2019 WY Antelope Live Hunt

[406LIFE]

Three of us have five tags: 3 Bucks, and two does. My two buddies with me have never harvested an antelope or hunted Wyoming before. I've done all the leg work for us: where to draw, scouting, and research. The local knowledge seems to think this will be a great year for chasing speed goats. We have access to two ranches and there are several Walk-In Areas nearby.

The Plan:
Day 1: Get there. Setup Camp. Scout evening.
Day 2: Scout Day. There's a lot of BLM that should hold some antelope. We will check those out and then familiarize ourselves with the ranches.
Day 3-6:. Hunt.
Day 4-5: Backup days as needed.

Since Montana and ID didn't want to give me a tag (I did pick up a surplus MT) I'm eager to get on the ground and get the season started. August 15 seems early and hot, but very little Trump's an opening day.

I'll try to post twice daily, service permitting.

 

[kansasdad]

I love this time of year. I hope the whole gang has a great adventure

 

[The Hedgehog]

What are your hydration strategies?

 

[406LIFE]

What are your hydration strategies?

We are trucking in our own water in 5 gal tubs. We all use bladders in our packs.

 

[406LIFE]

So the guy who was supposed to bring breakfast forgot it back home in the freezer (me). Now we are driving into town to find something. Hopefully this is not an indicator of things to come.

 

[deer_shooter]

We are trucking in our own water in 5 gal tubs. We all use bladders in our packs.

I think the original question was aimed at libations other than just water. Or at least water that has been enhanced by the addition of barley and hops.

 

[mtguy]

We are trucking in our own water in 5 gal tubs. We all use bladders in our packs.

weird. It's never even crossed my mind to use water for hydration on an antelope hunt

 

[406LIFE]

#WYAntelopeHunt2019
Day 1, AM : Scouting

Getting into good numbers of bucks on #BLM but not seeing the does. The private lands that are irrigates are getting turned over, have corn or sugar beets, are are wheat stubble so no goats there. It's not oppressively hot but you know the capacity is there. The moment you move away from water the land looks inhospitable.

 

[406LIFE]

weird. It's never even crossed my mind to use water for hydration on an antelope hunt

Haha, Yeah, I wasn't in charge of the adult beverages. That guy brought Coors Banquet and some Fireball for when we tag out.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Three of us have five tags: 3 Bucks, and two does. My two buddies with me have never harvested an antelope or hunted Wyoming before. I've done all the leg work for us: where to draw, scouting, and research. The local knowledge seems to think this will be a great year for chasing speed goats. We have access to two ranches and there are several Walk-In Areas nearby.

The Plan:
Day 1: Get there. Setup Camp. Scout evening.
Day 2: Scout Day. There's a lot of BLM that should hold some antelope. We will check those out and then familiarize ourselves with the ranches.
Day 3-6:. Hunt.
Day 4-5: Backup days as needed.

Since Montana and ID didn't want to give me a tag (I did pick up a surplus MT) I'm eager to get on the ground and get the season started. August 15 seems early and hot, but very little Trump's an opening day.

I'll try to post twice daily, service permitting.

I'm guessing "archery" or do some Wyo. units have gun on Aug 15th??

good luck to all
the dog

 

[406LIFE]

#WYAntelopeHunt2019

Day 1, Mid: Mirage is killing my long range pics. Near 90° and almost no cloud cover. Bucks aren't really spooky at all,. Most will go back to feeding if they don't walk off at hole you watch them. The does with fawns turn and rocket across the sage. Plan A, B, C, D, and E are all holding good numbers of antelope. Back to take the all important afternoon nap.

As a bonus we drove right by two mule deer fawns who stood up to watch us from 20 ft. Never get overthose big ears...

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

We are trucking in our own water in 5 gal tubs. We all use bladders in our packs.

I thought he was asking more of a Busch Latte, Moose Drool, Hopzone type of question.

 

[406LIFE]

#WYAntelopeHunt2019

Day 1, PM: We have seen over 100 antelope today, including a few bucks that were very nice. The buck to doe ratio seems to be high, 1-3 or so. We watched one buck for about 10 minutes about 50 yards from the truck; he didn't seem to care at all. Most interesting was all of the antelope we saw with a few exceptions were in the sage on #BLM We have a solid plan and confidence is high.

This country has its own beauty and a ruggedness that makes you wonder how people settled this over a hundred years ago. Rocks have worked their way to the surface through the mostly sand soil. Prickly pear cactus are small but abundant. Rattlesnakes have not been seen, but are expected.

Prepping gear tonight one of us (not me) forgot their licenses at home, so he will sit out the morning hunt but still tag along.
#HardLessonToLearn

 

[fishing4sanity]

Thanks for sharing the pics. I'm looking forward to the pics you share tomorrow, good luck!

 

[LCH]

Looks like fun country! Good luck!

 

[wytex]

You just might be close to one of our good local breweries. Celebration beer should not be a Colorado beer.
Good luck and thanks for sharing your hunt with us!

 

[406LIFE]

#WYAntelopeHunt2019

Day 2, AM, Opening Day:

Wake-up was 4am, which wasn't difficult since I had trouble sleeping anyway. Boots on and oatmeal down, we headed out to spot A. The plan was to walk in a quarter mile, crest a ridge and glass for the bucks we put to bed last night. Right away two does pegged us at 260 yards. Even though I had the doe tags, I passed hoping that we could find the bucks. We located one about 500 yards away and button hooked around it. As we made the stock in the coulee three more were spooked up and they ended up running out of our unit. We weren't disappointed as that was the right call and strategy. As we walked out we created another ridge a mile away to find a decent buck feeding away from us. We dropped down and came around using the backside as cover. The buck had ecided to come.back up the hill and we met face to face. My partner dropped down, not looking before he did and sat in some cactus (BigFin knows all about that) . He took the pain and made a clean shot under 200 yards for the first antelope of the trip.
The packout was only a few hundred yards to a road and in no time he was tagged out.

We went to spot B next and immediately saw a bachelor group feeding in a field. Using an overgrown dry irrigation ditch, I took my other buddy (who before has only shot two deer in hunting career) about 150 yards to close the distance to around 200. During our range sessions he felt like that was his personal effective range. Ten feet to the left the field cleared and he would be able to pay prone and get a clean shot. We crouched down and made the distance without getting seen. I told him to take his time and make a good shot. He got into position without spooking the antelope and squeezed after a couple minutes prepping himself. Missed. The antelope looked up, but didn't really show concern. I told him to shoot again, aim higher. This time I heard the bullet connect. The buck didn't go anywhere and dropped. First antelope for both.

I have my three tags left. We will see what this afternoon brings.

 

[ignorethefringes]

Yes! Congrats guys.

 

[kansasdad]

Good on you 406LIFE for helping them get their firsts.

 

[dragginwood]

Good stuff! Heading out that way for the first time myself this year. I've never even seen a live antelope, nor been to WY. Hoping to have a similar adventure and a little luck!