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CoastalPlains

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Hello everyone. This is the first forum I've ever joined and honestly the first forum post I have ever made. I am really wanting to pursue a pronghorn.
I moved out to Oklahoma a year ago and have been consumed with the thought of pursuing a pronghorn ever since. I've been a hunter of deer, waterfowl, turkeys, etc. for about 10 years but I recently finished grad school so this will be the first hunting season since 2011 that I won't be in some sort of school so I figured this may be the year to pursue that Western hunt.
I am hoping that you guys could give me some advice on which state would be best for Over The Counter as I see now that I've missed all of the draws... and really just general information on hunting pronghorn would be great.
I appreciate y'all taking the time to read this and helping a new comer out.
 
Wyoming is a great place to start and they have a great hunt planner. That plus OnXmaps will get you hunting this year yet. Get on the hunt planner and figure out which units still have leftover Licenses. They are usually tough access but the map service and search function on this site will get you off to a good start.

Welcome to HT.
 
Welcome to the forum. Watch out pronghorn is a gateway drug.

There aren't any OTC rifle tags for pronghorn that I'm aware of, but there are leftovers in several states + OTC archery.

Good luck.
 
Welcome!! If you archery hunt, Colorado has either sex OTC archery tags for antelope. Wyoming is always a good option since you can come back during rifle season if you don't fill out in archery. If you don't mind hunting a doe, a lot of units consistently have leftover muzzleloader tags in Colorado.
 
Thank you! I have been on the Wyoming website for the better part of the week and saw there are 4 units left with tags left, but only 1 offers any public land entry. Are the land owners in the area pretty open to people hunting their land or is it most leased by outfitters?

Wyoming is a great place to start and they have a great hunt planner. That plus OnXmaps will get you hunting this year yet. Get on the hunt planner and figure out which units still have leftover Licenses. They are usually tough access but the map service and search function on this site will get you off to a good start.

Welcome to HT.
 
That is great to know! I am definitely open to hunting them with a bow, I am just wondering how a new comer would fare getting within 50 yards of one of those animals! Seems like quite the challenge.

Welcome!! If you archery hunt, Colorado has either sex OTC archery tags for antelope. Wyoming is always a good option since you can come back during rifle season if you don't fill out in archery. If you don't mind hunting a doe, a lot of units consistently have leftover muzzleloader tags in Colorado.
 
That is great to know! I am definitely open to hunting them with a bow, I am just wondering how a new comer would fare getting within 50 yards of one of those animals! Seems like quite the challenge.

I moved here from upstate/western NY when I retired from the Army and got within 17 yards of a buck my very first season hunting them, and with a bow. Use the brush and terrain and their patterns to your advantage and give it hell.
 
That gives me some confidence, thank you John!

I moved here from upstate/western NY when I retired from the Army and got within 17 yards of a buck my very first season hunting them, and with a bow. Use the brush and terrain and their patterns to your advantage and give it hell.
 
I’d read through a bunch of old threads on here. A lot of great info. SD might have archery tags available for this year yet. Start buying points in WY this year - as wllm1313 said it’s addicting. Good luck
 
I’d read through a bunch of old threads on here. A lot of great info. SD might have archery tags available for this year yet. Start buying points in WY this year - as wllm1313 said it’s addicting. Good luck
Second this. Buy yourself a point this year (do it today), and next year you will have the ability to guarantee yourself a buck tag. You won't be able to draw a primo unit in Wyoming with just one point, but you will be able to get a buck tag in one of several units with decent access. In Wyoming, study the "draw odds" and find some units where one points for a non-resident guaranteed a tag last year and you will be well on your way.
 
Second this. Buy yourself a point this year (do it today), and next year you will have the ability to guarantee yourself a buck tag. You won't be able to draw a primo unit in Wyoming with just one point, but you will be able to get a buck tag in one of several units with decent access. In Wyoming, study the "draw odds" and find some units where one points for a non-resident guaranteed a tag last year and you will be well on your way.

Thank you all so much! A follow up to this, what percentage would you consider “decent access”?
 
Really depends. Some of the percentages on the WY Hunt Planner are not accurate - trust but verify. Lots of public land is landlocked out there which also is part of the equation for decent access - spend time looking at the maps.

Most of the WY tags that are left are going to be awful tough without private access. Those tags can certainly be hunted but to have a good time you’ll likely need a ton of persistence, a great attitude, a willingness to hunt hard, and limited expectations.

Next year in WY with one point and a special application you can certainly have a great time and great odds of filling your tag.
 
It's not all about "percentage." Some of the units have like 75% public and almost no legal access points. Start by identifying units you can draw. Then, look at those units for legal access points (county roads, state highways, legal roads on BLM, etc). You may find that a unit that is only 40% public gives you far more legal access/places to look than one with much more. (I know everyone gets stuck on the % public now--that's the gohunt effect, IMO.)
 
Okay that’s good to know. I like having a year and some change to plan this too it’ll be a great time to pick every last one of your brains! Haha
 
Oklahoma has OTC archery pronghorn tags. There is some public land up in the panhandle between the Rita Blanca National Grasslands and OLAP lands. Success rates are not very high, but it is a cheap fallback hunt for an OK resident.
 
I had heard about this but did not know anyone who has done it yet. The thought of getting within 40 yards of an antelope seems near impossible but fun nonetheless!
 
I had heard about this but did not know anyone who has done it yet. The thought of getting within 40 yards of an antelope seems near impossible but fun nonetheless!
If you'd like some info on Rita Blanca shoot me a PM. Your best bet is Colorado or Oklahoma OTC archery.
 

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