Max Antelope points

buckshot · Apr 11, 2018

It's time! been buying the points for me and my wife. Have spent enough to pay for the tags once!!! Always seems something else is in the plans.

Looking through the draw odds, it looks like we could draw any tag except 60.

I'm open for suggestions on what units will provide a quality hunt. Meaning low number of hunters with good numbers of quality bucks

Thanks in advance
Buckshot

30Hart · Apr 12, 2018

You got to narrow it down a little bit for us. There's over a dozen really good areas to spend your points on. What kind of hunt do you want, camp out in the unit or stay in a motel? Are you bringing an ATV/UTV? How much time do you have? Can you make more then one trip or are you guys shooting the first two quality bucks you see. All the Red Desert areas are good. Lot of those areas may have different opening dates, do you have a preference on dates? Any of the units that require max points or almost max points with the majority of the unit being public land is what you are looking for depending it fits the bill for your kind of hunt. There's no magic unit for Wyoming antelope, won't know that till after the hunt!!! Give me a little more info and we'll steer you in the right direction. Now, some units are better earlier in the season, some better later. Some are migration units where all the antelope are gone with the first real big snowstorm, lots to thing about. Standing by...

HalfAce · Apr 12, 2018

I've never been in your position becuase I've never had the points, but I always thought I'de like to try 61.

Really, I think your splitting hairs at this point. It's probably more important to hit it on a good year where winter wasn't tough, good moisture that spring and try and take a look back 3 or 4 years to see if winters and springs were favorable when the Bucks you will be hunting were born.

Bwht4x4 · Apr 12, 2018

Apply for unit 60 in the special draw. Last year it was 100% with max points. I had a unit 60 tag in 2012. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about it.

OchocoKid · Apr 12, 2018

What I think is how hard a tag is to draw has as much to do with access to public land as anything else.

That's why I chose 57 , public land everywhere. I went late in the season to avoid the hunters and it worked I was alone. but the bucks had been picked over pretty hard, I would go earlier if I had it to do over. I sill ended up with a B&C buck but t took a lot of looking.

I would do 57 again .

Stay Thirsty My Friends

TOPGUN · Apr 12, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Apr-12-18 AT 03:39PM (MST)[p]If the OP and his wife would like to share their PPs in the Regular Draw with me, I'll take them to the unit I've been in every year since 1999. It would give all 3 of us as good a shot at 80" or better bucks as anywhere else in the state if they have a week to hunt and the unit isn't crowded with hunters either!

maddog58 · Apr 12, 2018

Unit 57. Was there three years ago. Lots of public land and good goats . Mine was final score B& C 79 5/8. Didn?t think he was that big, but couldn't pass him up due to his mass. Close proximity to towns also if you don't camp

buckshot · Apr 15, 2018

Thanks for info. everyone!!

We would like to camp in the unit. Somewhere I can haul my 5th wheel and UTV. My plan would be like a Sat through Sat. hunt.

I could come back as needed but I'm sure the wife would not.
She will not save that much leave for hunting.

Been looking hard at 114. Winter kill I dont think was as hard last year as South West Wy.

As far as unit 60 Not sure I want to spend $1000+ on tags for special . I'm already in this hunt over $600 just for the points.

wytex · Apr 15, 2018

Better call the biologist before you put in for 57, some issues with water in that unit now and fawn recruitment. It's been dry since last fall.

TOPGUN · Apr 15, 2018

Unit 114 will get you what you want, but don't try to take a 5th wheel down in there as the only two real roads (1411 and 1404) are not good when they get even a little moisture. You could stay up in the campground on the main highway on the east side of Worland and take the UTV down into the unit and back to hunt. That would be some miles every day, but with the knowledge that you wouldn't get a rig stuck out in wowheresville! There is very seldom any winter kill in 114 down in the low basin it sits in and you certainly won't have a problem with hunters if you draw one of the few tags for that unit.

Jerry · Apr 15, 2018

I would agree that 61 or 114 could fill the bill for you, or 57 too, but it's not easy in any of these units unless luck is on your side too. Allocate max time for this project, expect to,look over,lots & lots of bucks for days on end before you find ( if you find) that monster buck . Check with all the WGF personnel in the region,offices , take lots of notes, get names to call back,again, & their phone numbers too for future references. It takes a super max effort to pull this off ! I have eaten tag soup s on a number of these hunts over the last 40 years ! Wyoming antelope for finding a B/C Buck is very tough. Look for very long prongs, great mass all over, good length of horns, ivory tips too. One that knocks your socks off, as in OMG, that's him ! Do not guess he'll make that magic 82 net, shoot for 85, a buck,will not make it on hoping its big enough. Because it won't. Scouting & recon work , lots of it,'will give you an edge over other hunters. E M me any time, glad to help.
Jerry Gold-- Ft Collins, Colorado
E M: [email protected]

Triple_BB · Apr 16, 2018

"Better call the biologist before you put in for 57, some issues with water in that unit now and fawn recruitment."

If he's hunting this year, why would he be concerned about fawn recruitment? Also, we have another month or better of wet season coming up. Who knows what the water will look like in any area next fall. We could have a wet summer or a drought. Wouldn't deter me. 57 is hands down one of the top areas in the state...

BuzzH · Apr 17, 2018

My advice...don't take advice from people that have never hunted many of the units they're recommending. Lots of guys chase areas around based on what happened last year, the year before, etc. They're always behind the curve.

Not every year in the Red Desert, or any unit for that matter, stays the same over time. There are lots of things that influence horn growth on pronghorn.

If I had max points for pronghorn and was really serious about getting a record book buck, I would be making a scouting trip in May to see what the bucks look like in the area(s) you're planning on hunting. They will have 95% plus of their horn growth done for the year by then. I wouldn't just call around to GF offices or make a post on a hunting board.

Every year, hundreds and hundreds of people draw "top" tags with lots of points and come home with bucks that they could shoot in units that require few, if any, points.

Its not just drawing a top unit, its about drawing a top unit in the best years. The only way to know that is to spend time in the unit prior to applying.

Good luck.

wytex · Apr 18, 2018

>"Better call the biologist before you
>put in for 57, some
>issues with water in that
>unit now and fawn recruitment."
>
>
>If he's hunting this year, why
>would he be concerned about
>fawn recruitment? Also, we
>have another month or better
>of wet season coming up.
> Who knows what the
>water will look like in
>any area next fall.
>We could have a wet
>summer or a drought.
>Wouldn't deter me. 57
>is hands down one of
>the top areas in the
>state...

Without moisture , they will not have the forage necessary to grow those bigger horns. Talk with the biologist , I have and that's how I know about conditions there now. If fawn recruitment is bad then something is up with overall conditions.
Lots of great areas with max PP all over the state.

carnicero · Apr 18, 2018

I don't think you are going wrong with either 61 or 57. I had a 60 tag a few years ago, and that year the tag to have was south of I80.

pymulies · Apr 18, 2018

With all due respect, both views are right. I grew up in the 57 area, and I can tell you that it is currently short on moisture.
Two things:
Spring is far from over and in a unit with a average of a 7-9" precip zone, a good May storms can make that country explode.
The biologist is new. Not that he doesn't know anything, but he doesn't have a ton of experience there yet.

py

wytex · Apr 19, 2018

>With all due respect, both views
>are right. I grew up
>in the 57 area, and
>I can tell you that
>it is currently short on
>moisture.
>Two things:
>Spring is far from over and
>in a unit with a
>average of a 7-9" precip
>zone, a good May storms
>can make that country explode.
>
>The biologist is new. Not that
>he doesn't know anything, but
>he doesn't have a ton
>of experience there yet.
>
>py

That's the info you need right here.
We do have a nice storm coming in this weekend.
How do the tops look right now py ? They are grown so if moisture does not materialize and forage is short the rest of the horns will not have the mass or length as previous years.

pymulies · May 10, 2018

By the looks of things right now in 53,55,56,57,60,61, 62 and 108 it is going to be a very tough year.

The tops look pretty decent on the bucks, but they have gotten very little moisture. I talked to a guy in Rawlins and at least one rancher has already gathered their cows due to no water in the natural reservoirs.

About the only water I am seeing is private water wells. And according to one rancher, he is having to move cows to the few that are able to keep up with the demands. Some aren't pumping at all.

By the sounds of lack of natural water in the units and no foreseeable moisture in the forecast, I would be hesitant to waste max points this year.

I haven't spent much time in 63,64,65, 66, 67, 68,74 and 75 yet to see what is happening there. I hope to before the end of the month. The water is definitely going to be my final deciding factor. All of these units didn't have great snow, even though the snow pack was 100% or thereabouts. All of the snow was in the upper end of the Wind Rivers and Absarokas.

Take it for what its worth, but just my personal observations.

PY

buckshot · May 10, 2018

Thanks everyone for the info!

It is looking more like 114 will be my choice if we apply.
My son just got hit for his elk tag in Utah. that is going take up at least a week of vacation.

Buckshot

wytex · May 11, 2018

>By the looks of things right
>now in 53,55,56,57,60,61, 62 and
>108 it is going to
>be a very tough year.
>
>
>The tops look pretty decent on
>the bucks, but they have
>gotten very little moisture. I
>talked to a guy in
>Rawlins and at least one
>rancher has already gathered their
>cows due to no water
>in the natural reservoirs.
>
>About the only water I am
>seeing is private water wells.
>And according to one rancher,
>he is having to move
>cows to the few that
>are able to keep up
>with the demands. Some aren't
>pumping at all.
>
>By the sounds of lack of
>natural water in the units
>and no foreseeable moisture in
>the forecast, I would be
>hesitant to waste max points
>this year.
>
>I haven't spent much time in
>63,64,65, 66, 67, 68,74 and
>75 yet to see what
>is happening there. I hope
>to before the end of
>the month. The water is
>definitely going to be my
>final deciding factor. All of
>these units didn't have great
>snow, even though the snow
>pack was 100% or thereabouts.
>All of the snow was
>in the upper end of
>the Wind Rivers and Absarokas.
>
>
>Take it for what its worth,
>but just my personal observations.
>
>
>PY

That is the info the biologists gave me so that's why I posted about calling them first.
Great info pymulies.

mlg · May 19, 2018

Did the Red Desert get must moisture with this last storm?

jims · May 20, 2018

I've shot a lot of super nice bucks over the years in Wyo. An eye opener for me is the 2 highest scoring bucks I shot were in years with historic drought. I had no clue how this could happen? I finally realized that fawn bucks born in drought years have small horn bases from that time in their life onward. Bucks born in years with good moisture have more massive horns from the year they are born onward. Some regions in Wyo have had super good spring moisture combined with little winterkill for quite a few years.

Although it certainly is nice drawing tags in a year with excellent spring moisture that in itself doesn't mean diddly! I drew one of the top 3 B&C units in Wyo in a year with excellent spring moisture...and had trouble finding any bucks that were over 12"! I saw a lot bigger bucks that same year in a different region in Wyo that could be drawn as a 2nd choice tag.

With that said, I have a feeling there will be lots of B&C bucks harvested this coming year in scattered Wyo units. It definitely helps keeping track of weather conditions, winterkill, fawn recruitment for multiple years in the particular unit or units you are interested in. It also helps spending lots of time in previous years in these same units so you know how each unit's bucks are progressing!

TOPGUN · May 20, 2018

Excellent post jims and right on from what I've seen over the 20+ years I've hunted Wyoming.

Servehim · May 20, 2018

>I've shot a lot of super
>nice bucks over the years
>in Wyo. An eye
>opener for me is the
>2 highest scoring bucks I
>shot were in years with
>historic drought. I had
>no clue how this could
>happen? I finally realized
>that fawn bucks born in
>drought years have small horn
>bases from that time in
>their life onward. Bucks
>born in years with good
>moisture have more massive horns
>from the year they are
>born onward. Some regions
>in Wyo have had super
>good spring moisture combined with
>little winterkill for quite a
>few years.
>
>Although it certainly is nice drawing
>tags in a year with
>excellent spring moisture that in
>itself doesn't mean diddly!
>I drew one of the
>top 3 B&C units in
>Wyo in a year with
>excellent spring moisture...and had trouble
>finding any bucks that were
>over 12"! I saw
>a lot bigger bucks that
>same year in a different
>region in Wyo that could
>be drawn as a 2nd
>choice tag.
>
>With that said, I have a
>feeling there will be lots
>of B&C bucks harvested this
>coming year in scattered Wyo
>units. It definitely helps
>keeping track of weather conditions,
>winterkill, fawn recruitment for multiple
>years in the particular unit
>or units you are interested
>in. It also helps
>spending lots of time in
>previous years in these same
>units so you know how
>each unit's bucks are progressing!
>

Hard to argue with any of that Jim. Thanks for your post. +1.

SPAZ · May 21, 2018

It's real tough for guys to "burn" max points on a red desert, premium, highly advertised unit, when they could have hunted a unit like 73 (3 or 4 times while building those points) with tons of public land and no shortage of huge antelope bucks.