Antelope help

MountainDude234 · Aug 1, 2017

Hey all. I'm looking to hunt antelope in 2018 with a couple of buddies and our two dads. Both fathers have bad knees and can't walk more than a few hundred yards at a time. Bc of the knee issues should we just go with an outfitter or still try the DIY route? We don't have any PPs (will buy one this year though) I'm looking for suggestions. Are there any ranchers that would charge a reasonable trespass fee? Can you suggest any Eastern units that would allow us a reasonable chance at success.

I've been looking at draw odds, unit maps, county road maps. I still need to call the district offices. It's tough and that's why I'm open to suggestions.

DESKPOP · Aug 2, 2017

Find a unit with lots of public land and you wont need an outfitter.

MountainDude234 · Aug 2, 2017

That would be really nice if we had the PPs necessary. As it is now by the time we hunt next fall we will only have 1 PP a piece. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction as to which unit has decent access with 0 or 1 PP in the special drawing.

TOPGUN · Aug 2, 2017

>That would be really nice if
>we had the PPs necessary.
> As it is now
>by the time we hunt
>next fall we will only
>have 1 PP a piece.
> Hopefully someone can point
>me in the right direction
>as to which unit has
>decent access with 0 or
>1 PP in the special
>drawing.

Rather than that I would start right away looking for a ranch to pay an access fee in 2018. A unit that has a lot of antelope and private land that I would start inquiring about is unit 23 just south out of Gillette. There is a ton of Type 2 tags only good for private land that you won't even need a PP to draw. If you think you'll want to hunt more than in 2018, then maybe buy the PP this year and get the Type 2 unit 23 tag as a leftover so you don't burn the PP and can either use it in 2019 or keep buying them for a future hunt. IMHO going with an outfitter for antelope is a waste of good money with so many other options out there.

Joe2Kool · Aug 2, 2017

Here's a link to a recent post. I posted some pics towards the bottom. Some of these were spotted from the road, and then stalked. Some were spotted during spot and stalk a mile+ from the road.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID35/4284.html

We also hunted just west of Casper one year, in unit 70. My memory says the goats were plentiful and the public land was not difficult to find. There were also lots of walk-in areas around the alfalfa fields. Even though they were walk-in, you could drive the ranch roads.

An outfitter in WY is going to find you a goat the first day or he's not really an outfitter.

Oh, all of these tags were with zero PP's, some first choice, some leftovers.

MountainDude234 · Aug 2, 2017

Thanks topgun I've been creeping around other sites and I see that you're quite active and have lots of experience. I'm feeling a little better about the process. I know it's a long ways off but I want to make sure I'm prepared! I enjoy the research aspect of all of this! My next step in the process is going to be making a few phone calls to the good folks at the fish and game department. Do they have a list of landowners who are willing to participate in giving access to those hunters with type 2 permits? Should I call the local chamber of commerce? Not real sure how to go about getting in contact with landowners

MountainDude234 · Aug 2, 2017

I just checked unit 70 seems to be very small! Maybe I'm looking at the drawing odds the wrong way but in this years drawing the quota was very limited as well.

jm77 · Aug 2, 2017

Area 70 recently went through some changes. Yes, it was made smaller and divided by public and private land.

TOPGUN · Aug 3, 2017

>Thanks topgun I've been creeping around
>other sites and I see
>that you're quite active and
>have lots of experience.
>I'm feeling a little better
>about the process. I
>know it's a long ways
>off but I want to
>make sure I'm prepared!
>I enjoy the research aspect
>of all of this! My
>next step in the process
>is going to be making
>a few phone calls to
>the good folks at the
>fish and game department.
>Do they have a list
>of landowners who are willing
>to participate in giving access
>to those hunters with type
>2 permits? Should I
>call the local chamber of
>commerce? Not real sure how
>to go about getting in
>contact with landowners

The G&F Regional Offices quit keeping land owner lists several years ago, but if you contact the individual GW and Game biologist for an area you may get some good information. Their contact is up on the G&F website. Also, the C of C is not a bad call to make either to possibly be put in touch with a rancher. Just realize that it's very common for ranches to either be leased out to an outfitter or they control hunting on their place themselves with some type of an access fee and some can be pretty expensive. Then again you may luck out and find a place that has minimal rates or is free if you keep plugging away with the time you have now. Good luck, but I'd really look at unit 23 for it's size, number of animals in it, as well as the large number of Type 2 licenses that you can get with no PPs involved.

Millsworks · Aug 3, 2017

You should post this question again here a couple weeks or so after the season this fall or winter.
After lots have been out hunting this year for antelope and learned a little about an area.
Some like myself will probably be happy to share our experience. Though where I'll be hunting might not be for everyone or even a decent place to hunt.
I won't know for certain till I give it a go.
I'm sure lots of other guys are in the same boat as me this fall and hopefully we will all learn some things.
Good luck planning.