WY Antelope Unit Advice - 8 Points?

[ida homer]

With point creep, 8 points will get you a unit that used to take 3 pts to draw.

 

[shb]

Freaking doe tags sold out on the first draw last year.

You will see more squawking about point creep this year guaranteeeeeed.

 

[HONEYBADGER]

Freaking doe tags sold out on the first draw last year.

You will see more squawking about point creep this year guaranteeeeeed.

Ya the golden years of two buck antelope tags or snapping up good tags with zero points or in leftovers appear to be gone for Wyoming Antelope. Can probably still be done if your a resident or have access but otherwise those days are over.

Doesn't surprise me though, I remember standing in unit 63 on Buzzards Roost road about 12 years ago watching people haul truckloads of does out, literally truck beds stuffed full of dead antelope, and thinking to myself this can't last long.....

 

[matt0550]

Doesn't surprise me though, I remember standing in unit 63 on Buzzards Roost road about 12 years ago watching people haul truckloads of does out, literally truck beds stuffed full of dead antelope, and thinking to myself this can't last long.....

Mismanagement at that level is inexcusable - what a shame. Everything in moderation.

 

[wytex]

Mismanagement at that level is inexcusable - what a shame. Everything in moderation.

Really, what do you know about the reason those tags were issued? Maybe habitat wasn't there to support them over winter, maybe just too many pronghorn for current conditions, carrying capacity.
How do you know it was mismanagement ? If 4 people in one truck all have 2 doe tags each , that's 8 doe carcasses, looks like a lot but not really.

 

[matt0550]

Really, what do you know about the reason those tags were issued? Maybe habitat wasn't there to support them over winter, maybe just too many pronghorn for current conditions, carrying capacity.
How do you know it was mismanagement ? If 4 people in one truck all have 2 doe tags each , that's 8 doe carcasses, looks like a lot but not really.

And perhaps you are absolutely right...my knee-jerk reaction comes from what I see here where I am and I probably shouldn't attempt to apply this mis-logic to other places...my argument is withdrawn. I have no doubt that "too many mouths on the landscape" is a real thing.

Where I am, I have seen areas opened to doe hunting (already OBVIOUSLY scarce herd) and then a short two years later, hunter success dropping to all time lows...that's left its mark on the way I look at numbers sometimes.

 

[AK2NV]

Spend on the special draw. Anything in that range will be a fantastic hunt.

Thanks for the reply - I'm cheap but it may be a good bit of advice since this is 'the year' for me. I've written into stone so I will definitely consider increasing my budget a little to ensure a good hunt.

 

[AK2NV]

67 and 92 are solid options.

Thanks Fremont15 - I will definitely look into those units!

 

[AK2NV]

So you know of "sleepers" that take less than the amount of points you have and could draw for sure but would rather learn about a great unit that historically takes 8 points over a public hunting forum online which will then no doubt see point creep after being brought up and read by thousands in your position so you miss out by a half point or more and stay home next year. Makes sense.

Again, just curious what others thought. It will be my first hunt in WY and maybe a big gap between my next, for antelope anyway, so was probing the HT community for a little advice. I understand your logic but also didn't think this was the overly prickly "MonsterMuleys" forum

 

[AK2NV]

Pay attention when tag allocations come out the end of April. Factor those in because if you’re definitely cashing them in, you’ll probably need to go with a unit that took 7 points last year. Go special too.

Good advice - thank you!

 

[AK2NV]

Look at the draw odds; regular and special (if your budget allows). If a unit took 7 points last year, chances are it will take 8 this year. Literally any antelope unit in that point range will be a great hunt. People don't waste 8 points hunting an extremely limited public land unit like those in the north east...

I would personally burn my 8 points on the special draw in a unit with low tag numbers and high % of public.

Thanks, SaskHunter!

 

[AK2NV]

I would get a GoHunt subscription. You've already invested over $200 in points plus years of waiting. The tag will cost you about $350 in the regular draw and over $600 if you go thr special route. The $150 for gohunt will be well worth it to figure out exactly where to hunt. Plus they allow you to see how many people apply at each point level. That is huge and I dont think you get that data anywhere else.

goHUNT is pretty awesome! They've got a good product and do subscribe. Thanks for the tip!

 

[AK2NV]

If you’ve got 2 points and a gps and can judge a pronghorn you’ve got a legit chance to shoot a b&c antelope in dozens of units..

go somewhere with nice scenery and other criteria , big bucks are in almost every unit in Wyoming.

Thanks Greenhorn! I've heard good things about WY for speed goats for sure. Previous comments also added apply for low tag allocations and good public land. Coupled with good scenery (and maybe some good fishing) and I'd be pretty content regardless of outcome. I am eyeballing a B&C type trophy for the sake of personal goals but the full package sounds appealing.

 

[AK2NV]

Thanks everyone for the responses! I set my notifications to receive emails when replies are posted now so I can get on reply quickly. Anyway, excited for WY antelope this year. I will post any updates on the hunt choice and the hunt when it comes.

 

[ImBillT]

Staring to look like a 10pt unit might be a good use of your 8pts. The point creep may wait a year.