need help with my first western hunt

[B Brown]

I am looking to do a DIY Antelope hunt this summer. I have not applied for a tag so I am looking to buy an over the counter tag for public land. I have never hunted west of NYC so I need some help. Is there a recommendation that someone can make for a particular area, state doesn't matter. Is there a way to find a watering hole that I can set up a blind on? I am also looking to camp on public land. I know this is a lot to ask for help with but I don't know where to start. Thanks in advance.

Brian
edited to add: not looking for anyones specific spots, just info to get me started.

 

[jlmoeller]

I went on my first western hunt last fall for antelope, so I am not an expert on this but here is my advice. Look into the north east corner Wyoming. You should be able to buy a leftover tag in that area. Most of the land is private so you will probably have to pay a trespass fee to a rancher. Line up a place to hunt before you buy a tag. I think you already missed the draw deadline but you can probably find leftover tags with some searching. Good luck.

 

[B Brown]

Thanks for the advice. I will definetly look into hunting on private land.

 

[flatlander51]

If you call the game and fish they will send you a list of land owners you can contact for permission to hunt. You can also look at the national grass land. I hunted out of new castle a few years ago and had an awesome hunt and saw plenty of game. You'll have some fun out there. plus there are plenty of prarie dogs and yotes to keep you busy after you tag out. Only thing is finding out where you can get a left over tag. Unless you don't mind shooting a doe I think they are OTC tags. Good luck!

 

[B Brown]

That's great info, thanks. I will call game and fish for both Wyoming and S. Dakota

 

[crumy]

There are VERY VERY few left over tags in Wyoming. And the ones that area left over are not very good. You can get on wyoming game and fish site to look at past draw rates and left over. There are some, but even I don't get and OTC when I don't draw and I live in WY

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Most of the tags that are leftovers will be for does. However, the Final regulation that will be posted in less than ten days is cutting a huge number of tags in well over 50% of the units, so those people hoping for leftovers this year may be disappointed.

 

[B Brown]

Thanks again everyone for the help. Being that it is my first western hunt and I'm getting started a little late, I think I am just going to hire an outfiitter. Once again all the help has been appreciated.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

There is no need for an outfitter and you'll be wasting your money. Make a call to the G&F Office in Gillette and get a list of ranches that charge a trespass fee to hunt unit 23 right south of town. That unit did not get big tag cuts like many others and many ranchers will even let you take does for free, especially after the first few days of the season. There will still be many leftover doe and buck tags for sale in July since that unit is almost all private land. Lock in a ranch ASAP and then you can buy up to 4 doe tags and two buck tags in that unit for a lot less money than you'd pay an outfitter. Even a first time antelope hunter does not need to waste money on an outfitter. If you want to waste some money, spend it on getting access to a ranch or two to shoot a buck and then get some doe tags for the extra meat and fun

 

[canoetrpr]

I'm in the same boat as you with the added complexity that I will be doing a late season hunt (mid Nov) which will make it harder. Unfortunately it is the only date my hunting buddies and I had as we had booked it for another hunt which fell through.

I started with a plan to do a DIY hunt. I targeted units 109 and 102, got the landowner list from the Sheridan G&F office but after several calls was unsuccessful at finding someone who would let me hunt even for a trespass fee. The few I talked to where non committal and said I'd have to call them towards the end of October. Didn't try the Gillette area so if you have more luck there, drop me a line.

I've decided that I really need to do this on private land as the lope are likely to have been too pressured during the first month of the season in public areas.

It seems that a lot of the land in the NE of the state has been leased out to outfitters. We even looked into staying at a really nice ranch with 3000 acres in 109 that had been converted to a lodge and asked for permission to hunt there but they could not grant it as they had leased the hunting to an outfitter.

Next time around I might have more patience to find a landowner but given this was my first trip down there and it was late in the season I decided to go with an outfitter who has land leased in several different areas of the NE that have been known to have left over tags.

I may have wasted a chunk of cash but at this point it was peace of mind knowing that I will have an area to hunt where the wildlife is likely to have been less pressured.