Help! Unit C or B

[Mudminnow56]

My dad and I are planning to hunt this coming fall but we are not sure on what region to apply for. We have talked to guys that hunted both c and b. This will be our first time to wyoming so we know no different. I know the deadline is approaching so I'm just looking for a little more insight. We're planning on camping and hunting public land. We also have one preference point for deer already and am strongly considering going after goats too, so areas that would be close for both species would help. Thanks guys

 

[TOPGUN]

IMHO neither B or C unless you can get on a good ranch to hunt deer these days, especially in the northern half of B that is really down. If you have a PP for deer, I'd put in for Y before either B or C. There is enough public land to have a decent hunt up along the west side and inland from the Powder River for antelope though, but that is in deer Region C.

 

[Wyoelkhunter]

>IMHO neither B or C unless
>you can get on a
>good ranch to hunt deer
>these days, especially in the
>northern half of B that
>is really down. If
>you have a PP for
>deer, I'd put in for
>Y before either B or
>C. There is enough
>public land to have a
>decent hunt up along the
>west side and inland from
>the Powder River for antelope
>though, but that is in
>deer Region C.

Just remember that the Bighorn NF is the only really large public land block in Region Y.. Accessible Public land outside of the forest is in relatively small blocks and receives a lot of hunting pressure. You shouldn't expect much in the way of nice mule deer bucks in Y unless you hunt one of the better ranches. I hunt these public areas some because I live here, but I go elsewhere for serious mule deer hunting. Whitetail areas hunt able by the public are even more limited. I'm speaking mainly about the Sheridan to Buffalo area. Good luck

 

[TOPGUN]

Dennis---There is actually quite a bit of BLM and some state lands that is accessible down in the southern third of Y south of Buffalo and on down all the way to the west of Midwest/Edgerton that would give the OP a much better chance at a deer than over in B or up in the very small BLM blocks that are in C. You just need to have good maps and a GPS with a landownership chip or download to know how to get to them and not trespass. As far as hunting pressure, it's pretty hard to avoid that in most places nowadays without being on private property that controls access. I wish the OP well because it's very late in the game with only a week left in the application period to not know where you're going to apply for and hunt, especially for a NR with only 1PP.

 

[easyelk13]

+1 to what TOPGUN said.....

 

[Mudminnow56]

I know it's late in the game but luckily both guys said they will help us out with as much info as they can. Both have had good experiences in c and b, I guess I'm just looking for an unbiased opinion. So if you had to pick, which one would it be? I hope that didn't come off cocky.

 

[TOPGUN]

>I know it's late in the
>game but luckily both guys
>said they will help us
>out with as much info
>as they can. Both have
>had good experiences in c
>and b, I guess I'm
>just looking for an unbiased
>opinion. So if you had
>to pick, which one would
>it be? I hope that
>didn't come off cocky.


No, it doesn't come off as cocky, but you are asking for opinions and they certainly should be biased if you want correct information, rather than someone just blowing smoke up your rear. If you have those contacts that have information that you think is better than what you are getting here, by all means get with them and put in for where they tell you. It won't bother me or anyone else on here what you pick, but I have hunted B and C and told you my opinion of both.

 

[BuzzH]

Since its your first go in Wyoming, just pick either region and get after it.

Pretty tough to have a bad hunt with realistic expectations in Wyoming, IME.

Who knows what you'll find, that's what makes it fun.

 

[WiBuckslayer523]

We hunted Public in Y several times and I always tagged out. Nothing real big and had to hunt hard, but nice country. We hunted B once and hardly seen any deer. Topgun knows what he is talking about. If you do not have a ranch to go to in B or C, I would pick Y. Hope this helps. B is not as scenic as Y also. Hope this helps!

 

[BuzzH]

I've hunted in region C a grand total of about 6 hours and shot these bucks there, on public land, while on my way to Montana for elk/deer.

Had a general tag and a type-3 leftover tag this year. Shot these 2 about 30 seconds apart.

I hunted it about 2-3 hours last fall on my way to Montana again, and I passed a decent 5x5 125-130 class WT buck as well as 2 other average 4x4.

IMO, if a person spent more than a couple hours in the morning, I think you could find a good WT buck on public land there. I think I could also kill a 150 class mule deer there as well, based on what I've seen in the few hours I've hunted it.

YMMV...but that's what I've found.

As to region B, I've hunted antelope there and again, I think a 150 MD is doable there if you know where to look, as well as some decent WT in that region as well.

 

[Whiterock]

I hunted in Region B a couple years ago and found the area to be almost void of deer on the public land.

 

[Mudminnow56]

Ok, so we ended up choosing region C. I was looking in the Weston area to hunt and camp. Anyone have any areas that are more productive than others that they would be willing to share? Or places you recommend to camp within a short distance drive or start hunting from camp. I'm obviously not really looking for a trophy and I'm not prejudice, whitetail or muley. I feel kinda helpless but I have been making many calls to wardens and biologists and over 60 landowners so far. Just looking for starting point from maybe someone that has hinted that area. Thanks

 

[TOPGUN]

LAST EDITED ON May-28-15 AT 09:56PM (MST)[p]Good luck and sorry you didn't pick Y like we mentioned, as I could have given you several coordinates of where to hunt good large pieces of BLM if you drew that tag. You're on your own up in C, as IMHO it's nowhere near as good as where I would have suggested! Let us know how you do when you get back and good luck, as hunting anywhere is better than working!

 

[ToddT]

Im not trying to be a smartass, Im really not. But I gotta ask. Why did you pass on a 130 whitetail, when it appears you shot two whitetails that score (from what I see, however the pictures may be misleading) around 90 and 110? I am asking in all seriousness. Had you already filled your tags? Was it a bad place to try and get a deer out? Or were these different years, and differing circumstances?

The primary reason I ask is, I would like to hunt Wyoming or Colorado for whitetail, but have wondered about public access and quality there.

 

[ToddT]

My wife and I hunted C about 12 years ago. I believe since then, the dow separated a small portion of C, to form Y, that topgun is talking about. Topgun please correct me if I am wrong. We hunted around Gillette and didn't do any good, then we went over south of Buffalo and killed two small four point bucks - if my memory is accurate, I believe we were just west of Kacey.

Area C is tough, as I would speculate it is 95 percent private - but I could be wrong, I am just going off of memory of research.

There are a couple of parcels of state property, one is just to the southeast of Gillette. Sorry, I can't remember exact roads, but I do remember it was several miles southeast of Gillette. I remember there being several square miles of walk in area, or state lands of some kind. Anyway, it was nice country, and I was told that there were some nice bucks there, both mule deer and whitetail. But again, that was about 12 years ago, and a lot has changed in that time.

As far as antelope, I cut my teeth on unit 23 antelope, and had a lot of great times there. But again, with the mostly private area, you need to get a landowner list and start calling landowners. You should have no problem finding a place to hunt, but you need to call as early as you can to reserve a spot for the opener. If you aren't going to be there on the opener, you can almost choose any landowner you want and be able to reserve a couple days to hunt. Good luck, my wife and I had a good time while we were there.

 

[TOPGUN]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-09-15 AT 01:20PM (MST)[p]ToddT---Yes, you are correct about the change and it wasn't just a small section. They took the entire western part of C since you hunted it and made it Region Y. The area you mentioned where you shot your bucks is over in Y now and toward where I suggested the OP go, rather than pick Region B or C for the reason we both mentioned. I would also agree with you about getting an antelope tag in 23, as it's a lock for two buck and four doe tags. You can kill all six in that unit every year, IF you have the money and get on a private ranch or two to do it.

 

[BuzzH]

Todd,

Yes, different years.

I didn't kill a deer at all last year in WY, passed the 130ish buck last year while en route to MT. I already had 4 elk by then and didn't see the need to take a deer.

The pics are from previous years and yep, they are just average bucks that I shot while on my way to hunt Montana. Both times I left Laramie at about 3 AM and shot the first buck(s), I saw. I was back on the road by 10-11 AM both times I shot deer. I haven't ever spent more than 2-3 hours hunting those areas, just something to do, to break up the 11 hour drive to Montana.

Honestly, I probably should spend a bit of time one of these years as I've seen some pretty nice bucks on the surrounding private.

Tough for me to want to spend much time on limited State/BLM in Wyoming waiting for bucks to jump a fence, when I have more public land to hunt than I could cover in a life-time in MT. Plus, something draws me to country I've hunted since 1979 to chase whities that never see an ag field their whole lives.

Plus, every once in a while, a perfectly good whitetail hunt is interrupted when an elk gets in the way...I've seen it happen.

All these were incidental while hunting whities...

 

[gasman]

Publicity whore.