cody pronghorn

madmoose · Dec 2, 2013

looking at putting in for 78 this coming year for pronghorn. I am thinking we should draw this coming year with 4 points, non-res. had intentions of coming in early before season to do a little scouting and the tourist thing in and around cody. then finish trip hunting the first 3 to 4 days of opener. any opinions, ideas, must do's. 78 a decent unit for the possibility of bucks over 14" ?

TOPGUN · Dec 2, 2013

I'd have a backup plan if I were you, as it took at least 4PPs to get that tag in the regular draw last year and there are still a lot of people with that many or more PPs that may put in for it. With point creep also really coming into play now that the system has been in effect for 8 years, it's getting harder to know for sure you will draw a tag in a lot of units and this may be one of them. A must do is the BB Museum in Cody. It's a 2 day ticket and you should plan at least one full day there alone and really into a second day with as much as there is to see in there.

WapitiBob · Dec 2, 2013

Been there the last 3 years and still haven't stopped in there. Maybe 2014...

nfh · Dec 2, 2013

I wouldn't plan on going down and thinking your going to shoot a 80" buck. I have never hunted it but do go through the area a lot. Lots of antelope and lots of average bucks. Some nice bucks do exist its just finding them like any other area...

Don't forget to enjoy a breakfast at a restaurant named Our Place. ITs across the rodeo grounds. Another idea is going to Cody night rodeo. its every night during the summer.

WapitiBob · Dec 2, 2013

I haven't seen 100 Antelope in a day over there yet.

mightyhunter · Dec 3, 2013

I had an Area 80 tag in 2013. This area is adjacent to 78. I thought the antelope population was down considerably from what it was the last time I had the tag. I never saw a 80 inch buck while hunting or scouting this year. In years past, I have seen a few bucks that were in that size range. I took an antelope buck a few years ago in 80 that was between 79 and 80 B&C with great mass. Based on what I saw this year, you can find a 13"-15" buck in this area with average mass and average prongs. I wouldn't hold my breath for a B&C type buck. I took the largest buck I saw during the hunt. I discovered a nicer buck after the season had closed. Save your points.

TOPGUN · Dec 3, 2013

From driving through the units being mentioned a few times I would agree with MH that a NR shouldn't waste a bunch of PPs on them, but most will allow a decent hunt for a representative goat with horns about like MH stated. There are probably a few good ones around, but my guess is that it would take a lot of days scouting to find and waypoint them, time which most NRs don't have available to them.

madmoose · Dec 4, 2013

I really would like to hunt wyo this coming year. So to those pros out their should I burn my 4 pts on a unit. Or save them and hunt a unit I will draw with no points just to cut my teeth in wyoming? Like to do the Cody thing, but any suggestions from there?

madmoose · Dec 4, 2013

Definitely see your point Topgun

BuzzH · Dec 4, 2013

Points are for burnin'....fact.

desperatehills · Dec 8, 2013

I was faced with the same dilemma last year, search "Cody vs Casper". We ended up getting tags for the Casper area. My buddy and I had 10 goat tags total (search "my goofy antelope hunt" for the story and pictures) and we filled them in 4 days. We left home on a Thursday after work. It was a 17 hour drive. By the following Wednesday we were on our way to Cody to be tourist. We made it back home Saturday night.

I guess my advise would be to get the best tag you can with your points. Antelope are not hard to find and there should be time left to do the tourist thing. Cody is only 3 1/2 hours from Casper.