hunt opening week or later on???

[clinton5]

Hi guys just probing for your preferences on Antelope hunts. Hunting opening (first few days) or later on? the hunts I'm looking at start mid Sept - mid Oct.

 

[WITUfan]

I have only been antelope hunting once on opening day. Most of the time, we try to time it to miss the opening weekend, or opening day if it opens during the week. The difference in the number of people out there is amazing. I have only been once later in the season and it didn't work out well because of the weather. I would think that would be an exception to the rule, however.

With that being said, the next time I draw the unit I really like, I may consider the option of going a few days early and doing lots of scouting with the hopes of being on a nice buck at daybreak on day one.

 

[TOPGUN]

Depends on how big a buck you're looking for and how many hunters you can tolerate in the unit if it has a lot of tags. If you're looking for a really big buck it would be best, IMO, to get there a few days before the opener and have several you want to shoot waypointed and be on the best one at daylight opening day. If you're just looking for a decent representative buck, I would wait until later in the season and let the opening week crowd go home. The 14 1/2" buck I shot 2 years ago with 3 PPs wasn't until the latter part of October and the season had opened on 10/9. I waited until I could do a good combo hunt because I also had a mulie license that I wanted to use in late October. I shot him about 4 -5 days into the hunt because I wanted to have plenty of days left for the deer hunt or I probably could have done even better with a few more days of glassing.

 

[sageadvice]

My personal opinion from limited experience, is to hunt later rather than earlier. The plus side of hunting early are the number of better bucks that haven't been shot or hunted yet. The plus sides of a late hunt are that they generally gather up in larger groups, there aren't near as many hunters, and the animals, at least where i have hunted them, had calmed way down, were far less spooky.

I last hunted late lopes year before last and was able to take a heavy 80" lope in a zone that is not too hard to draw but had plenty of decent animals on public land. To me, the advantages of hunting later far outweigh the early hunt, better chance at a big trophy opportunity.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[chipc]

Having hunted Antelope for 25 years in Wyoming I'd go later for sure. The first 3 or 4 years we always thought we had to be there for opening day. But, after going later I would never go on the opener again. Now, as has been mentioned above, if I knew where a booner was living I'd probably be camped on him opening morning. Otherwise you'll find FAR less hunters if you wait a couple of weeks. 2 years ago I had a tag in a 3pp unit. I went the second week of October and in 4 days of hunting never saw another hunter. My buddy and I got a 77" and an 80". Great hunt. MERRY CHRISTMAS. Chip