are public lands crowded
Contributors to this thread:Pronghorn
From: Ty
17-Nov-14
It does not seem like pronghorn get attention like elk and deer hunts. Are the public land hunts crowded durring archery season?
From: MathewsMan
17-Nov-14
Public land water holes you don't need to work your feet to get to normally create issues...
From: Ty
17-Nov-14
Not sure I get what you are saying
From: glacier
17-Nov-14
Some public land can get crowded, others are definitely not crowded. During the archery season, most public lands are not crowded in my area... Even on the crowded areas, if you walk a mile off the road, you will see very few people.
From: hawkeye in PA
17-Nov-14
Bowhunters shouldn't be seen :) Did not see many bowhunters this year at all. Last year was a different story.
From: Glunt@work
17-Nov-14
Water holes you can drive to or see from the road commonly have more than 1 guy planning on using it. If you find some off the beaten path its common to never see anyone.
From: otcWill
17-Nov-14
What state? I hunt public and private in WY and have never seen a bowhunter, so no not crowded
From: orionsbrother
17-Nov-14
I understood what you were saying Jake.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
17-Nov-14
Birds of a feather flock together so if you allow yourself to think like everybody else else you will all end up in the sane tree.
From: Mule Power
17-Nov-14
There is ALOT of public land in Wyoming and a bazillion antelope. No matter where you go there are people who put forth minimum effort. So like on lots of western hunts... work a little bit and you will have no problem finding a place to call your own.
Besides... since you're not killing an elk packing one back to the truck doesn't put any limitations on where you hunt. Antelope hunting is fun!
From: DcoleinPA
17-Nov-14
I don't have nearly the Western experience as these guys but what Mulepower said about Wyo. Is spot on!
From: ursman
18-Nov-14
Some water holes can get crowded. Case in point. A place called "the fighting tree" requires you to add your name to a list of hunters that's kept in a plastic Coke bottle on a fence post at the hole. As soon as they draw a tag they race to the bottle to add their names. When the first hunter kills, he calls the next guy on the list and so on. A friend of mine left his pop up blind there over night. It walked. Hunters sit in their trucks and wait and glass the water hole. When someone kills they move in before he has his animal field dressed. Oh yea, there have been some nasty confrontations and threats, thus the name "fighting tree."
From: midwest
18-Nov-14
I've hunted Wyo lopes 3 times on a leftover tag. I've yet to see another bowhunter.
From: Cheque
18-Nov-14
Myself and three friends were out in Wyoming last year hunting pronghorn on public land with readily available tags and we didn't meet any archery pronghorn hunters. We met two very helpful guys after mule deer but we had the pronghorn to ourselves.
From: Ty
18-Nov-14
Can you camp right there on the public land on the national prairie grass?
From: Jasper
20-Nov-14
Love what I'm hearing about WY public antelope! It's on my bucket list for the next few years. I've been buying points but are they really needed to hunt a unit where you can find a good buck? Thanks!
From: otcWill
20-Nov-14
Jasper, no points needed really, good bucks all over. But, some of the higher pt draws have an absolutely ridiculous number of animals and so, more big ones. I killed a 78inch buck last year in a 1-2 pt unit.
From: Jasper
20-Nov-14
Thanks Will! Can you post a pic of your buck? How many can you take on an archery tag?
From: otcWill
20-Nov-14
Just one I believe. A tag's a tag in wyo. You just buy an archery permit to hunt bow season
From: Julius K
20-Nov-14
Really nice buck Will. How do they taste?
From: otcWill
20-Nov-14
So good, Julius. My favorite wild game.
From: Ermine
20-Nov-14
Yea antelope are my favorite meat
From: Ty
21-Nov-14
Does decoying work in Mid-Aug or is that only a mid-Sept type of thing?
From: Ty
11-Dec-14
Ttt
From: Jacob Nisley
11-Dec-14
We tried it in mid/late September and we didn't have any luck with it. This could have been a result of a faulty method as it was the first time any of us had interacted with pronghorn. They would let us close the distance too about 100 yards but then they would get a little nervous and keep that buffer distance. Not once did we have one attempt to close the distance with our decoy, even rutting bucks guarding does. I'm sure it works but I don't think it's as simple as its made out to be.
From: steve hay
11-Dec-14
In my opinion, bowhunting antelope on public land is under utilized and many are missing out on great opportunities. Hunting public antelope both out of state and in state, have provided some of the best bowhunting adventures I have experienced. I have hunted public antelope for many years and score on good trophies never seeing another hunter in easy to draw units. A true example of doing some homework and numerous phone calls resulting in great hunts. Anyone can do this with minimal effort.
