Worst Best Luck

[dragginwood]

Caught a Hail Mary this year and drew my unit 67 speed goat tag. We were intentionally swinging for the fences with the intent of not drawing because I applied for a high success CO Elk, and have a baby coming in Nov. Low and behold I draw my elk and antelope in the same year.

Does anyone else feel sorry for me?

 

[Deleted member 38069]

It's going to be a memorable fall!

 

[antelopedundee]

If a boy are you going to name him Andy or a girl Elke?

 

[thusby]

Everyone will benefit from the random draw at some point. It really feels great when you hit on one.

 

[Walkathon]

I was hoping for 67 in the random- you drew my tag! Just kidding- congratulations and hope you have a great hunt!

 

[Toban204]

I drew 73 in the random. It will be my first time hunting in Wyoming and first time hunting antelope. Lots to research and learn, but I feel very fortunate to have drawn and can’t wait to go!

 

[dragginwood]

I was hoping for 67 in the random- you drew my tag! Just kidding- congratulations and hope you have a great hunt!

Come along. Could use someone that knows what to do with this awesome tag!

Just like Toban this is my first trip to WY and first time hunting pronghorn. I’ve never even laid eyes on a pronghorn outside of the MI Cabelas and the inter web.

Super excited to follow it up with my second elk hunt out west. First trip to Hreater Bozeman area schooled me last year, but we didn’t get eaten by a bear and we got eyes on elk so it was a win. Couldn’t get them to commit to public during legal hours. Next time I might have to break out the tried and tested MI carrot bait pile to get them moving along.

My wife told me if I don’t come home with meat this year I have to sell my gear and take up golfing. I HATE golf so hopefully the antelope and elk God’s are looking out for me this fall.

 

[fishing4sanity]

Congrats to both dragginwood and Toban. Wyoming is beautiful country and antelope are probably my favorite thing to hunt, both of you will have great hunts.

 

[cahunter805]

Congrats draggin! You will have a great time. If you can’t bring home antelope meat from 67 you might wanna take up Golf!
Some advice. Don’t shoot the first buck you see. Practice longer shots off of your pack or sticks pre season. Have fun!

 

[Toban204]

For a unit with lots of public land, can anyone share some e-scouting advice? Also, my binos are 8x42’s. Will those suffice or should I seriously consider dropping the money for a spotting scope? Thanks!

 

[Khunter]

For a unit with lots of public land, can anyone share some e-scouting advice? Also, my binos are 8x42’s. Will those suffice or should I seriously consider dropping the money for a spotting scope? Thanks!

as your first time hunting antelope, are you seriously going to try to discern a good looking lope, from a big one, from a whopper? If not....just go and have fun, be patient and don't shoot first buck you see and enjoy learning about them and checking out differences among bucks. then choose one you like and go back and kill it. If you kill too quickly you wont learn much, so go at it patiently...

I would struggle hunting just with 8 x binos but I love glassing and have had a spotter for decades and use it constantly. If you are not already used to using a spotting scope, buying one wont make you suddenly a glassing addict like some of us who cant wait to break out a spotter for a close look at most any animal we see. Maybe borrow a spotter versus buying one, or just make do with 8x.

 

[Toban204]

To be honest I’m just very excited to have drawn a tag in a unit with ample public land and, from what it sounds like, lots of antelope. I really don’t know anything about western hunting or antelope for that matter, but I sure see a lot of spotters when I watch the videos. Hence my wondering whether I’d be missing out on something without one. As for buck size, I’ll happily take whatever. I think it would be sweet to get to try a few stalks and also not be done on the first morning after my 14 hour drive to get there.

 

[Fremont15]

Congrats on the 67 tag. I drew that tag as well. It’s an excellent unit with tons of antelope and great trophy potential. Take your time, have fun, and hold out for a good one!

 

[bullbugle]

Everyone will benefit from the random draw at some point. It really feels great when you hit on one.

Man, I would love to know what that feels like. I can't draw crap unless it's virtually guaranteed. This year I put in for a deer tag with 79 percent chance to draw, didn't draw. Put in for a cow elk tag with 89 percent chance to draw, didn't draw. Put in for a bull elk tag right around 50 percent chance to draw, you guessed it, didn't draw. Got my general's for both deer and elk on second choice, so they got my money. My wife and brother in law put in for the same deer tag I did, not on a party app mind you, individually, and all three of us didn't draw. With 79 percent chance to draw!

Same for the elk tag, a nearly 50 percent chance to draw, and myself and my best friend put in individually, the rest of the family did a party, so 3 names in the hat and all 3 didn't draw.

This is the worst year ever, usually it's just me that has crap luck in the draw. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I feel like Ive been blacklisted or something, and that now that's affecting everyone else around me. I actually think i'm gonna go down to GF and get my entire draw history and really start digging in to how bad it's been. I hope i'll realize through an objective analysis that it's not as bad as it seems, cause right now I'm livid and ready to start hunting out of state entirely for big game.

 

[LCH]

Everyone will benefit from the random draw at some point. It really feels great when you hit on one.

Man, I would love to know what that feels like. I can't draw crap unless it's virtually guaranteed. This year I put in for a deer tag with 79 percent chance to draw, didn't draw. Put in for a cow elk tag with 89 percent chance to draw, didn't draw. Put in for a bull elk tag right around 50 percent chance to draw, you guessed it, didn't draw. Got my general's for both deer and elk on second choice, so they got my money. My wife and brother in law put in for the same deer tag I did, not on a party app mind you, individually, and all three of us didn't draw. With 79 percent chance to draw!

Same for the elk tag, a nearly 50 percent chance to draw, and myself and my best friend put in individually, the rest of the family did a party, so 3 names in the hat and all 3 didn't draw.

This is the worst year ever, usually it's just me that has crap luck in the draw. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I feel like Ive been blacklisted or something, and that now that's affecting everyone else around me. I actually think i'm gonna go down to GF and get my entire draw history and really start digging in to how bad it's been. I hope i'll realize through an objective analysis that it's not as bad as it seems, cause right now I'm livid and ready to start hunting out of state entirely for big game.

On the bright side, your OTC tags are better than a lot of states' limited entry areas. Better luck next year.

 

[deer_shooter]

For a unit with lots of public land, can anyone share some e-scouting advice? Also, my binos are 8x42’s. Will those suffice or should I seriously consider dropping the money for a spotting scope? Thanks!

I agree wholeheartedly with Khunter in not shooting the first buck you see. As a first timer, that will be very difficult but if you put in the time, you will put eyes on a lot of bucks. Take your time and be selective, you'll know the buck you want to bring home when you see him. Enjoy the tag, it is a good one.
Just my opinion, a spotter is not necessary but if you have the money to drop, then there's no good reason not too. Not sure what kind of binos you have but you'll want good ones, before buying a spotter, maybe think about a bino upgrade (if needed) and go with 10x.

 

[NoWiser]

Here's my advice. It's free, so take it for what it's worth. There is little difference between 8X and 10X binos. I started out with 8X, then listened to everyone and thought I had to have 10X to hunt out west so I upgraded quality and bought some. I was disappointed with my ability to hold them steady when they weren't on the tripod, so I sold and went back to 8X, again stepping up in quality. I will see everything with my 8X that anyone with 10X will see. If you are going to step up significantly in quality, then ponder the question of what power to get. Otherwise stick with what you have and spend that money on a tripod setup.

You have a good antelope tag. It will likely be years before you have one that is comparable. I think you should have a good spotter for the hunt. Spend the next couple months finding a deal on a good used spotter. Make it quick and easy to switch out your tripod mounted binos and the spotter. When the hunt is over, you should be able to sell the spotting scope for what you paid for it. You'll realize that you never again want to be without the tripod for the binos, so you'll probably keep that.

Good luck and have fun! Try to wait a few days before you pull out your gun. The memories of your tag will be much greater the more time you spend hunting with it even if, in the end, you shoot a buck that's a couple inches smaller than you could have on Day #1 or 2.

 

[NEWHunter]

For a unit with lots of public land, can anyone share some e-scouting advice? Also, my binos are 8x42’s. Will those suffice or should I seriously consider dropping the money for a spotting scope? Thanks!

I like to mark up OnX with a waypoint for every waterhole in the unit. I tended to find higher concentrations of them near to water. And make sure you know which roads are public vs private.

A spotter might be nice as you won’t likely be doing a lot of walking - your spotter and truck would be doing the heavy lifting. As I’ll be doing a lot of walking in a high pressure unit, I’ll be taking a pair of 12x binos and leaving the spotter (which I will borrower) in the truck.

You can rent a spotter too for maybe a couple hundred $.

 

[JBS]

I drew 73 in the random. It will be my first time hunting in Wyoming and first time hunting antelope. Lots to research and learn, but I feel very fortunate to have drawn and can’t wait to go!

I hunted 73 last year and had a great time. Let me know if I can help.

 

[elkrchr]

I hunted 68 last year and saw 80-100 mature bucks/day. We stayed at the Green Mountain Motel in Jeffrey City which is close to the 67/68 boundary. After I got my antelope, we did bum around in 67 for a bit. Definitely don't shoot the first one you see unless it is a slammer. I would spend the first day just covering ground and looking at as many bucks as you can. The second day you can get more serious about filling your tag. I went 9 days after the season had opened and the bucks were still rutting hard. The bucks are territorial, so if you see a pretty good one the first day, you should be able to find him in the same general area the next day. Have fun and share some photos of your adventure.