Unit 17 Antelope

TX_Diver

Active Member
Messages
392
Hi All,

Curious your opinions on the Unit 17 archery antelope hunt.

Mainly with regards to what I want to do for camping.

For my Ibex hunt I'm thinking of renting a travel trailer as it's almost guaranteed that I'm there for the duration of the hunt, but as the success rate is so much higher for unit 17 antelope I'm concerned (hopeful) that I'll tag out early and be stuck paying for a trailer for the rest of the week that I have no need for.

I haven't spent much time in that area but imagine it's mostly desert. What would you guys suggest with regards to camping? I'll have my pickup (old 3/4 ton) and maybe access to a quad. Would there be much value from a trailer or is a tent and my truck a better option. I don't see much for hotels nearby but am open to that if there's something decent nearby. Also if anyone wants to rent a trailer by the day I'd be interested in that too.

Cheers
 
I'd tent and 4wheeler the ibex hunt. Travel camper not needed unless your tent can't handle wind. You can't really take a truck around that mountain if you don't want to rip something off.

Probably do the same with the antelope hunt, except minus the 4wheeler.
 
I hunted 16 with a bow last year and there's plenty of BLM to camp on in that area. I'd imagine 17 is very similar. I'm hunting antelope in 16 with a rifle this year and I'll just be using a jumping Jack tent trailer.

Really glad I'll have a rifle with me this year as that ANT bow hunt is a challenge! Get good at 70 yd shots to the extent you're comfortable at that range.
 
Appreciate the input from both.

I was leaning towards a trailer for the ibex as I'm expecting that hunt to be exhausting physically and having somewhere I can use an actual stove, clean a plate and pass out seemed like it'd help maximize hunting time/rest time. As well as actually being able to get out of the wind and be a bit more comfortable. I'm not planning on being on the mountain at night unless I have to so if I'm down early every day I may as well have some luxuries availalbe haha. I don't plan to be doing much driving but if I end up camping a ways from the base of the mountain I figured the quad would be nice.

The antelope hunt will be a challenge too but I'm not expecting it to be as physically hard based on where I've found antelope in the past. If I'm roughing it in a tent or the back of my truck then I'm not as worried about it for this hunt.

That was my line of thinking anyways. What are the roads in 17 like? The BLM land is much more spread out than I thought it was but I know there are a bunch of goats in there somewhere.
 
If you arent prepared to stay up on the mountain. Don't get caught up there without a very specific scouted out route and plan for getting down. Only takes getting bluffed once to learn that.
 
For where you're probably going to hunt, the roads are fine. Plenty of BLM and Forest Service land to camp on. Don't worry about bringing a trailer. You won't need an atv to hunt antelope in 17. Yeah, the BLM is spread out, but you can also hunt State land, as well. You just can't camp on it.

PM sent.
 
>If you arent prepared to stay
>up on the mountain. Don't
>get caught up there without
>a very specific scouted out
>route and plan for getting
>down. Only takes getting bluffed
>once to learn that.


I will be "prepared" to stay on the mountain if I have to, but I am definitely not planning on it. I try not to leave the truck without enough stuff to survive the night (even if it's a miserable night)

That's a good reminder though. Cheers
 

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