking for a Doe or two. So, forking out an additional 200 would be pretty steep.

 

[DallanC]

If you want doe's, check in around Medicine Bow... landowners there are rumored to be pretty open to people hunting their property. I've heard of them leaving contact info at the hotels for pronghorn hunters.

-DallanC

 

[Mr Muleskinner]

Unit 50. Easy draw. Good access. Have hunted there several times. Bucks and Does. If you happen to draw the unit I will give you info that would pretty much assure a harvest. We have gone up there and hunted with groups of 10 and between the buck tags, doe tags and additional tags have harvested twenty antelope in a weekend.

We hunt near Arlington.

 

[willfish4food]

DC and MM, Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like the jig is up on those units though. 46, 47, 48 and 50 all have less than 10% draw odds for type 6 or 7 licenses except for 46 type 7 which was around 20%. Still something to consider though. Thanks again!!!

 

[Mr Muleskinner]

yowsers! I have not hunted there in two years. We drew for 3 years in a row there. All nonresidents.