Thunder Basin Deer?

[recon6036]

I am happy to say that my brother and I got our Antelope tags for Wyoming (area 27). The bad part of the deal is a good friend wanted to come with and was relying on a left-over Antelope tag for that area....however there are no left-overs. Anyway, I met with my friend last night and he expressed interest in purchasing a left-over deer tag (Region B) so that he could tag along in the hopes of scoring on a deer. We will be hunting in Thunder Basin (near the Red Hills/Antelope Creek) from Oct. 1 thru Oct. 5 or so. I was there last year and didn't see many deer, so my question is, do any of you that have knowledge of the area think he would be wasting his time and money with a deer tag? I know there is no certainty with hunting, but are there any deer to be taken in that area with all the Lope hunters running around?

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Tell him not to waste his money on a deer tag as the population in that area is down to almost nothing, other than on a few of the private pieces of property in that part of the Region. The private land owners are even trying to work with the G&F and they are contemplating asking for antler restrictions, which is a last resort and usually does not work. I have hunted for 60 years and was in the Red Hills/Antelope Creek and surrounding area with a deer tag while helping on an antelope hunt two years ago. You will do fine on goats, as you know if you've already been there before, but I saw only five deer, all does and fawns in two groups in a week of hunting. That area all the way up into antelope unit 7 and to the east is so bad that I wouldn't go back if the G&F gave me a free deer tag---honest injun!

 

[mixedbag]

doesn't region Y have left-overs?You should both buy them and give it a shot after your antelope hunt.Doesn't take long to fill your antelope tag unless your REAL picky

 

[Topgun 30-06]

The southern part of Y would certainly be better than B where he was talking about going, especially if they could change the dates and wait until the second week to go out.!

 

[recon6036]

Thanks for the honest information....that's exactly what I was looking for. I told my friend last year I saw very few deer while Antelope hunting that area, so I didn't know if it would be worth his time and money. I mentioned to him that a left-over Antelope doe/fawn tag for unit 29 might be a better choice if he still wanted to come along. From my research, being in the area last year and the maps I have, I think there would be enough public land for him to score a doe Antelope in unit 29.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Camped for 7 days in #27 and never saw a deer last year (Sept. 25 - Oct 3). I always talk to the deer hunters and they didn't see any deer in 2 FULL days of hunting. As stated: "save the money".

good luck to all
the dog

 

[MNHunter]

First, there are never left over tags in 27. Used to be a slam dunk with 1 point but this year only 51% drew with 1 point. Second, don't waste $ and time on a deer to there. I've hunted the unit 4 times and have seen exactly 1 buck, a small forkie shot by a hunter. Lots of people stop and ask about deer but the few I've seen are does and fawns

 

[jabber]

This came out of the Thunder Basin in 2009 and saw several more not quite as good, went back in 2010 and saw one small three point.

 

[MNHunter]

Nice one jabber! I have definitely not laid eyes on one like that in the Thunder Basin!

 

[recon6036]

Thanks a bunch for the information. I hunted 27 last year on a left-over Antelope doe tag as did 2 other guys I was with. This year we all drew Antelope buck tags with 1 point. We saw a handful of deer last year in the evenings however only a couple small bucks.
That's a nice buck jabber, but from the sounds of it, I'll tell my friend not to waste his cash on a deer tag!

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I'm sure the deer are not extinct in the unit, but I think there are very few and they're in small pockets of country like jabber obviously found. That is a good buck in any unit and I congratulate him on it. I assume it was taken on BLM since he didn't say differently.

 

[kansasdad]

Wow Jabber, nice finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. Nice buck.

 

[174in]

I saw a group of 5 deer last year standing on the railroad tracks the day before the opener at daybreak it consisted of 2 small bucks and a doe and 2 fawns.I went back through the area at about 2oclock in the afternoon and they moved down the railraod tracks about 100yds.That was the last I saw of any deer in the unit. I thought about buying a left over tag before I went and am glad I didnt wast my money,I can hunt my home state for $20.00 a tag and not see anything. If your friend wants to hunt I would talk him into buying a leftover doe tag.

 

[174in]

I hear that the are is suppose to be an awsome elk unit (7) for elk but I didnt see any of them.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

174in---I don't know where you were hunting, but the area we're talking about would be elk units 113 and 123 and there are basically no elk in that area as this year 113 only had 3 bull tags in the regular PP draw and 123 didn't have any bull tags issued. Unit 7 for elk that you mentioned and that is to the southeast of Casper must have an awful lot of elk because there were 100 bull tags issued in the Regular PP draw and that was about twice as many as any other unit in the state. It also took the maximum of 6PPs for a chance at one of those tags.

 

[174in]

I must be screwed up on my info I guess. I feel dumb now LOL I antelope hunted unit 27 last year and thought the Rochell hills was unit 7 elk.Damn good thing I didnt have an elk tag.

 

[recon6036]

We did manage to see one nice bull Elk when we were out there last year. It was right at daybreak in the area of Forest Rd 973 where it turns into Phillips Rd...It was walking east on a section of state land there. The bull was quite a ways off but we could still see an impresive set of antlers...of course this is coming from a Michigander.

 

[MNHunter]

I've seen some very nice bulls in the Rochelle Hills. So few tags so loooong odds

 

[recon6036]

I've seen some very nice bulls in the Rochelle Hills. So few tags so loooong odds

Exactly! After our Antelope hunt last year, I briefly looked into Elk hunting for that area....Quickly decided to start reseach on Colorado instead!

 

[Flatrock]

Nice buck jabber!

I would agree though with most everyone else and not really bother with deer there. I hunted 27 last year and maybe saw 5 or 6 deer a day but they were mostly does. The biggest buck we saw was standing in the highway ditch about 200 yards from the gas station in Wright... Other than that, one night there was a guy who had shot a little dink by the road but that may have been on private.