Wyoming Antelope Questions, Please Help!

[canyonman]

To my surprise I drew my thrid choice for Wyoming. Unit 28. I have never hunted in the windy state before, so i'm not to sure what to expect. There are so many questions! I know that most of my unit is private and I have all ready called the G&F for the list of landowners. Has anybody hunted this area before? What's the best way to get permission, a phone call or in person? Should I ask for references? What's the going rate for trespass fees on a buck, or does it very greatly for one guy to the next? How crazy is the opening day, is it worth getting out on the opener or wait a week? Any insight on any of these questions would be of great help. Thanks a bunch!!
Ryan

 

[PotatoWhisperer]

Ryan-

Call the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, they can fax you a list of ranch owners who allow hunting on their properties. They have names, phones numbers, species on their ranches and usually their trespass fees. Just start making a bunch of calls. Warning thou...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I got burned on a ranch in the Lusk area last year...bad! Was told itr was full of animals, not many hunters...etc! I saw 4 antelope does in 3 days and 33 hunters, 18 4 wheelers...and no deer. I ended up hunting state land the last 2 days and tagged out. Don't over look pockets of state land, either. Get a BLM map that shows land ownership, and try those pockets too. Here's a rule of thumb on the ranches thou...the higher the cost, the better the animals. Not to say that there's not big animals on a cheaper ranch, but it's a rule of thumb. A $300 ranch might give a few animals, but the $500 ranch should be better. If you have more questions, let me know. I've hunted Wyoming a couple times and I'd be glad to help where I can...good luck.

Scott G.

 

[RELH]

Ryan;
What Scott told you is very true most of the time. In the last few years, the trespass fees are a "catch as catch can". I have hunted ranches for lopes for as little as 25 bucks and as high as 250.00. Most of the time the ranches charging the higher price do have better size animals, and less hunters due to the price they charge. But ! this is not always true, I have had ranchers wanting to charge me 350 bucks a day and they only have 13 inch lopes on the ranch. I bet you can guess what I said to that rancher. I prefer to do my contacting in person, if possible, so that I can better judge if the rancher is being truthful with me or trying to pull a fast one on me to put some money in his pocket. Try to contact the local warden, most of them are pretty good and will give you good leads where to hunt and who to contact based on what you are looking for and the amount of money you are willing to spend for trespass fees. I was the guy that turned Scott and his buddy onto that ranch in lusk, the Bonner Ranch, it used to be my best spot until another person took over and got money hungry and allowed the animals to be shot out. It used to have 16 inch lopes and numerous 4-5 point bucks until the animals were shot out for the sake of grabbing all the money they could get. Also there is a very good locker plant in Douglas that does a first rate processing of your game. Their sausage is out of this world,give them a try if you do not process your own animals.
RELH