Wyoming Antelope unit 60

willhunt4food · Jun 23, 2024

I drew a buck Antelope tag for unit 60. I live in Michigan so pre scouting is not going to happen. Wondering how the population/ age class is doing.
Second I imagine opening week is a rodeo. I have no feel for hunting pressure.
If you had the tag when would you hunt?
Rifle September 21st October 31st
Thanks

dwalton · Jun 24, 2024

Can’t be much of a rodeo on opening day if there are only 50 hunters in the entire unit.

yotebuster17 · Jun 24, 2024

It’ll be great. There’s so few tags you won’t see many people. Learning how to judge them is the hardest part about that tag. You could hunt it anytime in the season that works for your schedule.

mrc · Jun 24, 2024

I sent you a pm

SPAZ · Jun 26, 2024

If you're not there looking around before the season opens and pick a buck out, some of the very best will be dead after daylight opening day. Otherwise go at the very end and you might see larger groups and they'll be easier to compare bucks that are difficult to judge. There will be about zero "pressure" even on the opening morning and weekends.

tailchasers · Jun 26, 2024

First week of October and watch them critters put on a show for ya.

Bwht4x4 · Jun 26, 2024

I've hunted the unit on opening weekend a few years ago and we never saw anyone. It's a good hunt, but you will pick through a ton of 70 to 75 inch bucks to find a decent one. When you find the decent one though it may still not be a shooter. IMO finding an 80+ buck in the unit will be very tough unless you're very good at judging them. Here's the buck I shot in the unit when I had the tag.

littlebighorn · Jun 26, 2024

I've hunted antelope both early and late. Many of my first years hunting them, I scouted early and shot my buck on the first light of first day. Hunting that way is too quick for me. I now want an experience, so I now prefer to go after the dust settles. I really enjoy hunting goats in the rut which is the latter part of September and on. I'd advise to not wait til later in October. Grouped up herds are impossible to stalk and the weather can sometimes be brutal. We tried it once and ended up spending half the day in a gas station bathroom by the heater to get warm. Our cherry pie froze so solid in our tend you could pound nails with it.
Going a week or two after the opener means the bucks will be chasing does and you get to weed through tons of bucks to find one you want. It will require more days afield, which is why I like to hunt them that way.
With only 50 tags, you should not have much hunting pressure, regardless of when you go.
Have fun.

willhunt4food · Jul 4, 2024

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I’ll hunt the first 10 days of October. First couple days is going to be just shopping unless I see the “One” thick bases, big cutters, heart shaped and ivory tips.
Some of my best hunts I’ve never pulled a trigger. This will be some new country for me and I’ll enjoy every single minute unless it’s raining (an antelope hunters worst nightmare)
Thanks again
Scott

Katoom · Jul 4, 2024

Very unique area with great hunting, and no
shortage of solitude regardless whether Sept or Oct. You will have a great time figuring it out and exploring some desolate country and seeing antelope each day.

Moe · Jul 4, 2024

Take chains for your PU. Oct can be muddy.

tailchasers · Jul 4, 2024

Have you given consideration to logistics? Tenting? Fuel? Other provisions?

jims · Jul 4, 2024

You may want to keep in mind that it can snow any time in Oct. If it snows much there may be drifting roads and antelope can move long distances. That may mean that larger groups of antelope either move into or out of your unit. It helps knowing some of those things in advance.

If it was me and I had that tag I wouldn’t wait until Oct. To take full advantage I would scout incredibly hard and possibly make several trips to scout and and several trips to hunt.

There is a lot involved with harvesting a world class antelope. Most hunters (unless super lucky) have no clue to all the time and work involved. They also have no idea in regard to some of the tricks discovered from experience scouting, field judging, and locating whopper bucks.

littlebighorn · Jul 5, 2024

Weather can be a crap shoot on any given year, but I have to agree that holding off past the end of September is a roll of the dice.
That unit is wide open and desolate. No close by motels, etc. We always nomad hunt for antelope, out of our truck. Tent, and gear under a tarp in the bed and we drive, glass, hunt til dark, pull off and set up the tent. Early next morning pull it down and start hunting from there. It's not fancy, but we don't waste time driving back and forth from a set camp and it's very efficient. Another reason I wouldn't wait til October when it can get really cold.

jims · Jul 5, 2024

You are absolutely correct that 60 is a heck of a long way from anywhere! Bring a couple extra gas cans and shovels.

We share the same priorities for camp and driving. I generally have a mobile camp (my truck and topper shell) that allows me to camp where I end for the night. It's also a lot more rigid than a tarp or tent in Wyo's hurricane winds! Speaking of wind.....keep in mind the windchill in October can bite! Bring plenty of layers if you come in October! It could be 60 one day and in the teens the next.

I would also advise against a 4 wheeler. Gators with the same wide track as a regular truck may be ok but you will get beat to a pulp with a 4 wheeler having one tire in the ruts and the other running over sage.

Like I said above, there is a lot to learn so scout early to figure things out!

treedagain · Jul 9, 2024

jims said:
You are absolutely correct that 60 is a heck of a long way from anywhere! Bring a couple extra gas cans and shovels.

We share the same priorities for camp and driving. I generally have a mobile camp (my truck and topper shell) that allows me to camp where I end for the night. It's also a lot more rigid than a tarp or tent in Wyo's hurricane winds! Speaking of wind.....keep in mind the windchill in October can bite! Bring plenty of layers if you come in October! It could be 60 one day and in the teens the next.

I would also advise against a 4 wheeler. Gators with the same wide track as a regular truck may be ok but you will get beat to a pulp with a 4 wheeler having one tire in the ruts and the other running over sage.

Like I said above, there is a lot to learn so scout early to figure things out!

I would be bringing a quad. Might be an unpleasant drive at times, but if your stuck in the rut.... nice to have another 4 wheels to get out for help. I never leave my quad at home, always leary about breaking down or getting stuck. Plus for the most part the roads/two tracks are not bad.

Chesterwyo · Jul 9, 2024

Out there all the time. You’re in for a good hunt this year.

willhunt4food · Jul 24, 2024

Thanks everyone for your input.

llamapacker · Jul 24, 2024

Remember that antelope will start dropping their horns in late October. Some of the biggest bucks drop early. I would never wait until after mid October.
This is not a high pressure hunt. Anytime in September to early October should be fine. If you have a side by side, you have the best of both worlds. Great access to just about any road, and you won't beat up your truck.
Bill