Wyoming Unit 19

[matthbrown1022]

Hey guys. Long time lurker and now member. My brother and I just bought tags for unit 19. I know public land is limited but there is about 18 thousand acres in the NW corner. I really just want to know what to expect? I've contacted the warden and chamber if commerce for landowners but haven't had any luck. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Carnage2011]

What animal are you hunting?

 

[Washington Hunter]

This is the pronghorn forum so I'm assuming he's hunting pronghorn.

 

[matthbrown1022]

Yes, we'll be hunting pronghorn.

 

[dannyb278]

We are in a similar boat as you. First Wyoming Pronghorn trip on leftover tags. We are in Unit 24. If you haven't done so already I would suggest spending as much time as you can doing map recon. I've used Google Earth, OnXmaps and paper BLM maps to pinpoint entry and access points into the broken up public land parcels.

When most people think "public land" they think of BLM. DO NOT ignore all the state land out there. They are often in 1x1 mile parcels. Tie enough of those together and you might get on some lope.


You can get the antelope unit boundaries and public land areas to plug into Google Earth. All that data and more is available on OnXmaps as well. I then went over every square mile of public land and (based off of the desktop recon) ranked areas in terms of what I thought would be good antelope country. I focused on watering holes, and open expanses that might be blocked from view from main roads.

In the end I pretty much narrowed it down to 3 large areas where we will focus our initial efforts, and than pointed out other areas to check on the way to or from our main areas.

Good Luck!

 

[matthbrown1022]

We are pouring over the maps and know all the public land we can access. This is my first time pronghorn hunting and my brothers 3rd. Any advice for a new antelope hunter?

 

[dannyb278]

Jeez, I thought I just gave you some. Your question is pretty vague. What exactly are you expecting to hear? I would expect you access the public land via truck or boot leather and scout for antelope. Find one you like, get within your comfortable range (preferably down wind and/or with the sun behind you) and make a shot.

So you have access squared away. Do you:

1. Have a Rifle of adequate caliber (assuming rifle and not bow, you didn't specify) and the range time to be comfortable shooting rifle at a variety of distances from multiple positions?
2. Have a pair of broken in boots?
3. Plan for inclimate weather and bring a variety of clothing options
4. A plan to get the carcass back to your truck to butcher
or
5. The knowledge to break down the animal in the field?
4. A plan to keep the meat cold?

This is your brothers 3rd time right? Maybe ask him.

 

[matthbrown1022]

Jeez, I thought I just gave you some. Your question is pretty vague. What exactly are you expecting to hear? I would expect you access the public land via truck or boot leather and scout for antelope. Find one you like, get within your comfortable range (preferably down wind and/or with the sun behind you) and make a shot.

So you have access squared away. Do you:

1. Have a Rifle of adequate caliber (assuming rifle and not bow, you didn't specify) and the range time to be comfortable shooting rifle at a variety of distances from multiple positions?
2. Have a pair of broken in boots?
3. Plan for inclimate weather and bring a variety of clothing options
4. A plan to get the carcass back to your truck to butcher
or
5. The knowledge to break down the animal in the field?
4. A plan to keep the meat cold?

This is your brothers 3rd time right? Maybe ask him.

Yep, I have all that. I was talking more hunting strategies... Do I just find a ridge and glass all day. Do I sit over a water hole. Do I just walk around aimlessly til I see one? I'm not an idiot and this isn't a first time hunt for me out west. Just first time on pronghorn.

 

[BuzzH]

Glass and cover country...get out and walk to high points and glass some more.

Give each place a half hour or so, if you don't see any, move to the next place.

Oh, and don't forget to glass.

 

[gcan]

I have never hunted Wyoming antelope before but hope to soon as I have saved up several PP's. I did my first antelope hunt in Oregon this year and had the time of my life. The one thing I kind of overlooked was the importance of keeping the cape cooled down. I had the cape to the taxi within 2 hours of shooting my pronghorn but did not realize it should have been cooling down during that time frame. Just something to keep in mind as a first time antelope hunter.

 

[huntrfish]

In my opinion, the best thing you can do is glass, glass, glass. Then go to the next ridge and repeat the process. Once you find what you are looking for, glass the terrain and figure out an approach with the wind in mind. Then Glass some more.

Once you start your stalk, commit to it, but don't forget to glass ahead of you. Looking from a high angle, you might miss some of the little dips and valleys that you could hide in.

Oh yeah, and make sure you glass!

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Pronghorn falls much more in the case of cover lots of ground while glassing along the way especially mid-morning and late afternoon vs a lot of glassing from one position unless your unit has prominent positions surrounded by flat. The small rolls in the terrain are what really hide pronghorns from guys who don't get out of the truck. Usually they are pretty quick to be spotted once you have the vantage point.

If you can scout a day early the pronghorns don't move a whole lot and I've seen a lot of cases where we see antelope within a few hundred yards or closer of where they were the day before. Small piece of public have been pretty good to my group.

I like to take an ownership map and mark what areas you can drive to and which ones you can't.
Large areas of public than can be 4x4/ATV'd through will get hammered in the first day and or 2 and be devoid of life for there on out. It seems a pronghorn that's been shot at will bolt at half a mile and one that hasn't this year will tolerate your presence to within rifle shooting distance in a lot of cases. Generally speaking if I can't walk crouched using the terrain to approach a herd, I've been busted trying to crawl in 12" tall sage and have to sit up for the shot because the sage is 2" above a 13" bipod.

 

[huntrfish]

Yep, I totally agree with Flatland Crusoe....I didn't necessarily mean to sit in one spot and glass all day. Just get yourself a vantage point, glass, and then move to the next.

 

[Eric.MN]

Just on my way home from Wyoming antelope hunt with the wife in a similar public access stricken unit and what I found to work is don't over look the small areas of public land. We seen many of trucks and people parked at the larger areas of access to BLM but we shot two does and a buck on all small over looked BLM areas. Put many miles on driving to new areas to get out and check it out and move to the next.
Good luck on your hunt!

 

[Eric.MN]

Oh and like some have said but I couldn't have done it with out a gps and onX map chip.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Oh and like some have said but I couldn't have done it with out a gps and onX map chip.

It saved me when an outfitter accused me of trespassing to get to where I was on BLM and had been on BLM all week. Of course the outfitter didn't so much as even have a paper map , but was still ready to call the warden over it.

 

[boutdoors]

Not to be critical but you said this is your brothers 3rd trip. Hasn't he explained how he hunted on previous trips to prepare you for the trip? You also didn't specify what tags you have ? Buck or doe as the rules can be different. My first trip was by myself, now I take some friends with me and I try to educate them on hunting antelope as far as my experiences have been. I know each hunt is different as things don't always work out as planned but there are basic things that never change and can help in the total experience. Good luck and hope you fill your tags.
One other thing just because I don't have thousands of posts doesn't mean I don't have the experience to occasionally input some information or opinion

 

[matthbrown1022]

Thanks for the input guys! My brother has given me plenty of info but it's nice to get opinions from all the experience on this site. We leave Friday and I can't wait. We'll see how the first couple days go on public then might try knocking on doors and paying trespass fees if we aren't having any luck.

 

[shootbrownelk]

Pounding on rancher's doors during the season may bring some unexpected results. None good.