Park county produces the biggest elk in the state consistently. If so, is it your experience that landowners will let you harvest more than one doe on their land? Game Area 1 had a 90% draw odds with 0 Points and 100 % random draw odds for 1st choice applicants. Its just a matter of putting in the time and finding the buck you are after. Contact the Game and Fish regarding Landowner Lists These are landowners that allow hunters on their property. For your guaranteed hunt you have a couple of options:If you want to lock in an area during the draw you willneed to select a unit which historically has tags still available for a second choice draw. In August, 2012 I called over thirty names on the list and none had any slots left. This area can get very good moisture during the spring and summer months, which if that does in fact happen, we could see some very good horn growth here this summer. Back to only a couple points but once I'm back to 4 I'll start applying again. With us having a combined 5 points will that put us at 2 for the draws? Regarding winter kill, western WY and Southeastern ID had record snowfalls in much of that area. Archers who purchase a 900 series license can get the jump on everyone else with a start date of August 15, two weeks before the other seasons open. We hunted west of Laramie a couple years ago on 3 points. I was wondering if anyone has the names of the landowners that allow access around Gillette, wy? There are plenty of great units to hunt with 5 pp. No experience with hunting Wyoming at all but have hunted in Colorado for many, many years. Were not looking for a trophy, just an enjoyable experience and hopefully a couple decent bucks. Theyve learned where theyre safe and where they arent. 6. So237Special License tags for area 9 would be leftover to purchasein July. While many states have excellent Antelope hunting, a hunt in Wyoming can be done nearly every year on leftover licenses and ever 2-4 years in a great units through the public draw system. Wyoming Antelope Hunting 2022 Wyoming antelope populations continue to struggle across most of the state. Both have a lot of landlocked areas and was wondering your opinion on good places to hunt in these areas or advice. 1. I have three kids all wanting to go antelope hunting what areas would you recommend that would have a high success rate and possibility of getting doe tags as well. The Access Yes program is funded through multiple sources . After 20 years of that, I've found most of those to be not worth it. Meanwhile, I would like to be guaranteed a chance to hunt Wyoming this year. Most of the accessible public lands are on the Thunder Basin National Grasslands. Lets look at the stats for Game Area 9 to incorporate this into our hunt plan. Montana may be the mecca of sheep hunting, but dont overlook Wyoming. I expect lower population numbers, fewer license, and an increase in apps and point spending. These units have little public land and Wyomings Game and Fish has the foresight to note this with warning asterisks next to information posted on its website for these particularhunt areas. Draw odds in the eastern sections of Wyoming fall in line with the amount of public land in the hunt area. This hunt is usually as good as it gets for Wyoming antelope, no matter the year. There are so many antelope in some of those units between Gillette and Cheyenne..I am sure someone will let you hunt does if you ask.. you might have to wade through a few nos to find one though. Report a violation, ONLINE STORE These are just three of many ways to put a hunt strategy together using the information provided. After the 9 first choice applicants were drawn, there were still 19 remaining random draw tags. hold some exceptional bucks and your best asset is a lot of time (10+ days) when the bucks aren't pressured (after the second weekend) and be prepared to look over a pile of bucks (like in the hundreds if needed). Any unit that requires at least 5 points will yield a great hunt. We have lots of whitetail here in Missouri and a small herd of Steve Peters: Best of luck to you out there, Herb. If you are looking for an Antelope hunt, Wyoming is the place to go. Click the link below to get started. My biggest issue with my western hunts has always been accommodating my hunting partner's schedules. That's a great plan UH. I am considering the special tag for my dad and I. I just want to make sure we get a tag. He shot a decent buck for the area we hunted and may have passed a few that were a bit better but not much better. Ive seen first hand just how limited the access is to land, how vague the boundaries are, and how so much can be left to interpretation when actually on the ground with hostile leases and landowners. The "top-tier" units would not be worth the wait in my opinion. After the license draw has been held, hunters can purchase a second "any antelope" license in specific hunt areas, if still available. As you can see, most of the better hunt areas with adequate public land have 20 % to 80 % draw odds with a regular license and 0 points. Strategy: Review the Wyoming landownership maps, draw odds, and success rates and select your desired hunt area. A boned out buck, cape and head is about 40-50 lbs. Remember that while April may be a spring month in many states, in the west there is still heavy snows in the mid to high elevations until June. Not this year none of us got tags. My experience unfortunately is much like Mr. Lommels above. Antelope densities in the state are highest in the Northeastern and Eastern Central sections of the state. Unfortunately for DIY hunters, these areas also have limited public access. Where would you hunt in Utah given my new address? Put in for that areaas firstchoice. Here is what I have heard though.. if you go to some of those central unit areas that have a zillion tags, many of the landowners that turn down buck hunters will let you hunt does for free or even a small fee. WY has put out warnings that there has been loss of big game in some units. In 2010 we lost 60-80% of the mulies and antelope in many areas of eastern MT. Any suggestions on good areas to mule hunt. What would be the best Units in Wyoming for a DIY Sheep hunt considering animal density & accessability? I also play the points game in other states too. Even in these low public access units, is there still good opportunities to get on lots of antelope if you are willing to get off the road? http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/offices.html, http://gf.state.wy.us/web2011/hunting-1000179.aspx, http://gf.state.wy.us/web2011/hunting-1000157.aspx, http://gf.state.wy.us/plpwhmprogram/frmWalkinHuntingHome.aspx, Butch Manasse Outdoor Adventure Consultants, Pref Points Regular NR Lic. Started one week early and the three of us split up to cover more ground. I have been talking to someone about these units. Area 9 had good draw odds according to your chart, but that was several years ago. Sorry for delayed response. For this reason, I just dont think you can overlook this area on any year, good or bad when it comes to the potential for a big antelope buck. We drove out to hunt this year. 9 hunters elected Area 1 as their second choice and 2 hunters chose it as their third. If you go into some of the small towns and go to the feed store or tack store or hardware and ask around you will find somewhere to hunt..but it might cost you a bit. Citizen Well, these posts are still fun to read. OtoPro SoundGear Phantom and Impulse Review, Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB Rangefinder Review, Toric UHD 2.5-15x44mm FFP Hunt Series Riflescope Review, Hunting Big Mule Deer after Mid-October with Cliff Gray. Trespass fees are a reasonable way to access private land but again will require some legwork to determine where that option is available. Often what that means is there is no easy access to the public land, in other words, you have to do some hiking from a remote point where the BLM land touches a public road. So Im looking at options in Wyoming now. Id look at the better areas in the bighorns and the red desert elk tags (100, 32, 31, 30) with max points. Elk youll likely need a few more points, but you could study the areas in Park County and possibly find a NR hunt with 8 points. Marty, I drew a 2016 antelope tag for unit 91 for the first time and trying to do my homework on the unit. I think I want to apply in area 9, Niobrara County. SouthernWyo has some good advice at your point level. Because of stories like yours, my position on WY is to build at least 4 or 5 preference points and guarantee a decent unit with a lot of public access. See whats left and wait for the tag numbers to be released next spring. Wyoming Bison priority list has been changed. I am a non resident and have similar points saved. Does the following statement from one of your posts above still hold true? Stay up to date on all Wyoming Game and Fish news either by email or text message. Government The few landowners we did talk to were NO you can not enter and even a couple hundred bucks wasnt incentive enough. This is all after it was specifically mentioned on numerous forums. I am planning on going with 1-2 other guys in the next few years and figured planning ahead was a good idea. (Yellow). I hunted unit 9 a few years back which lists public access at 15%. If you have hung in so far, we can look now at how all of this information can be applied todevelop your Wyoming antelope hunt strategy. The most desired antelope units in these . If you have the time to help me out, I would really appreciate it. You are using an out of date browser. Shed Hunting: Wheres the beef and whats the best way to manage it? Thanks, Mark, We have hunted unit 91 3 times in the last 8 years but it has gotten really hard to draw now. What about units that allow multiple tags? I think he was missing the point. Hi all. There were only 2 applicantstotal ! The hunt selector map on WY website has the percentage of private vs public and notes about access and such. Thanks! Antelope are fun to hunt with a bow and will test your skills as a hunter. Hi, I loved the article very informative! Also, I dont mind paying for the special tags if it gets me a great hunt for my kiddos. With a string of very wicked droughts over the past four or five years now, the antelope in Wyoming have really struggled to maintain high herd levels. Some hunters have had luck getting free access to private land in these areas just by asking. You'll also want to consider how the winter treats certain units. The openings fill up fast. These will be used for second and third choice applicants and the remainder sold as leftover licenses. ANY SUGGESTIONS WHERE TO HUNT. We'll see what next year brings for the adventures. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copywright HuntAddicts.com | All Rights Reserved, Digiscoping: The Best Way to Take Photos & Video through Your Optics. Unfortunately 3 points now is what 1 point was 3 years ago, we went this year and it took 5.25 points to draw a unit that 3 years ago was under 3. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I just cannot overlook this area for big bucks even coming off of a few drought years. A few units in Wyoming have very healthy sheep herds and are a great place to get a crack at a 160 170 inch ram, with a few larger taken every year. Fortunately, there are lots of other options for hunting antelope in WY. When you look on Wyomings Game and Fish web page they mention Archery Season dates for antelope but I cannot find where that is posted. I'm really looking forward to hunting in Wy again for goats. Good public land access and robust antelope populations often offer a good hunt, but the odds of drawing these types of hunts have gotten tougher over the years. Thanks in advance Marty. This Ram was taken in Wyomings Area 5 in 2009. The units in the SW corner have & can produce 80"+ 'lopes & they all take 4-6 points in the regular poolunits 92, 93, 94, 96 & 100. Unfortunately, as you state above, its isnt always obvious. If you want to hunt antelope, youve come to the right place. Hey Jason, Ill email you .. but unfortunately, even with a special license youre looking at minimum of 2-3 points for decent unit with public access. Out in the wilderness, off the grid, theres still a place for the guy who likes to earn his trophy, rather than pay for it. Area 110-1, The Greybull River hunt for antelope while not known for big bucks is a very solid choice for a fun and relaxing hunt with plenty of bucks and some very solid bowhunting potential. View our current jobs, PRIVACY POLICY Tipsy Tuesday: Elk Film, Gear, News, & More. Thanks for the great write up. Many really good units have fairly high draw odds for the special tag, but not necessarily 100%. also tell you how many points it takes to draw. Then go through the units and eliminate wjat uou cant draw, then eliminate units with with no or little public. 1 Comment During the rut, decoys are going to be more effective. This leads to some very uncomfortable situations. If the buck sees the decoy he should react quickly and start moving toward your position. An August hunt will likely be pre-rut so with archery you are looking at hunting over water or spot and stalk. I will have three points, and am looking for some advice on what unit to put in for. Any suggestions? Could someone explain the process for paying trespass fees? While it may be tempting to acquire a license in these units, be forwarned that you need to have a game plan before headng out to hunt. If youve read that post, you now understand the reality of what it takes to draw one of the coveted tags in one of Wyomings storied trophy antelope hunt areas. However, almost all have 100% draw odds with the special license. You can compare them to the 2022 quotas to get an idea of how 2023 draw odds will compare with the 2022 odds. For several years you were lucky to even see an antelope in those hard hit areas. In these cases, hunters should consider securing access to private land well in advance. Currently, there is no cost to apply for or obtain a permission slip for HMA or WIHA land. To view a specific hunt area's tentative information, select a hunt area from the drop down menu below. While many states have excellent Antelope hunting, a hunt in Wyoming can be done nearly every year on leftover licenses and ever 2-4 years in a great units through the public draw system. Throw a dart and when it lands on a unit, make some calls. Theres a good number of mule deer and whitetails in the area. Jan 15, 2022 Messages 119 Hello, my wife and I both have 5 antelope points in Wyoming. Having hunted WY where there is little public land I would recommend picking one of the units that has a lot of public access. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Could someone explain the process for paying trespass fees? Area 2 is in the Snake River range, without wilderness, which may be important to non-residents. https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Hunting/Drawing-Odds/2018-Drawing-Odds. There are clearly economic factors at play that F&G must include/probably even rely on in their game management. As you can see, these areas have hundreds oflicenses remaining after the first choice draw. May 26, 2021 There wont be many so be ready to buy the day they go on sale. I am looking to put in for a buck tag and also get a doe tag or 2 for the same unit. Plan on hunting what public access land there is in the area. Either of these hunts would make for a great hunt. % of Public Land: 71% Access to Public Land: Good Access Notes - The majority of antelope harvest comes off public lands in this hunt area, although substantial private land opportunities exist for those willing to secure permission to hunt. I think that would depend on if you actually applied for a tag this spring with point option and were unsuccessful in the draw. Since there were 28 tags allocated, 100% of the first choice applicants were drawn. Ive done quite a bit of research and have a few units in mind, but was just looking for some input. Sorry for the delayed response. . It also doesn't hurt to look at quotas and odds from years prior to 2022 to see trends. Trophy units in the south/south central portions of the state with lots of public access and1-3 % random draw odds. Some of the WY units have early rifle seasons in September. Area 9 had 180 Tags allocated for the Special License draw and 59 tags for the Special License Random Draw. Use the Antelope Buck and Doe over a waterhole for luring big bucks in during the early season. Id prefer to shot a buck but under the circumstances (him being the age he is), Ill settle for a doe if we are able to make this happen and go. Units 23 and 17 are very similar..lots of antelope and no public access. There is no way to know the exact draw odds for second and third choice because of this. JavaScript is disabled. 28 Tags (25%) went to the Random Draw, There were 87 total first choice applicants, 78 of those, or 90%, were drawn. I was in southern Idaho and eastern OR in February and the deer were congregating along the roads trying to find food. Hi Mark, That said, if it was me I would be looking for the best quality hunt/experience that I could find for an antelope archery hunt. However, if you dont have the time to pre-scout the area and do the legwork required to hunt you may be disappointed. Keep this in mind when applying for this hunt, it will take some effort, and time to get away from the crowd and find a legal animal. Can make multiple trips during archery and or rifle season. Its important to understand how this works for developing your strategy for the draw. You have 1-3% random draw odds while also building thepreference points necessary to eventually draw in that unit. Looking forward to your response. I have done some reading on Unit 18 but I dont see it in your list of public land ease of access.Thanks! Anything more formal than that? This can be a difficult hunt as the animals have learned to stay on the park. When I hunted near Gillette we had mixed results on public land in unit 18. Without paying trespass fees is there anyway into these spots? I would prefer to hunt 2015, with multiple tags (dont necessarily NEED a buck tag either) and end up with a preference point. So that might be a pretty good choice, although youre a few under max points which can make pulling some of the popular units a little more difficult. Historically speaking the Cowboy State is home to more antelope and more big antelope than any other state in the country. I've got the right gun, the right gear, enough time off to make it there and back. Antelope are also abundant in northeast and east-central Wyoming, although finding access can be difficult because the area is largely private land. Colorado Wolves: Killing Pets & A Safe-Space. So your group draw odds is the same as a single hunter with 1 point. I would pick one and go a couple days before the open date and start knocking on doors. Lots of great units, I would look at some of the areas around Rock Springs. Thanks! Here's last years WYO draw odds / shows # of tags and applicants -. I have 4 points and my dad has 1. The eastern third, particularythe northeast areasof the state have little public land. Wyoming.gov Idaho is a great state for hunters with the patience to sit by a waterhole or those wanting to try the ultimate bowhunting spot and stalk challenge. That wouldn't discourage me (hasn't for several years for WY antelope), but it is a reality to consider. Mark. But a lot of landowners will let you on. Leave a comment if you have questions and I will do my best to help! You may already have an antelope tag for a particular state and unit, so you can skip this section and move on to what antelope decoys you need to pack or start scouting on Google Earth. The other option here is to just purchase a preference point annually until you build enough points to guarantee a draw in the unit. Have studied every article and map for hours. Antelope arent hard to kill once you have access. The biggest issue I have to get over, is pulling the trigger on a buck I find myself second guessing on"let him walk""take him"."let him walk". As such, draw odds are becoming very steep and good public land hunts with less than 5-6 points are rare. Those areas with good access will be oversubscribed for first choice applicants and will require 1-3 preference points to draw. What is the difference? So determining hunt dates by unit is one of the first things I would do. Good Luck ! These maps are available at any Wyoming BLM office for a fee of $4.00 each. I also noticed way more people on the limited public land. Unfortunately there don't seem to be any Walk In Areas. Lo Herbert Cooke: Thank you Steve! I have seen this post from Neil and havent seen any reply from anyone on it. The headaches you had just ruin an otherwise great experience. Turning an Elk into the Best Elk Burger in the World ! These maps do not show private land owner names. Wyoming I don't know anything about 50, but 45 is good. We are currently awaiting our BLM maps but we are looking at unit 113 and noticed it appears to be land locked by private ranches. So the full extent of the loss of antelope and mule deer is probably not known yet by the biologists. Stay safe Herbert Cooke: I was hoping to get a chance to hunt elk this year in Colorado if my draw in New shootbrownelk: Who says non residents aren't welcomed to hunt the western states? advertising of DIY public hunting opportunities. The past two years specifically have been very, very lackluster when it comes to horn growth and trophy quality. Looking recommendation for a units, prefer No grizzly bears. You also significantly increase the odds of drawing one of trophy units. Eastmans is a three generation media based hunting company whose goal is to promote the pursuit of elk hunting, deer hunting and all western big game. With a nine-point draw and a very high success rate this hunt is a good hunt for a nice 20 .