Antelope strategies for a newbie

[tteel]

My wife and I are headed to northeast Wyoming for rifle antelope the second week of October. I have experience hunting elk in Colorado and Oklahoma whitetails. I have studied ONX and was fortunate enough to gain permission on a piece of private land although it will be hunted by the landowner opening week. We are not trophy hunting but would like to get a respectable animal 65 to 75 inch range. It seems to easy after watching videos, reading success stories, gohunt success rates. I am sure I am over thinking it but what are some good strategies? My plan was to hit the roads and hopefully spot them. I am not really into road hunting but it seems difficult to cover enough ground walking when most blm and forest service land is 1200 acres. When targeting the larger pieces of WIHA do you just get high and glass? If you don't spot anything from the road how much time do you spend on a section of land? I am sure they will be sensitive to vehicle pressure during the second week so how well do you need to hide a vehicle? I expect to shoot 200 yards but wont take a shot over 300 probably. Whats your average shot distance?

 

[WCB]

Let your glass do most your walking. You more than likely don't have to walk the whole property for goats as they are pretty easy to spot from a distance. However, most hunters don't put a whole lot of effort into Antelope. I'd maybe spend a good part of a day covering ground in the truck to get the lay of the land and maybe pick off an easy one, but plan on getting out of the truck if you notice a spot that may be hidden from the road. a 1/2 mile walk just to see over a ridge is too much work for 99% of guys when Antelope hunting. It will take you maybe 30 minutes to get there and back. Also, if you can't get on one that you have spotted right at dark...mark the buck well and if possible get within shooting distance of that spot at first light they will most likely be within a couple hundred yards of where you left them (from my experience usually exact spot). When I guided most shots were within 200-250 just depends on the goats and terrain.

 

[Bearlodge10]

WCB is spot on with advice. Not a lot a person can add to that. True be told, I guess I just park my truck out of sight from the bunch that I am stalking but sometimes that isn't possible. It seems that different bunches of animals and different areas have their own comfort zone when it comes to stopped cars. In areas where there is a lot of traffic for oil and gas, the antelope aren't as sensitive to vehicles at least moving ones. If they have been hunted from the road, they will pick up on the fact that a stopped vehicle means trouble. Taking the time to get away from the roads is better for your health anyway and will give you a better experience. This will give you a chance to see some more country and to take better inventory of the caliber of bucks in the area. Depending on the weather, they may be bunched up pretty good which can be a blessing or a curse. Best of luck!

 

[silverbullet555]

I hunted them a few years ago and will again in a few weeks.

They are a fun hunt. They don't hide like deer. If they are there, you'll see them.

We found if you just drove past them until you got out of sight, they didn't really move. Stalking was a little more difficult as I was recovering from a long hospital stay and was still not that strong.

Looking forward to bringing some home in a bit.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[wytx]

They will see you long before you see them. Use the terrain and peek over the small rises and hills. After opening week expect the pronghorns to come back to the private with public pressure.
I would be somewhat picky with private access, horns that look about twice as long as the ears are 12 inch horns, pass on him. Also if you take a buck that has been run before the shot the meat will extra care to be better table fare. Get it cooled quickly and age a few days if you can before processing, that lactic acid in the muscles will make for not as good meat if cut and wrapped right away.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[*zap*]

Tagged.

 

[Go Pokes]

Be comfortable shooting at distances above 250 yards.

 

[menhaden_man]

Ditto on these suggestions - and don’t hesitate to have your wife dump you roadside for a creep (or vice versa). Have the vehicle move along. Use hills for cover. And remember each critter represents two huge ass eyeballs. I’ve been on maybe a 15 kills and it seems like the lone animals or early morning broken groups are much easier. Can’t say I’ve shot one over 150 yds. The private land should make it a slam dunk.

 

[tteel]

Thanks for the info guys. Its her going to be her introduction to western hunting. She has to make it 7 days without getting mad, frustrated, upset, or yelling at me before I take her to the backcountry.

 

[Stocker]

Definitely have a plan for the meat, the sooner you get it cleaned and iced down the better off you are.

You will understand why when you walk up to a dead one, they don’t call them goats for no reason.

 

[SwampBone]

Just came back from an antelope hunt in SD. I would say the most important thing is don’t rush your shot. After belly crawling for how many yards and getting him in your scope wait for the right time to take your shot. If he knows your there but isn’t running full bore you’ll get a few shots at him even if he’s a little spooked. If he puts his head down and starts running, you’ve been beaten. Also I can hit steel all day at 300 yards off a rest but throw in buck fever and being out of breath from the inevitable belly crawl everything goes out the window.

 

[CBar]

My wife and I are headed to northeast Wyoming for rifle antelope the second week of October. I have experience hunting elk in Colorado and Oklahoma whitetails. I have studied ONX and was fortunate enough to gain permission on a piece of private land although it will be hunted by the landowner opening week. We are not trophy hunting but would like to get a respectable animal 65 to 75 inch range. It seems to easy after watching videos, reading success stories, gohunt success rates. I am sure I am over thinking it but what are some good strategies? My plan was to hit the roads and hopefully spot them. I am not really into road hunting but it seems difficult to cover enough ground walking when most blm and forest service land is 1200 acres. When targeting the larger pieces of WIHA do you just get high and glass? If you don't spot anything from the road how much time do you spend on a section of land? I am sure they will be sensitive to vehicle pressure during the second week so how well do you need to hide a vehicle? I expect to shoot 200 yards but wont take a shot over 300 probably. Whats your average shot distance?

First start by speaking with the landowner, get as much on the ground and recent information you can from the folks who live there and see animals daily. You can also contact WY G&F for a list of local landowners contact information who are participating in Walk in Areas, WMAs, etc. Other than that, get up in the morning and start with glassing feeding areas.
I've taken antelope as close as 60 yards and as far as 270, wouldn't take a shot over 300 either.