Contributors to this thread:
Really thinking hard of doing a DIY Antelope hunt in the next couple years; public land. Any insight or recommendations?
Yeah, take a old guy along with you to keep you on the straight and narrow.......
Ha, Trapper...thought you'd be digging yourself out from the snow yet!
only a 1/4' in Fond Du Lac.
I will go, have not been doing that since 2011
Skip the public land and do a trespass fee on a large ranch....I have gone to Wyoming a few times and taken some really good goats and cheap. Some ranches charge daily rates others charge a flat fee. Last time we went to Gillette Wy. where you are guaranteed a draw tag. Everyone says there are no good goats there but I shot my largest a 15 1/2" lol. We paid $700 person to hunt 14,000 acres....we went 4/4.
There is a guy on the main page by the name Rock something that has ranches he recruits for this purpose. I could try to find some info for you.
Wyoming. I've been there several times for work and the antelope seem to be everywhere you look. Quite a few mule deer too! I am thinking of getting out there to do a hunt as well.
Don't skip the public land. It's your land and free.
Go this year rifle hunting in Wyoming to learn the country and get your feet wet on the cheap.
Generally most seasons open on October 1st depending on the unit.
You can apply for up to 2 doe / fawn tags through the draw (I think they are only $48 bucks a piece). And if there are any left over you can buy up to four total.
So with gas money, $100 bucks in tags and your $12 conservation stamp you could be into the best tasting venison anywhere.
The Wyoming game and fish website is very hunter friendly and will give you a ton of information.
PM me if you have any questions.
My best,
Kevin
I am going for a cow elk hunt in Wyoming in October. Very tempting to get an antelope doe tag.
Thanks for the feedback guys. I was contemplating Wyoming as that seems like the most logical choice. I would really prefer to do this public.
We had about 5" down here Trapper.
I think Wyoming has the largest population of pronghorns. And, with much accessible land, it is a good choice.
My dad took a Pronghorn in Wyoming back in '74. Times have definitely changed.
Four of us did a DIY rifle antelope hunt in 2008 near Gillette. Only hunted BLM land and we each shot a buck. Two of the bucks were very nice/wall worthy and the other two were pretty average. We were done in two days but we expedited our hunt because of an approaching winter storm. Both of the days we hunted the temperatures reached 80 so you need to be prepared for just about any type of weather and temperatures. I have no doubt we could have shot two more larger bucks if we had been more patient. We all saw many antelope including ones standing next to the Walmart parking lot in Gillette. Wyoming is loaded with pronghorns.
We scouted one day before the season opened and found a couple farmer's who would have let us shoot as many does as we had tags for. No access to hunt bucks however. I don't think too many farmer's are going to grant permission to non-resident's who ask the day before the season opens however. Private Wyoming land is certainly better but its not the only way to have a good antelope hunting.
Antelope are decent table fair but they don't compare to a midwest whitetail in my opinion.
