Wyoming Antelope Unit 90-1

Hawkeye · Mar 16, 2011

I am looking for some information regarding antelope hunting in unit 90-1. My brother-in-law and I both put in with 4 points as nonresidents so we should draw this year. I am very excited about this hunt for a number of reasons. First, I have never killed an antelope and I pumped to finally have an opportunity. Second, years ago my grandfather owned a cattle ranch just south of Big Sandy and I used to spend the summers there. I have many great memories of the area.

We are looking forward to having a fun hunt, seeing lots of animals and hopefully (if we are lucky) taking goats in the 70" to 80? range. For me, I am anxious to get back to an area where I spent a lot of time as a young boy. We are both experienced hunters and are willing to work hard and be patient in order to take a decent animal.

If you have hunted unit 90-1 in the past or are generally familiar with the unit, I would appreciate any information that you can provide. Specifically, I would like to know: (1) some general areas to focus on during the hunt; (2) whether we should try to be there for the opener or show up later in the hunt after the crowds have died down; (3) any recommended areas to park a camping trailer and camp; (4) any suggested tips for hunting (e.g, focus on road hunting, get high and glass, etc.) and (5) what size of goats can we expect to see? Also, we are both avid archers. Would you recommend spending any time with our bows?

I would be happy to swap information regarding hunting in Utah. My brother-in-law and I have both spent a lot of time on the Paunsaugunt, Manti and Wasatch units. Thank you for your help and feel free to pm or email me if you would prefer to have this discussion off line.

Good luck in the upcoming draws!

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD

TOPGUN · Mar 16, 2011

hawkeye---If you are going to be satisfied with a 70-80" goat after saving up 4 PPs, you should be more than okay. You could probably do that in almost any decent unit if you're a good hunter and have some time to spend there. I'm not familiar with that unit, but I'm sure you will see plenty of animals in that category if the weather doesn't screw things up before Fall! Good luck and I hope you get some good feedback on the unit itself.

littlebighorn · Mar 16, 2011

Hawkeye,
The Eastman's lists 90 as one of the top units in the state, so I would at least hold out for a high 70's buck, but if you have never hunted antelope before, waiting for a super buck can sometimes be difficult. But my advice would be to wait for something a little special before you seal the deal.
I have almost always gone early on antelope...a couple of days before the opener. Scout hard for a couple of days and locate as many really good bucks as possible. Then on opening morning I have tried to put myself very near the best buck just before daylight. We have been successful at taking some very nice bucks that way.
However, if you have lots of time, you could also wait until the dust settles and then take your time. The one thing I have found, is after the first day or two the antelope get very spooked and will take off if you even stop your truck.
I have not actually hunted 90, but I have hunted 91 twice many years ago. Most of that country is pretty flat, but your unit is huge, so you can find about any kind of terrain you want.
Get some good maps and study them. If you want to archery hunt, you will need to locate some isolated watering holes and hunt from a blind. Enough from me. You will have fun. PM if you want more old man advice.

delmag1942 · Mar 17, 2011

As an antelope "virgin" go with littlebighorn's idea. Go a couple days before the opener. Get used to looking at them for size. First time antelope with a LE tag, waiting until later in the season can be discouraging! 70" antelope are in virtually every unit in Wyoming.

llamapacker · Mar 17, 2011

You live close enough that two trips are not out of the question. Go early and scout, or even early enough to use your bows. Make plans to go after a couple of the biggest bucks you found on opening weekend. If things don't pan out, come back a couple weeks later when things have settled down.

Remember, antelope are pretty territorial. If you have found the home range for a good buck before the opener, just stay put through opening weekend. Their will be plenty of people stopping their trucks and spooking the bucks, but if you are in a good position just sit tight, the bucks will return shortly after the pick-ups disappear. You should have no trouble taking a mid to upper 70's buck inthat unit.

Bill

Hawkeye · Mar 29, 2011

Thank you for all of the tips and suggestions. Does anyone have any ideas as far as general areas to focus on during the hunt? I plan on making a couple of scouting trips prior to the hunt but I would certainly welcome any strating points. Also, do you think a .300 Win Mag is too big for antelope? Unless I buy a new rifle prior to the hunt, my current options are the .300 Win Mag, 30-06 or the 22-250.

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD

delmag1942 · Mar 29, 2011

Can an animal get "too dead"? The .300 will be fine. I usually use my .25-06, but last year in Montana the winds were howling at 40+ mph (and raining). I left the .25-06 and grabbed my .338RUM. Took down a nice goat at 410 yards (straight crosswind). Would have been next to impossible with the .25-06.

adirondack · Mar 29, 2011

I hunted 90-1 last Sept. I sent you a P.M. a week or two ago. I can give you any info I have of the area. Rob

wyobackcountry · Mar 29, 2011

Don't get caught shootin' a lope with the 22-250! Needs to be 23 or larger.

Hawkeye · Mar 30, 2011

Wyobackcountry, I just confirmed that last night on the State's website. You must use a calibur that is .23 or larger to hunt big game in Wyoming. I guess I will break out the .300 Win Mag for this hunt.

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD

littlebighorn · Mar 30, 2011

Hawkeye,
As I stated earlier, I would try to scout right before the hunt. I don't know that I would go look too much in the summer, unless you just want to get familiar with the area and learn to judge antelope.
I would get good maps and look for areas away from main roads to find some groups of antelope. That will somewhat limit the pressure from other hunters. Also, the best antelope I saw on one trip up in that area was in a hay field. Because we went up early, we had enough time to run down the land owner and get permission to hunt the hay field. The sad part is, we never saw that antelope again...until on our way home with our tags punched! There he was, right off the main highway, in that hay field. He was much better than the antelope we killed.
Another lesson...wait!
Take some extra full gas cans so you can look over lots of country!
It's a fun time! Good luck

wyobackcountry · Mar 31, 2011

Definitely take that 22-250 along though, you should find a prarie dog town or two and maybe some song dogs. Be patient and you'll kill a decent lope!

Hawkeye · Jun 27, 2011

Well, I finally received confirmation that I drew a Unit 90-1 antelope tag. Thank you to everyone that was kind enough to share some information with me. I will follow up on your emails and pm's now that I know I actually drew the tag. If anyone else has hunted this unit and has any suggestions or tips, I would be extremely grateful for any information you can provide. I will likely make a trip up there in the next couple of weeks to look around and then I will make a final scouting/bowhunting trip in August. Then, I will hit it hard in September and October. I am pumped to have a chance at a nice speed goat!

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD

kilbuc · Jun 27, 2011

Congrats on your tag. Use the advice above. Just take your time, have fun. Try to have plenty of time to look over lots of bucks, like most units in WY, lots of average to good bucks but have to sift thru a lots to bucks to find the big ones unless you get lucky and find one right out of the box.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"

TOPGUN · Jun 27, 2011

If it were myself, I would skip the early trip and save all my scouting time for an actual bowhunt to get to know the country and waypoint every good waterhole and buck you see. If you don't kill a good one in the early season, then you can go back with the longshooter and give em he**!!!

Hawkeye · Jun 28, 2011

These are all very good tips and suggestions. The rifle hunt runs from September 10th to October 31st this year. Based upon some of the information I have received, I was thinking about focusing my hunting on the latter part of October. I have heard that it is very busy on the opener and that antelope continue to move into the unit later in the hunt. If anyone can offer any suggestions on the best time to hunt during this six week window, I would greatly appreciate it. Feel free to pm me.

Thanks again.

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD

Hawkeye · Jun 29, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-11 AT 12:41PM (MST)[p]One more question, when does the rut usually take place? I would love to see some nice antelope bucks rutting does.

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD

Zeke · Jul 11, 2011

Mr Hawkeye,
We've seen rutting activity during Oct. It's interesting but you'd better look quickly. The bucks mount the does and with a mighty thrust, blast the does out from under them. It all takes only a few seconds. Oh, the fun!
Lots of running around, chasing, herding etc.

Are you bow hunting first or are you concentrating on the rifle only? I've used my bow tons more for antelope the last decade or so. Let me know. I have a few archery tricks.

BTW, use the 300 win. It's excellent in that Wyo wind.

I have not hunted 90 but I think my cousin's clan did a couple years ago. I'll phone him tonight.

Good luck on your lope hunt. You'll have a ball!

Zeke

littlebighorn · Jul 11, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Jul-11-11 AT 05:58PM (MST)[p]Hawkeye,
I would not wait too late into the hunt as the antelope will start to herd up into huge groups (100 or more) and it becomes very difficult to sneak in on that many eyes. We actually hunted that unit on a late hunt several years ago and some of the bucks had already dropped a horn sheath. I don't recall how late it was but no later than early November. Anyway, there was snow on the ground in places and it was windy and miserable cold!
If you don't want to go on the opener, it would be my opinion that your best hunting would be from late September to early October. Most hunters will be gone after the first two weekends and you will have very little competition after that.
But that is just my opinion.
Anyway, good luck.

nontypical · Jul 11, 2011

Antelope rut around the same time that elk do.The better quality hunt will be either the bowhunt or a couple weeks after the opener.But really,any time you go should be good.Yes,they will herd up in the latter part of Oct,but it is still a fun hunt then as well.

Zeke · Jul 12, 2011

>Mr Hawkeye,
>We've seen rutting activity during Oct.
>It's interesting but you'd better
>look quickly. The bucks mount
>the does and with a
>mighty thrust, blast the does
>out from under them. It
>all takes only a few
>seconds. Oh, the fun!
>Lots of running around, chasing, herding
>etc.
>
>Are you bow hunting first or
>are you concentrating on the
>rifle only? I've used my
>bow tons more for antelope
>the last decade or so.
>Let me know. I have
>a few archery tricks.
>
>BTW, use the 300 win. It's
>excellent in that Wyo wind.
>
>
>I have not hunted 90 but
>I think my cousin's clan
>did a couple years ago.
>I'll phone him tonight.
>
>Good luck on your lope hunt.
>You'll have a ball!
>
>Zeke

My cousins hunted unit 94. Sorry, false alarm.