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Wyoming Antelope - 2nd choicer tags

9K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  WapitiBob 
#1 ·
Listed below are the units that could be drawn as a second choice in 2010. You would use this option if you wanted to hunt antelope in Wyoming in 2011, but did NOT want to use your preference points. Some of these can be purchased of leftover tags in July, but it is better to put in as a second choice if you know you want to go. The deadline for entering the draw is next Tuesday, March 15. Results aren't released til July, which is the pits, but that is how they do it.

As far as I can determine, every unit in Wyoming has lot's of antelope. The major issue is access. I have included some notes next to the units I know something about, but make certain there is a decent amount of public land before applying for any of these units. There is a link on the Wyoming Fish and Game website "public access". Check out the Hunter management areas, and the hunting walk-in areas in this section. Hunter Management Areas require a permit, which you apply for after drawing the tag. You won't necessarily get drawn on all of these, so make sure you understand the rules. some hunter management areas are also only open for certain species. Read the rules, and look at the maps. You typically cannot scout on Hunter Mangement areas, and everyone must have a permit, although you can have a guest help you pack out an animal. Walk in areas are open to everyone, no permit, you can scout, be on them without a tag, etc. You normally cannot camp on either type.

I am a strong believer in not hunting a second choice antelope unit until late in the season. A lot of these units can be drawn second choice because they have a LOT of tags. The first couple of weeks can be a zoo. The last couple of weeks you can have to yourself.

Wyoming antelope have a lot of mass. A 13" buck can score in the mid 70's. If you draw one of these tags, go to have fun, don't worry about size. If you want to get a big buck, build up some preference points.

Units you should draw as a second choice. All of these are type 1 tags unless a 2 follows the unit number:

01-04...........NE corner.
06-10
11................a lot of hunter walk in areas here
12-25
26.................tons of antelope, limited access, go late in season, pm me for info, my son had a tag here last year, but we went to early.
29
30.................hunted in 2008 last week of season...had a great time
31.................hunted last year, went to early, decent access
32-2..............cool area, lots of access.
35-40
42-45............decent access in these units
46-2
70.................good access, lot of tags for small area, go late.
71.................will hunt this in the future
76-2
102...............be careful here, limited access, not sure how hunt would be.
104
109
111
113

I will post info on first choice draw units later.

Scoutdog
 
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#3 ·
Great info. I appreciate that you're willing to share so much with your fellow ifishers. I know that you are very knowledgable about such things, and I'm hoping you can shed some light.

My party and I have hunted area 11 for antelope 4 times ('01, '03, '05 and '08). We have applied and drawn every time. It is the only area whose statistics I have studied.

The way I read the info on the WDFG website, area 11 had a nonresident quota of 21 antelope licenses and 62 first choice applicants in 2010. This leads me to believe that the license could not have been drawn as a second choice.

However, it was my understanding (which was borne out via a call to WDFG) that as of about July 1 each year, once ANY area 11 licenses remain unsold, resident or nonresident, they can be purchased on a first come/first served basis. Put another way, a nonresident who is Johnny-On-The-Spot can buy an unsold 'resident' antelope license.

So while one can get a leftover license in area 11 after July 1, I don't think that one can reasonably expect to draw one as a second chance, unless I'm missing something. Maybe there are only leftovers after first/second/third choices are made??

Anyway, thanks again for all the info you provide.
 
#4 ·
C-Lice, my mistake here, you can draw a second choice tag pretty much for sure in the special draw, but not he regular.

I talked to Fish and game several years ago about what happened to leftover resident tags, and as I recall, they said they would be added to the non-resident draw. I did not think you could be rejected for a tag in the draw, and then have that tag show up in the leftover list, but I am old and could have it wrong, or they could have changed the rules since I talked to them.

11 is on my short list to think about for a second choice hunt with the special tag in the future. I hunted elk there in 2006, and checked out a number of the walk-in areas. Are you guys planning on going this year?

Scoutdog
 
#5 ·
C-Lice, my mistake here, you can draw a second choice tag pretty much for sure in the special draw, but not he regular.

I talked to Fish and game several years ago about what happened to leftover resident tags, and as I recall, they said they would be added to the non-resident draw. I did not think you could be rejected for a tag in the draw, and then have that tag show up in the leftover list, but I am old and could have it wrong, or they could have changed the rules since I talked to them.

11 is on my short list to think about for a second choice hunt with the special tag in the future. I hunted elk there in 2006, and checked out a number of the walk-in areas. Are you guys planning on going this year?

Scoutdog
We are...probably. We want a group of 3 and I have 2 committed plus a 3rd on the fence.

They used to issue 500 licenses per year there. They would adjust the 'any antelope' and 'doe/fawn' numbers, but the total was always 500, usually about 200 'any' and 300 'doe/fawn'.

We always applied for the 'any' and always drew it, but the odds were always higher than the 2010 figures. Seems like there were always leftover 'any' licenses and 'doe/fawn' licenses when we got to the hardware store in Lusk.

This year we are going to wait until July 1 to see if there are any leftovers. If there are, great. If not, we'll go next year. Seems like 11 always has some, though. Seems like Wyoming will do pretty much whatever it takes to get a license in your hand.

Let me know if/when you hunt it. I can dial you in to where we've gotten our bucks over the years. Ironically, even though we stay with friends who let us access ground that's not state or walk-in, every buck we've ever taken has been from state land or walk-in.
 
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