Newbie antelope questions

[Chow_Hound]

I'm planning a DIY antelope hunt this year with my 12 year old son. I have been on a couple of semi-guided hunts in the past, but this is a first for me as well. We are going to be hunting late because I need to plan it around his columbus day holiday -Oct 12. I really want a total quality experience - ideally not a lot of guys around, decent place to camp, good antelope numbers. Been doing a lot of research and have narrowed it down to 3 clusters: 91/96, 73/74/75, 42/47/48. We don't have points, but are going to put in for the special and cross our fingers. Here are some of my questions:

1. We're flying into Denver from VA and renting a car. I will rent an SUV, but it is not like a truck with off road tires. Will I have trouble getting around? Would some of the above areas be better than others considering this?

2. What is the impact of hunting this late? Should we have the place to ourselves? In some units, will everything decent be shot or on private land?

3. Would love any other general advice.

Also, if you think I missed the boat on my unit choices, please let me know. Feel free to PM me.

Thanks

 

[chipc]

Chowhound, GREAT idea for a first out west experience for your son. He will love it. I assume you are talking about Wyoming. All of the units you mentioned are good. The 90's are best
[ with much more public land ], followed by 70's, then 40's - and the draw odds reflect that. The special draw should get you a tag. Those units should have good numbers of goats on public land but if you want to most private ranches will allow you to hunt for a small trespass fee - $100 - $300 if you stop and ask. Especially during the last week of the season.

If it rains you will have trouble getting around in any of these units if you're off of the county roads. The wyoming gumbo is famously bad when wet. It usually dries within a day or so and it doesn't rain that often so I wouldn't worry too much as long as you're able to walk a mile or two from a gravel road if you have to. In my experience the hunting presure for antelope drops by 80% after the first week. I always go the last week of the season. There are a lot of goats in the areas you've mentioned and guys usually shoot the first decent one they see. most guys are done in one day - maybe two.

I haven't camped in any of those areas but you can camp wherever you want on most BLM land so you shouldn't have a problem finding a good place.

Its great country and it'll be a wonderful experience for you and your son. Cherish it ! GOOD LUCK. Chip

 

[searcher]

I have done several DIY antelope hunts in WY but am far from an expert so consider the source of my comments:

1) If you hunt 91/96 you would be better off flying into Salt Lake City and driving east. Also, I don't know if you can draw these two areas with 0 points. I think last year these areas were 70-80% odds with 2 points on the regular drawing.

I have hunted 42 and 48. There are plenty of antelope but 42 has a lot of private ranches and not a lot of public access. 48 has a lot of public land toward the north end. I camped near Seminoe Dam one year and had a good hunt. There are some nice bucks in this area if you look. I have never hunted 47.

Don't know anything about 73, 74, 75.

2) The main impact I see with you hunting mid-October is you could have great weather one day and be stranded by snow the next. You should be able to get around well enough in a full sized SUV in the roads are dry. If you get much precipitation, you could be stranded. I always drive to WY and have never made the trip without 2 sets of chains. Also, I wouldn't drive too far off the beaten path in a rental car if you aren't familiar with the roads. Some areas can get deeply rutted out and you could get high centered and not having a buddy in another vehicle you could wait a long time till someone came along willing to pull you out. Also, by hunting later there will definitely be less goats to shoot at. The year I hunted in 42 I talked with the owner of the walk in unit I was hunting and he said the area had plenty of nice bucks in September but got absolutely pounded the first 3 weeks of season. I was hunting the 2nd week of October as well and only saw 9-10" younger bucks. There were plenty of them but nothing with any size showed himself while I was hunting. You should still find bigger bucks later in the season in area 48.

PM me if you want to. Hope you and your son have a great hunt wherever you decide to go. Antelope hunting can be an absolute blast if you do it right. Take your time, don't shoot the first thing you see, and don't just drive the roads. If you spot some goats in the distance, take a hike and try to stalk them. You might be surprized by the number of goats you see just by getting away from the road. They can lay down and hide completely out of sight in surprizingly little cover, a drainage ditch, or any slight terrain change. Hope this helps in some way.

Tim

 

[searcher]

I was wrong about drawing a license in 91/96. I checked the drawing odds link on this website. If you apply for the Special drawing, you have 97% odds at drawing 91 and 100% odds at 96 based on last years drawing. I always apply for the Regular drawing as I am cheap. LOL

Tim

 

[7]

A lot of good advice here in particular the road conditions! I've seen an SUV pulling a camper thru area 47 during late September that had all 4 tires worn down to the cord trying to make it back to Casper for new tires. The roads can be unforgiving during nasty weather.

7 Mag

 

[piper]

most of the roads in area 91 are in sandy soil and not much of a problem

 

[Rem308]

You can keep an eye on area 26,it usually has leftover licenses after the draw.Not much for public land ,but it does have a little and has always been good area for antelope.

 

[Willy_P]

I'm sort of at a loss for how you are going to bring a "camp" along on a plane but other than that I will second that even after day 3 most guys are done and the locals are left to hunt the weekend which depending on where they work might be any day if the are doing 4 days on and then a "weekend" off. I'll second on the road "gumbo" and weather changing fairly quick. If you are getting an extended BIG blow be ready for something nasty coming! You might want to pull out to nearer the "hard road" from my past experiences.

Pat C.

My idea of an antelope camp that is about as good as being home:

http://picasaweb.google.com/WillyP1956/WYPix#5248573908650757666

 

[kilowatt]

I hunted toward the end of the season in Unit 93 in 2007. The first morning, a Monday Sept 24th, it snowed that morning so bad I had a hard time finding the same road as the day before when it was clear. Saw 2 buck Lopes that am and they were not staying in the area, fast little suckers.
Next morning it was clear but let me tell you, those same roads were not driveable unless you had CHAINS, which I did not.
Changed locations that morning and that after noon came back to the day before location from a different route and the roads were still not the best.
Driving back out I spotted this buck coming up out of a draw, so stopped and got out and went down the hill aways and got a shot off. Walked down to him and the feet felt they had added 20 pounds of mud on them....bad stuff after it rains or snows in many parts of Wyo., so be carefull where you go.

Brian

 

[Willy_P]

A HI lift jack is a great thing at times along with a 2X12 block to put it on. Maybe a come a long and stake would be more economical on a fly in trip and rental SUV though. No real way to explain what WY goo is like till you have been in it a time or two though.

Pat C.

 

[rumproast]

Okay, pre-lims:
Has your youngster got a Hunter Safety Course Card?--from any state, really. Can't shoot any thing in Wyoming without one, unless you're on family-owned land, if you are born after 1-1-66. The new hunter-mentor program applies to residents as mentors so far as I know (tell me if I'm wrong).
Second, hunt area choices are all right, but you may wish to pick one with a draw chance of, say, about 100%, for first choice so you and the son know you're gonna hunt.

Rump

 

[Chow_Hound]

Thanks for all of the great advice. Yes, he passed a hunter safety course last year.

What are the odds of having bad weather that time of year - is it near 100% that we will have bad weather at least part of the week?

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Based on the last few years, I'd say odds of some weather are running about 50/50. Since you can't know what the weather will do, always be prepared for the worst weather possible. There can be very bad weather in Sept, too.

 

[Willy_P]

Wind is usually my main issue I deal with first off for anything that is going to WY with me. Not OMG it's blowing 40 mph out there wind, that isn't diddle in WY . Prepare for 65 mph winds and be happy if they don't show up! Rain is usually a wait it out deal or go out in it and you dry off quick due to low humidity if temperature is not an issue while wet. Snow, IT CAN DUMP A FOOT OR TWO ON YOU IN A HEART BEAT but you generally know it's coming and can retreat to town if necessary as long as you pull out in time! Main thing I see year after year is torn up tents and broken poles from the high winds there. Watch for prairie rattlers and don't start a fire and burn the prairie up. That will be a good start.

Pat C.

 

[rumproast]

Right on, Willy--
Some decent waterproof windbreaker apparel is a daypack priority. It'll keep you warmer and drier longer than any quantity or quality of other clothing you've got underneath, as experienced, should the usual hit during your hunt.
You may have 65 Degrees and Sunny for the duration, but we just don't count on that kinda thing.

Rump

 

[piper]

area 91 fits your critera, there are plenty of nice gravel roads and some easy two tracks,and I have never seen a problem in Oct. with access, around big sandy reservor is the only place I can think of that it could get muddy, you shouldn't have any problem having a nice hunt in that area. good luck