Let's say you had a pretty decent pronghorn tag in a unit with only 1 nonresident tag. On the opener you will be in another state hunting and have to choose between hunting the week of 9/23 or hunting the week of 10/7. What would be some factors to consider for that decision?
Season timing
- Thread starter bfm
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lostinOregon
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Depends on the unit. Some guys hunt some of the units later in the season for migration purposes and the antelope bunching up toward the end of the season. There are others that scout a month before the season and kill their big buck opening day. Others hunt them during the rut because once you find a big buck they usually are within a few square miles and won’t leave. Lots of things to think about.
Soccerdude
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I enjoy scouting/bowhunting a few days before the opener then shooting the biggest one I have found opening day of rifle. Good luck.
I'll complicate it some more. It's a 15+ hrs drive from home. Won't be scouting. Also have a mediocre deer tag in a neighboring state that opens on the 10/10. Could potentially hunt that tag immediately after if hunting the week of the 7th.
Priority is the antelope tag since the archery deer tag in Sept is a pretty decent tag too.
Priority is the antelope tag since the archery deer tag in Sept is a pretty decent tag too.
lostinOregon
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If it is a red desert unit I would toss the medium deer tag in the trash and try to find a world class goat. If you’re going middle of season the key is to cover new ground every day and keep sorting through them until you find a big one. Yes you could shoot one the first day in a few hours, but finding a boone and Crockett type antelope takes some effort, time and luck
If you wait until October and it snows, access may be highly limited by drifted snow. If it snows the antelope may wander to surrounding units. If it snows in adjacent units new antelope may wander into your unit. It's a lot tougher stalking bucks in October when antelope are grouped up in large herds. Antelope numbers are a lot lower than they've been for years....and top bucks are in extremely short supply in most units. It may take even more time to find the few super bucks that exist after opening weekend and after a chunk of the top bucks have been shot.
As mentioned above, if you have a high demand tag it may be worth several scouting and hunting trips to make the best of your antelope tag. 15 hours is definitely worth the drive if you've waited years for a high demand limited antelope tag. Those tags are becoming tougher and tougher to draw and it may be your first and last opportunity in your lifetime to draw a high demand tag.
As mentioned above, if you have a high demand tag it may be worth several scouting and hunting trips to make the best of your antelope tag. 15 hours is definitely worth the drive if you've waited years for a high demand limited antelope tag. Those tags are becoming tougher and tougher to draw and it may be your first and last opportunity in your lifetime to draw a high demand tag.
7-8 years ago I had the 57 tag and hunted the last week of season, partly because I was still in harvest season and partly because I wanted the other hunters gone.
I did have it to myself that's for sure, but pretty much all the best goats were dead. I hunted to the second to last day passing lots of low to mid 70's goats and ended up with one 82 2/8 net . it was a fun hunt but I'm not sure I'd wait like that again.
I did have it to myself that's for sure, but pretty much all the best goats were dead. I hunted to the second to last day passing lots of low to mid 70's goats and ended up with one 82 2/8 net . it was a fun hunt but I'm not sure I'd wait like that again.
There likely aren't as many tags issued now than 7-8 years ago but there also are a fraction of the antelope...and likely a lot fewer B&C bucks available. If the few (if any) B&C bucks that are available are scouted hard and cherry picked the opening week, there likely will be even fewer available towards the end of the season.
If you like hunting alone, you ought to have a lot of miles of country to yourself later in the season. Only time will tell if you luck into a true whopper. I've already stated what I would do if it were me!
If you like hunting alone, you ought to have a lot of miles of country to yourself later in the season. Only time will tell if you luck into a true whopper. I've already stated what I would do if it were me!
goforbroke
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I'd go October in your shoes. Hunting isn't the most important thing in my life and it is nice when plans 'fit' the family calendar. 84" goat looks about the same as an 80" goat on your wall or in the pics. and 2 weeks doesn't make a huge difference. Goats will start to be in bigger herds and easier to judge which one is "best"
Plus it is some in the luck. My son had a quality elk tag last year. We hunted 7 days in September archery during the rut and never found a bull over 325". Went back in October and found a 360" bull. Admittedly, we got lucky, but that is hunting. And the trophy was the 9 days we spent together and the stories I'll tell his kids one day!
Plus it is some in the luck. My son had a quality elk tag last year. We hunted 7 days in September archery during the rut and never found a bull over 325". Went back in October and found a 360" bull. Admittedly, we got lucky, but that is hunting. And the trophy was the 9 days we spent together and the stories I'll tell his kids one day!
Wyoming Hunting Guides & Outfitters
Urge 2 Hunt
We focus on trophy elk, mule deer, antelope and moose hunts and take B&C bucks most years.
