Wyoming Antelope

ligonierbill · January 18, 2022, 10:36 AM

I am thinking of hunting next fall. I could ante up for an outfitter, but might just take my chances on BLM land in the SW quadrant of the state. I have one preference point. I spent 10+ years in SE Idaho and am familiar with WY, but I never went after pronghorns. What can you tell me? Also, outfitters that you recommend (or not). Thanks.

Oliver Sudden · January 18, 2022, 11:07 AM

Lots of places will let you hunt does, and check out the “hunter management lands”.

HiBC · January 18, 2022, 02:46 PM

Of course, you can be successful hunting on BLM public land.
Nearly all of my pronghorn hunting has been on private ranch land.

We ,who hunted this ranch,had agreed upon expectations .

Mostly we had a "territory" to hunt. We went there before first light,and stayed there. No driving around. A 4 wheeler to pick up a kill was OK. But no pickup truck hunting.

Pronghorns have roughly 6x binocular eyes. They post sentinels. One frustrated hunter with a pickup can run all the antelope off of several square miles in a surprisingly short time. Persistence simply convinces the antelope to keep running.

And,you may find folks who figure if they can see them,they must be in range.
They will whang away at running antelope that are 1000 yds away,or more.

If you,the public.can drive there,Joe,the public ,can drive there. And he will.

Joe from Colorado,Andy from Kansas,Bill from Indiana, Tom from Texas.
Most are good guys. All drove to the same hunk of BLM land and they can see the pronghorn 1800 yds away.

I'm suggesting if you are going to hunt public land...get your expectations under control. It can be a circus.

I've been spoiled by private land hunting.If an outfitter can offer you an experience on private land,it can be a lot better.

That said, sometimes you get lucky. A BLM land hunt can turn out just fine.

There is one way to find out.

Something I learned fishing Wyoming. Some days...you get to the lake and
The wind is 60 to 70 miles an hour. No point taking the boat off the trailer.

Some days, rookie boats will follow my Lund in convoy every place I go on the lake. Its annoying.

But some days...Maybe we laughed at how stupid we were, heading into a whiteout snow squall dragging a boat to the lake. Then we had a Golden Day. The sun breaks out ,the fish are hungry,and no one else is on the lake.

I learned the way you have those good days .....is to be out there on the not so good days. The Golden Day just shows up sometimes.

It all beats staying home. Go have your antelope hunt!! Public land requires adjusting expectations. Its their land,too. Be grateful its there. Have fun!

FrankenMauser · January 18, 2022, 05:59 PM

No need for an outfitter, unless you're hunting a very difficult area and have no idea what you're doing. Just do it yourself.

SW WY can be difficult to draw a tag. It gets hit very hard by non-residents, specifically UT, ID, NV, and CA.
You'll increase your odds by finding private land to hunt in central or eastern WY.
You can start searching by looking through the landowner lists here: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/public-access/h...ner-assistance

Expect trespass fees to be charged by the landowners, especially for bucks. But you'll find some that just hate antelope and will let you come shoot the "pests" for free - provided you are respectful and follow whatever rules they have.

ligonierbill · January 19, 2022, 12:50 PM

Thanks. Yeah, the first one I checked noted he needed to get them out of his barley. I have no problem paying a trespass fee, so that looks like the way to go.

Scorch · January 19, 2022, 04:27 PM

From what I have been told, SW Wyoming is a zoo with all the people from UT, ID, WA and CA hunting there. It's the closest and most accessible antelope hunting available, I-80 runs from San Francisco through Salt Lake City, UT and up through Rawlins, WY. SE Wyoming is a better bet, and Central Wyoming has better odds but fewer tags and more private land. For a first hunt, I would hire a guide, there are many who work on private ranches and can guarantee you a tag. Call and talk to a few of them.

MarkCO · January 19, 2022, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorch

From what I have been told, SW Wyoming is a zoo with all the people from UT, ID, WA and CA hunting there. It's the closest and most accessible antelope hunting available, I-80 runs from San Francisco through Salt Lake City, UT and up through Rawlins, WY.

Yep. And while there are lots of Pronghorn, the road hunters (kinsmen of skybusters) shoot at them from distances well beyond their capability effectively ruining the public land hunting quality for those who want to actually hunt. Much of Western Colorado has become a similar shooting spree.

If you are traveling and paying out of state fees, getting a better experience with a trespass fee is probably a good idea.

January 18, 2022, 10:36 AM	#1
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,448	Wyoming Antelope I am thinking of hunting next fall. I could ante up for an outfitter, but might just take my chances on BLM land in the SW quadrant of the state. I have one preference point. I spent 10+ years in SE Idaho and am familiar with WY, but I never went after pronghorns. What can you tell me? Also, outfitters that you recommend (or not). Thanks.

January 18, 2022, 05:59 PM	#4
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,421	No need for an outfitter, unless you're hunting a very difficult area and have no idea what you're doing. Just do it yourself. SW WY can be difficult to draw a tag. It gets hit very hard by non-residents, specifically UT, ID, NV, and CA. You'll increase your odds by finding private land to hunt in central or eastern WY. You can start searching by looking through the landowner lists here: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/public-access/h...ner-assistance Expect trespass fees to be charged by the landowners, especially for bucks. But you'll find some that just hate antelope and will let you come shoot the "pests" for free - provided you are respectful and follow whatever rules they have. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

January 19, 2022, 04:27 PM	#6
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	From what I have been told, SW Wyoming is a zoo with all the people from UT, ID, WA and CA hunting there. It's the closest and most accessible antelope hunting available, I-80 runs from San Francisco through Salt Lake City, UT and up through Rawlins, WY. SE Wyoming is a better bet, and Central Wyoming has better odds but fewer tags and more private land. For a first hunt, I would hire a guide, there are many who work on private ranches and can guarantee you a tag. Call and talk to a few of them. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

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January 18, 2022, 11:07 AM	#2
Oliver Sudden Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 272	Lots of places will let you hunt does, and check out the “hunter management lands”.

January 18, 2022, 02:46 PM	#3
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	Of course, you can be successful hunting on BLM public land. Nearly all of my pronghorn hunting has been on private ranch land. We ,who hunted this ranch,had agreed upon expectations . Mostly we had a "territory" to hunt. We went there before first light,and stayed there. No driving around. A 4 wheeler to pick up a kill was OK. But no pickup truck hunting. Pronghorns have roughly 6x binocular eyes. They post sentinels. One frustrated hunter with a pickup can run all the antelope off of several square miles in a surprisingly short time. Persistence simply convinces the antelope to keep running. And,you may find folks who figure if they can see them,they must be in range. They will whang away at running antelope that are 1000 yds away,or more. If you,the public.can drive there,Joe,the public ,can drive there. And he will. Joe from Colorado,Andy from Kansas,Bill from Indiana, Tom from Texas. Most are good guys. All drove to the same hunk of BLM land and they can see the pronghorn 1800 yds away. I'm suggesting if you are going to hunt public land...get your expectations under control. It can be a circus. I've been spoiled by private land hunting.If an outfitter can offer you an experience on private land,it can be a lot better. That said, sometimes you get lucky. A BLM land hunt can turn out just fine. There is one way to find out. Something I learned fishing Wyoming. Some days...you get to the lake and The wind is 60 to 70 miles an hour. No point taking the boat off the trailer. Some days, rookie boats will follow my Lund in convoy every place I go on the lake. Its annoying. But some days...Maybe we laughed at how stupid we were, heading into a whiteout snow squall dragging a boat to the lake. Then we had a Golden Day. The sun breaks out ,the fish are hungry,and no one else is on the lake. I learned the way you have those good days .....is to be out there on the not so good days. The Golden Day just shows up sometimes. It all beats staying home. Go have your antelope hunt!! Public land requires adjusting expectations. Its their land,too. Be grateful its there. Have fun!

January 19, 2022, 12:50 PM	#5
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,448	Thanks. Yeah, the first one I checked noted he needed to get them out of his barley. I have no problem paying a trespass fee, so that looks like the way to go.