antelope 78 and 114

[ToddT]

I have enough points to draw this tag if I apply for a special tag. With that said, I looked over statistics and it appears success is almost 100 percent, as with most antelope hunts. BUT, that is where my knowledge and research ends. I am certain there are enough antelope in each unit to be successful, but what I am wanting is a unit with good trophy potential and an abundance of public ground. I think both these units have those as well, but again, I have only been through the units and have not spent time there. SO, can anyone help? I do not need specifics, as I believe antelope can be easily enough found, but I would like to hear about public access and amount of public ground as well as the possibility of finding a great buck. Thanks for any help, if you like you can PM me.

 

[TOPGUN]

Of those two, unit 78 would be the one to hunt without a doubt. Although both are app. 90% BLM land, unit 114 is very migration dependent and most of the resident goats are now along the BigHorn River on private property along the western boundary. The locals call 114 the "Badlands" because of the terrain and it holds very few antelope or deer, but what are there are good ones if you have the time and can find them. Unit 78 would present a lot more good hunting opportunities.

 

[ToddT]

Thanks for the info Topgun, without a doubt that was extremely helpful as I had no idea that 114 was a migration unit - I had just heard of the quality.

Also, I sent you a PM, and as for anyone else that has something to add, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Wyo]

I've hunted 114 before but don't know anything about 78. I have never heard of 114 being a migration hunt, not sure what thats about. The year I had the tag was during the 10 year drought so I never did find a big buck. I've only hunted it once and only put in for it once. Its really hard to draw for a resident so I don't bother. I do know of many B&C bucks that have come from there, in fact a couple years before i had the tag a guy killed a buck that tied the state record at the time. Overall, if you can draw it and we have a good sping/summer it wouldnt be too difficult to find a 80" buck I would think. Good Luck!

 

[TOPGUN]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-01-12 AT 07:55PM (MST)[p]When I say migration hunt I'm talking about some of the goats coming down from up higher down to the south of 114 or moving out from the ag fields over along the river where most of them are now. I was hunting deer last year (it's unit 164 for deer)the first week of October and literally only saw a handful of goats. There are some big ones if you can find them, but the majority seem to have moved to the private ranches over along the river. A guy did take a B&C goat that was over 85" in 2010 and it was a big heart-shaped buck that was gorgeous. If you tried to take a good goat on BLM land in that unit last year, you would have probably been eating tag soup. Four years ago when I deer hunted the unit there were goats all over the southern 2 or 3 miles and last year zippo, nada, nothing!