antelope hunt with 6+NR pts?

[adubs]

hey fellas,

my brothers along with myself and my dad are considering burning our points on our first antelope hunt this year. 3 of us have 6 pts and one has 8pts and we plan on applying as a group with the average of 6.5 pts. Ive done some research on 53,64,67, & 93 but I was hoping we could get some insight into which hunt you would recommend out of those 4 or if we should be considering other units as well. We are looking to have a good time and trophy quality is important but it isn't our top priority. We want to have a fun hunt and see a lot of animals.

Thanks,

Adubs

 

[TOPGUN]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-24-16 AT 02:07PM (MST)[p]With that many PPs for antelope, any unit you can draw should more than take care of your desires! Of the units you mentioned, I'd go for 67 if it was me because I know that area and it's potential, unlike the other units you mentioned.

 

[Zeke]

I know hunt area 93 better than the others you mentioned but that doesn't mean it's the best. I just don't know everything.
I do know you'll see plenty of animals, have plenty of public land to hunt and find some fine trophy bucks if you have some skill and patience (in 93).
That's about all I know.
Zeke

 

[30Hart]

You probably won't draw 64 w/ 6.5 points even w/ the special...you've got to factor in a little point creep. You should draw any of the others though.

 

[TOPGUN]

>You probably won't draw 64 w/
>6.5 points even w/ the
>special...you've got to factor in
>a little point creep.
>You should draw any of
>the others though.


I wouldn't be so sure of that, as I just looked up the stats for 67 after mentioning it and with 6'5 PPs this year it will probably not be a 100% draw at that level if there is even a 1/2 point creep from last year.

 

[Chief23]

I burnt 6 points to draw 93 last year. In my opinion it was well worth it. As zeke said, tons of public land plenty of antelope and there wasn't a day that went buy that I didn't see a couple extremely nice bucks. I would go back in a heart beat!

 

[chipc]

Do a search on here for unit 67 Antelope if you're thinking of that unit. You'll see my hunt report from 2014 and 2008. PM me if you have more specific questions and I'll do what I can to help you. Good luck. Chip

 

[JECTedit]

I have hunted 53, 64, and 67; can't speak to 93. Guess of those hunts I'd go with 64, then 67, then 53 last. But, different hunts on different years so there's confounding variables.

The 64 hunt was the best antelope hunt I've experienced, including a couple of times in 57 way back in the early 90's.

I hunted it later in the season, didn't see another antelope hunter in 6 days of hunting. That year, the area got something like 18" of snow on those last few days I was there (was headed off to a mule deer hunt on the 15th). Was already seeing lots of decent bucks, including one that I guessed was around 80". But that snow triggered some sort of migration out of area 60 into area 64; goats were just streaming across the boundary in big herds like caribou. It was a cool experience; and the buck I settled on was in a herd that was mostly mature bucks, I'd guess 60 or 70. During the days before I had noticed the antelope were crossing in the same exact places, so I was ahead of them and had lots of time to study the group. If my buck was by himself, he would have looked like a good 14.5-15" buck; but as I watched them it was obvious his body was easily >30% bigger than any of the other bucks, so when they filed past I took him.

The only dilemma then was there aren't any commercial forms for an antelope that large (he measured 9 1/2" from the front of his eye to his nose) so it required a custom form build by the taxidermist (who actually offered a nice sum for the cape, not only because of its size, but those red desert goats have prestine capes because they don't have fences to crawl under to get all cut up)

Any, good luck!

 

[TOPGUN]

That antelope'migration" must have really been something to see and that was a unique problem to have with the one you shot!

 

[JECTedit]

Well, that, and the quarters in my cooler looked like a deer to the game warden at first; no fault on him.
The WY G&F folks I've dealt with have only been consummate professionals!

 

[jm77]

"The only dilemma then was there aren't any commercial forms for an antelope that large (he measured 9 1/2" from the front of his eye to his nose) so it required a custom form build by the taxidermist (who actually offered a nice sum for the cape, not only because of its size, but those red desert goats have prestine capes because they don't have fences to crawl under to get all cut up)"

I'm a taxidermist and there is absolutely no reason I would ever want a cape as big as you are describing. Why any taxy would want a cape they would have to alter the largest form available more than an inch on the face would be beyond me. Unless of course they want to make the horns look smaller.

By the way, the largest antelope head I have seen in 40+ years in Wyoming was a touch over 8" eye to nose. That was a giant headed goat, for sure!

 

[JECTedit]

Thanks for your comments jm77, makes me wish I had skinned him for a life sized mount now! I'm sure you've seen hundreds or thousands of antelope in those 40 years as a WY taxidermist, so I'm understanding even better what a unique animal it was.

For me, I don't care a bit that his 17" horns look 15" because he had a large body; it was a fun hunt and a cool trophy, and that's what I see on my wall. I guess my taxidermist must have felt more like me than you do, which is great - no right or wrong in such things for sure. His interest in the cape was also probably because he is as much a student of taxonomy/natural history as he is a businessman.

I'm new to participating in this type of forum and just wanted to participate and share an experience; if it helped the original poster that would be great. So I am glad to get the feedback! Thanks!

 

[jm77]

>Thanks for your comments jm77, makes
>me wish I had skinned
>him for a life sized
>mount now! I'm sure
>you've seen hundreds or
>thousands of antelope in those
>40 years as a WY
>taxidermist, so I'm understanding even
>better what a unique animal
>it was.
>
>For me, I don't care a
>bit that his 17" horns
>look 15" because he had
>a large body; it was
>a fun hunt and a
>cool trophy, and that's what
>I see on my wall.
> I guess my taxidermist
>must have felt more like
>me than you do, which
>is great - no right
>or wrong in such things
>for sure. His
>interest in the cape was
>also probably because he is
>as much a student of
>taxonomy/natural history as he is
>a businessman.
>
>I'm new to participating in this
>type of forum and just
>wanted to participate and share
>an experience; if it helped
>the original poster that would
>be great. So I
>am glad to get the
>feedback! Thanks!


Since 17" antelope are quite a rarity, please post some pictures!