Okay, a lot of serious posts, depressing info, particularly the Oregon Mule Deer numbers, so it is time to talk about a super fun hunting trip - Wyoming antelope.
This post will be long, since it contains a lot of details about antelope units. This post covers the hunting opportunities where you want to draw a second choice hunt, and NOT use your preference points. In Wyoming, like Oregon, if you draw a second choice hunt, you do not use your points, and can add one point for that year. Some of these units will have leftover tags, so you can wait til July and still get a tag, but if you know you want to go this year, I recommend you put in for the draw, and pick one of these units as your second choice. One warning, there is a small chance you will draw your first choice. The toughest tag to draw is 60-1, so put that as your first choice, and you will be fine. Be sure and put in as a party, as well.
Wyoming has two types of tags, Regular and Special. Special costs $ 240.00 more than the Regualr. All of the units below can be drawn as a second choice with the Regular tag. Do not waste your money by putting in for the special tag.
I have listed all of the units that you can draw as a second choice, then given more specific info about some of those units, including season dates, no. of tags, location, etc. All antelope units run 80-90% success rates, so I did not include that. I will only hunt units that have either a decent amount of walk-in hunter access acres, or a Hunter Management area. On both of those, motor vehicle access is limited. Other units might have a good amount of BLM land, but typically have no restrictions on ATV off-road use. I just won't hunt in those areas.
Walk in areas are scattered throughout the state. They are typically private land, that fish and game leases for hunting access. You can find info on them under the "Public Access" link on the Wyoming Dept of Wildlife home page. When you get to the walk in page, you will see a list of counties ont he left hand side. I have provided the County link for each unit I provided detailed info. click on that link, and you will get maps, and a graph with the acreage for each walk in area, unit it is located in, and special restrictions.
Hunter Managment areas are larger tracts of private land that are also leased for hunter access. When you click on the "Hunter Management Area" link, you will get a list of them by name down the left hand column, and a map at the bottom of the page where they are located. When you click on one of the hunter management area links, you will get a description page, and links to the rules for that area and maps. Hunter Management areas require a permit, which you apply for AFTER you draw your tag. Most of them are relatively easy to get IF you apply as soon as you find out you know you drew the tag, but some require a second drawing.
The units I detailed below all have either Hunter Management Areas or Walk in areas.
Our preference is to hunt later in the season rather than opening week. this eliminates most of the hunters, although a lot of bucks are killed that first week. On any of these units, a 14" buck would be huge, and a 13" buck would be good. One thing to remember, Wyoming bucks seem to have better mass than those in Oregon. My partner's 13" buck scored mid 70's, higher than any of the 4 14" bucks I have killed in Oregon.
You must apply for the draw by march 15, as I recall, with results available in early July. Seasons start on the same day every year, regardless of the day of the week. Season length will not be decided til June, but typically does not change. Dates shown below are from 2008.
Most tags are "any antelope" tags. Many units also have reduced price doe/fawn tags, cost around $ 40.00 as i recall. In some units, you can harvest one "any antelope" buck and two does/fawns.
Units that you can draw as a second choice in the drawing.
1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,29,30,31,35,36,38,39,45,102 and 104.
Specific unit information:
Unit 7, near Newcastle. 21,000 acres of walk in access in Weston County. Season 10-1 to 10-15. 1,300 tags.
Unit 8, near Lusk. 19,000 acres of walk in access in Niobrara and Weston counties. Season 10-1 to 10-15. 300 tags.
Unit 9, near Lusk. 40,000 acres of walk in access in Niobrara County. Season 9-24 to 10-15. 650 tags.
Unit 16, near Sheridan. 4,400 acres of walk in access in Johnson County. Season 10-01 to 10-14. 500 tags.
Unit 17, near Gillette. 4,400 acres of walk in access in Campbell County. Season 10-01 to 10-31. 1,200 tags.
Unit 23, near Gillette. 3,700 acres of walk in access in Campbell County. Season 10-01 to 10-31. 2,000 tags.
Unit 24, near Gillette. 2,500 acres of walk in access in Campbell County. Season 10-01 to 10-31. 800 tags.
Unit 25, near Casper. 2,500 acres of walk in access in Natrona County. Season 10-1 to 10-14. 750 tags.
Unit 26, near Casper. 1,300 acres of walk in access in Converse County. Season 9-24 to 10-15. 1,500 tags.
Unit 29, near Casper. 4,500 acres of walk in access in Converse County. Season 10-1 to 10-15. Tags 1,350.
Unit 30, near Casper. Two hunter management areas, Box Elder, and Hermit Rock, plus Duncan Ranch, which is very hard to draw. 5,000 acres of walk-in access in Converse county. Season 10-10 to 10-31. 600 tags. This is the unit we hunted in 2008. Hunted the last week of the season, had a great time, with no competition.
Unit 31, near Casper. Hat Six hunter management area. No walk in areas. Season 9/25 to 10/25. Tags 400. This is the unit we are putting in for this year. going the second week of the season.
Unit 35, near Cheyenne. 4,600 acres of walk in access in Goshen and Laramie Counties. Season 9/20 to 10/14. 350 tags
Unit 36, near Cheyenne. 8,000 acres of walk in access in Laramie County. Season 9-20 to 10-14. 225 tags.
Unit 38, near Cheyenne. 1,300 acres of walk in access in Platte County. Season 10-5 to 10-31. 550 tags.
Unit 39, near Laramie. 7,500 acres of walk in access in Albany County. Season 10-05 to 10-31. 550 tags.
in the next few days I will post another list of units you can draw with 0-1 preference points as a first choice.
Scoutdog
This post will be long, since it contains a lot of details about antelope units. This post covers the hunting opportunities where you want to draw a second choice hunt, and NOT use your preference points. In Wyoming, like Oregon, if you draw a second choice hunt, you do not use your points, and can add one point for that year. Some of these units will have leftover tags, so you can wait til July and still get a tag, but if you know you want to go this year, I recommend you put in for the draw, and pick one of these units as your second choice. One warning, there is a small chance you will draw your first choice. The toughest tag to draw is 60-1, so put that as your first choice, and you will be fine. Be sure and put in as a party, as well.
Wyoming has two types of tags, Regular and Special. Special costs $ 240.00 more than the Regualr. All of the units below can be drawn as a second choice with the Regular tag. Do not waste your money by putting in for the special tag.
I have listed all of the units that you can draw as a second choice, then given more specific info about some of those units, including season dates, no. of tags, location, etc. All antelope units run 80-90% success rates, so I did not include that. I will only hunt units that have either a decent amount of walk-in hunter access acres, or a Hunter Management area. On both of those, motor vehicle access is limited. Other units might have a good amount of BLM land, but typically have no restrictions on ATV off-road use. I just won't hunt in those areas.
Walk in areas are scattered throughout the state. They are typically private land, that fish and game leases for hunting access. You can find info on them under the "Public Access" link on the Wyoming Dept of Wildlife home page. When you get to the walk in page, you will see a list of counties ont he left hand side. I have provided the County link for each unit I provided detailed info. click on that link, and you will get maps, and a graph with the acreage for each walk in area, unit it is located in, and special restrictions.
Hunter Managment areas are larger tracts of private land that are also leased for hunter access. When you click on the "Hunter Management Area" link, you will get a list of them by name down the left hand column, and a map at the bottom of the page where they are located. When you click on one of the hunter management area links, you will get a description page, and links to the rules for that area and maps. Hunter Management areas require a permit, which you apply for AFTER you draw your tag. Most of them are relatively easy to get IF you apply as soon as you find out you know you drew the tag, but some require a second drawing.
The units I detailed below all have either Hunter Management Areas or Walk in areas.
Our preference is to hunt later in the season rather than opening week. this eliminates most of the hunters, although a lot of bucks are killed that first week. On any of these units, a 14" buck would be huge, and a 13" buck would be good. One thing to remember, Wyoming bucks seem to have better mass than those in Oregon. My partner's 13" buck scored mid 70's, higher than any of the 4 14" bucks I have killed in Oregon.
You must apply for the draw by march 15, as I recall, with results available in early July. Seasons start on the same day every year, regardless of the day of the week. Season length will not be decided til June, but typically does not change. Dates shown below are from 2008.
Most tags are "any antelope" tags. Many units also have reduced price doe/fawn tags, cost around $ 40.00 as i recall. In some units, you can harvest one "any antelope" buck and two does/fawns.
Units that you can draw as a second choice in the drawing.
1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,29,30,31,35,36,38,39,45,102 and 104.
Specific unit information:
Unit 7, near Newcastle. 21,000 acres of walk in access in Weston County. Season 10-1 to 10-15. 1,300 tags.
Unit 8, near Lusk. 19,000 acres of walk in access in Niobrara and Weston counties. Season 10-1 to 10-15. 300 tags.
Unit 9, near Lusk. 40,000 acres of walk in access in Niobrara County. Season 9-24 to 10-15. 650 tags.
Unit 16, near Sheridan. 4,400 acres of walk in access in Johnson County. Season 10-01 to 10-14. 500 tags.
Unit 17, near Gillette. 4,400 acres of walk in access in Campbell County. Season 10-01 to 10-31. 1,200 tags.
Unit 23, near Gillette. 3,700 acres of walk in access in Campbell County. Season 10-01 to 10-31. 2,000 tags.
Unit 24, near Gillette. 2,500 acres of walk in access in Campbell County. Season 10-01 to 10-31. 800 tags.
Unit 25, near Casper. 2,500 acres of walk in access in Natrona County. Season 10-1 to 10-14. 750 tags.
Unit 26, near Casper. 1,300 acres of walk in access in Converse County. Season 9-24 to 10-15. 1,500 tags.
Unit 29, near Casper. 4,500 acres of walk in access in Converse County. Season 10-1 to 10-15. Tags 1,350.
Unit 30, near Casper. Two hunter management areas, Box Elder, and Hermit Rock, plus Duncan Ranch, which is very hard to draw. 5,000 acres of walk-in access in Converse county. Season 10-10 to 10-31. 600 tags. This is the unit we hunted in 2008. Hunted the last week of the season, had a great time, with no competition.
Unit 31, near Casper. Hat Six hunter management area. No walk in areas. Season 9/25 to 10/25. Tags 400. This is the unit we are putting in for this year. going the second week of the season.
Unit 35, near Cheyenne. 4,600 acres of walk in access in Goshen and Laramie Counties. Season 9/20 to 10/14. 350 tags
Unit 36, near Cheyenne. 8,000 acres of walk in access in Laramie County. Season 9-20 to 10-14. 225 tags.
Unit 38, near Cheyenne. 1,300 acres of walk in access in Platte County. Season 10-5 to 10-31. 550 tags.
Unit 39, near Laramie. 7,500 acres of walk in access in Albany County. Season 10-05 to 10-31. 550 tags.
in the next few days I will post another list of units you can draw with 0-1 preference points as a first choice.
Scoutdog