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Unit 16 antelope

I'm looking into this unit for antelope and had a few questions. I am an out of stater and it looks like a tag is fairly easy to draw for this unit. I have don't a bit of research and looked at all the public land maps but I won't be able to scout it prior to putting in for the draw. It looks like there is some good access but I'm wondering how crowded it will be. I don't mind getting off the beaten path but there isnt a ton of public land in this unit. I was hoping someone who was familiar with it would message me, I just want to make sure I'm not missing something.

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There was a die off last winter killing a bunch of the goats. Way too many tags for the Goats in there. I would guess maybe 100-150 animals in that unit. The rain this year kept all vehicles on the main county road in the walkin area and those rigs simply drove back/forth all day. A few ventured off the road but I for one, never saw a goat in the walkin. They were a few animals on private though. On the east side, that country is severely cut up, with a rig or six at each well head, where they would walk in to hunt. There were goats back in there a mile plus but I wasn't going to hike my wife in there for Antelope does. The one group I know that had good success were back in there a cpl miles. It's not typical flat/rolling hill Antelope country. Also, those landowners drive their roads hourly, and I saw several getting tickets. Open county roads are plainly marked on the county GIS web map.

From what I heard when the 16 leftovers sold out quickly there were a ton of people there the first week when reports started coming in on several websites. There is a lot of public land in the unit, but there aren't that many legal access points to hunt it without doing an awful lot of walking. The couple guys I sent out there that had no PPs and had never hunted antelope went the second week like I suggested and they both took average bucks in 3-4 days, but walked their butts off to get it done. Neither saw that many animals either even several miles from any roads, which surprised me somewhat, so what WB mentioned may be fact as far as the numbers being down in 16. It's not your typical antelope country for sure!

I talked to two ranchers, one patrolling his access off Interstate 90 next to the cell tower, and the other on the north end where the county road goes into his property. Both, on their own, mentioned hundreds of dead animals in the spring of 2016 and were quite critical of the dept issuing so many tags.

I saw 4 huntable Antelope in that unit in two days. We were in a 1/2 mile and they were easily another mile and heading deeper. Dry ground, not a problem, several days of rain, somebody else can go get them.

Well that's not what a guy wants to hear but I really do appreciate it. Looks like I may be looking for a different easyier to draw unit. I don't mind putting in the miles but if the numbers are down that low I will probably try else where. Thanks!

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