Wyoming antelope

[4onaside]

Anybody hunt there in recent years? I'm trying to find an on the cheap deal, because I have already spent most of my money booking a Colorado hunt. Gas prices being what they are and what they are likely to be in Oct., I'm trying to basically combine a Southeast Wyoming hunt with my Colorado deal. I am only about a hundred miles or so from Cheyenne where I hunt in Colorado. If you have hunted up there, I would appreciate your telling me where and with whom(rancher, outfitter, etc.). There is some public land, but there is less of it in the Southeast/East than there is further West, and I understand that it is normally quite crowded, as you might suspect.

 

[Tree Man]

We have been doing DIY antelope/deer hunts in Wyoming for the last three years. I can not reveal the property owners because a friend has made the contacts with ranchers over the years and took me in to hunt with him. There are plenty of ranches that will let you antelope hunt for free, some want to charge a access fee, others a trophy fee. There is also plenty of 'walk in areas' that are free. Ranches sign up their property with the state and these properties are marked with white signs on the boundries. This way the ranchers is not bothered with hunters asking permission to hunt. As with most hunting regulations out in western states they sometimes get complicated. Sometimes the dates the walk in areas are not open the entire season. This information is available on the Wyoming DOW website.

 

[4onaside]

I understand your not being able to reveal the specific ranch involved for reasons of common courtesy and good judgement. I would only expect an answer to that question from those who had no ongoing arrangement and were not planing on going back anytime soon. I have become "one of the world's foremost authorities" in the Wyoming 2008 non-resident brochure. I know which units are easiest to draw, and I think that their "special" license is a sure thing in getting a tag. However, it bothers me to have to pay $240 more than the regular license for the privilege. lol IMO $526 is a bit much for a 100lb animal. I am also very familiar with the various walk-in units and the hunter management units, and I'm confident that I could get a tag in some units about which I am knowledgeable. I have most of the BLM maps covering SE Wyoming and the Thunderbasin grassland map. However, I suppose that I want my cake and eat it too, because I have never seen another hunter in my Colorado sweetheart deal, and that's what I'm looking for in Wyoming. lol
If it comes down to it, I will hunt public, but it sure is nice to have a place(or a portion of a place) to yourself, even if it involves paying for the privilege. I am prepared to do that, I just can't afford to pay too much, having already paid for my Colorado hunt. Without getting too specific on location, and to satisfy my insatiable curiosity would you mind telling me what unit that you guys hunt and/or town that is the "jumpin' off place"?

 

[Tree Man]

We hunt antelope hunt Unit 9 and base out of Lusk. The past 3 years there have been left over tags. That in itself will tell you that it is not a trophy area. I have been lucky and have taken two better than average goats in the last three years.
It sounds like you have a honey hole in Colorado. I would not expect to find the same in Unit 9. But you never can tell if you work hard enough you may find it.
Due to business commitments we have not been able to hunt opening week. When we get there alot of the hunters have left. On the down side the goats have been pressured and are spooky. We do run into other hunters but it has never been a problem.

 

[4onaside]

Interesting coincidence. unit 9 is one of the units that I have been eyeballing even so far as to check out the Best Western in Lusk. lol In fact I am awaiting the Lusk and Lance Creek quads that I ordered Friday. Obviously, I zeroed in on the presence of some pretty fair sized walk-in areas along with quite a bit of state owned property. The main reason that I have been looking at it other than the aforementioned, is that it is probably the closest drive from my Colorado deal in which there is a place to hunt without having to pay and the likelihood of drawing a tag is good.
And, "other hunters" should not be a problem on the private property on which you hunt, at least not to the degree that it often is on the public domain. I've obtained a landowner's who allow hunting list(not specifically for Lusk, however)and will check out some of them before reaching a decision. Thanks for the input.

 

[Tree Man]

We stay at the Best Western in Lusk. Clean rooms and super nice people. There is a pizza place on the main street that has good homemade pizza. Not something you expect in a small town out west. They also have a processing place in Lusk that does a good job. They make salami and beer sticks that are good and offer next day processing if necessary. The next closest processor is Douglas, about 50 miles away.
I love to hunt Wyoming but have not decided if I am going out this year. The wife and I take a two week motorcycle trip the first of September. I work my butt off before the trip getting things caught up at the nursery before the trip. After I get back I work my butt off getting ready to go to Wyoming. Then play catch up when I get back. I can work as many hours as I did when I was younger, but at 57 it takes more out of me. If I do go out it will not be before October 7. But then again I may just stay home and archery hunt, something I haven't done in three years.