WY 1st season VS. 2nd season??

[DmrbigEshotT]

Looking for input of those who've hunted 1st and 2nd season rifle antelope in WY:

How much different is hunting 1st season compared to 2nd? (Animal behavior, location, hunting pressure, etc.)

The wife and I have been building points (3) the last couple years and are looking to put in for a high draw odds tag this October. For a unit we are eye-balling, it seems like we should be pretty much a 100% draw for a 2nd season rifle tag vs. 40-60% for 1st season. Also, other units we are looking at are 60-70% odds for drawing 1st season.

The 2nd season unit we are looking at has a lot of public land that is not too difficult to access and a lot of that land is good goat habitat.

Any insight on your experiences is appreciated!

 

[Pgidley]

We hunted second season this fall. The first few days weather was good and goats were dispersed in smaller groups, and bucks were very focused on their herds. We had some cold and snowy weather later in the week, and activity was very different. Larger herds and they were mostly on the move. I was successful with a buck and a doe early, and my wife filled her doe tag.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

We hunted second season this fall. The first few days weather was good and goats were dispersed in smaller groups, and bucks were very focused on their herds. We had some cold and snowy weather later in the week, and activity was very different. Larger herds and they were mostly on the move. I was successful with a buck and a doe early, and my wife filled her doe tag.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Oregonmuley]

I've hunted 2nd season several times. The unit I hunt, the type 2 2nd season tag opens on October 11th. As far the animals it depends on the year, some years you could tell they had been hunted hard and you couldn't get within a 1000 yards and they'd run. This year not so much, the little area I hunt didn't appear to have the same pressure and things were great.

The only other consideration depending on the unit you plan to hunt is if its a later date you can run into weather issues. I did last year, hunted the same unit last year and I had snow and nasty weather, this year I had 60 degrees and sun so you never know.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

I've hunted 2nd season several times. The unit I hunt, the type 2 2nd season tag opens on October 11th. As far the animals it depends on the year, some years you could tell they had been hunted hard and you couldn't get within a 1000 yards and they'd run. This year not so much, the little area I hunt didn't appear to have the same pressure and things were great.

The only other consideration depending on the unit you plan to hunt is if its a later date you can run into weather issues. I did last year, hunted the same unit last year and I had snow and nasty weather, this year I had 60 degrees and sun so you never know.

So it seems like the possibility of getting stuck in bad weather is more of a concern than a huge change in animal behavior due to pressure.

Thanks for sharing your experience


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[Jimss]

You obviously have the pick of the litter with a first season tag. During the 2nd season antelope are possibly pushed onto private land and are usually a lot more wound up. Some units obviously have a lot more public land than others. If you draw a unit with hardly any public land with gobs of tags you know where the antelope will be....private land! Depending upon the season dates you may hit prime rut the first season. I drew a 2nd season tag a few years ago and the antelope totally migrated out of one entire end of a unit due to deep snow. I know several areas in Wyo that may be filled with antelope in Sept and early Oct but once it snows they are a void wasteland! If there is snow it may also limit access. Some of the HMA's don't allow road access during "muddy conditions". This can be a problem! If I had the choice I would pick the first season every time!

 

[wytx]

And some of those later tags get you antelope that migrate in to your area. Snow will usually affect them later in Oct not early.
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[Jimss]

Sometimes it can be a crap shoot with the migration! Some areas they may consistently wander the same route year after year but other areas it really depends on when and where there is deep snow. I can see where this may be a good thing in some areas but not in others. Some it may not even matter at all. It helps having a history of fall/winter in the particular area you are talking about.

If you hunt later you likely are hunting herded up antelope. It's nice for field judging several bucks side-by-side but then again you have a lot more eyes watching out for you.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

And some of those later tags get you antelope that migrate in to your area. Snow will usually affect them later in Oct not early.
pm sent

Awesome! Thank you!

PM responded to.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

Sometimes it can be a crap shoot with the migration! Some areas they may consistently wander the same route year after year but other areas it really depends on when and where there is deep snow. I can see where this may be a good thing in some areas but not in others. Some it may not even matter at all. It helps having a history of fall/winter in the particular area you are talking about.

If you hunt later you likely are hunting herded up antelope. It's nice for field judging several bucks side-by-side but then again you have a lot more eyes watching out for you.

That's a great point to consider. Thanks for pointing it out! Second season for where we are looking at was only a couple days into October, so hopefully weather wouldn't be too big of a concern (assuming the 2020 season follows similar dates). A call to the local biologist to discuss migration patterns seems to be a good call.

Thanks for the information!