3.5 days to find a lope

[bwcatripper]

long story boring, i have 3.5 days of hunting in wyoming to get a lope or 3. i'll be driving from minnesota, i have OnX, i can do online scouting, but i'm a terrible hunter and fisher. i'm a decent shot(thanks army), willing to sit and be patient, but what advice would you give? looking near sheridan, any other sure bets to fill the freezer? thanks much.

 

[JohnCushman]

If you can't find lopes between breakfast and lunch your first day then you're doing something wrong

 

[Brian in Montana]

If your strength is shooting, I think you should examine maps and Google earth to find isolated water holes in the prairie and sit in ambush on ingress\egress routes. Or at least to locate goats coming and going to water and spot and stalk from there using the natural contuers of the land for cover.

 

[3855WIN]

Do you have a tag? What unit? Three days is plenty of time.

 

[LopeHunter]

Do you have a tag? What unit? Three days is plenty of time.

Yep, unit can be a slam dunk were 50 spots on public holding pronghorn that are along a paved road or might only be two or three accessible public land tracks along a two-track dirt road. What unit number?

 

[OhBoneCollector]

I try to fill one or two per day so as to enjoy the trip. Filling them in that area won't be an issue. Just wait for them to filter back onto public or ask for permission form local landowners. Many will give permission later in the season, especially for doe tags. They may ask for a small fee on the does. Bucks could be a different story.
Don't worry, get after it and Good luck! If hunting was easy, no one would do it.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

He sure can't sit around like he mentioned if he only has that short time to hunt. Also, if he's talking up around Sheridan he's talking almost all private land, so it won't be nearly as easy as you guys make it out to be in just 3 1/2 days. It will help if he can give me the unit number for his tag and when he's going so I might be able to help him. I'll be out to Sheridan by 9/1 and then west over the Big Horn mountains to hunt for a couple weeks before going to AZ and ID and then returning for the last three weeks of October to hunt in WY.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

In 109 or 15, you should be able to kill some antelope as long as you are willing to do some walking. Shoot me a PM, and I can point you in some directions, I have spent some time in that country.

 

[dannyb278]

We did our entire Wyoming hunt, including driving time from Minnesota, in 4 days last year. If you have access to public land, and there are pronghorn in the neighborhood, you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[Dr. Vette]

If you can't find lopes between breakfast and lunch your first day then you're doing something wrong

You'll find them alright... standing on private land, sticking their tongues out at you and giving you the razzberry.
Saw hundreds of them last year in 5 days...and only 8 were on public land. Ouch.

 

[brownbear932008]

I have been on three lope hunts two of them in the so called limited public land units in WY. All three were taken before lunch on first day. Two of them within first two hours of daylight. Do your homework and have areas picked out that you can access and you will be fine. I like last few weeks of season myself.

 

[Southwind]

Coming from out of state like I do makes any pre-scouting expensive and not very practical. I can tell of of all the pronghorn hunts I have done in Wyoming over the last three decades I haven't failed to take a mature good representative animal that has taken anymore than 2 days. No book pronghorn but solid representations. I would like to go and spend more time and try and find that elusive 80" pronghorn and hope to someday but I think if you keep your expectations realistic you shouldn't have a problem filling your tag. I will also add that does not mean shooting the first buck you see, but if the first one is a good one and you know it by all means. Best wishes

 

[Muskeez]

Go in early where you can with leather gloves, knee pads and plenty of lunch and water and cover as much ground as you legally can, especially what can't be seen from the road. Then be patient, even if you spook them, they or another group will come back through sometimes if you are in a good area away from pressure. Learn gutless method of meat removal and take a pack in with you that you can get the entire animal out in one load. Stay positive!

 

[Dr. Vette]

I have been on three lope hunts two of them in the so called limited public land units in WY. All three were taken before lunch on first day. Two of them within first two hours of daylight. Do your homework and have areas picked out that you can access and you will be fine. I like last few weeks of season myself.

That's what happened our first hunt in 2014. Two doe in half a day - hey, this is easy!
2016 - one in 5 days, and ate a lot of tag soup.

New unit this year, so we will see.

If I had a choice, I would go very first thinig, or at the end of the season. Get there before the antelope are aware its season, or after everyone else is gone.
We had a lot more hunters second week of season than 2 years prior.

 

[bwcatripper]

Hey thanks guys, I'll be sure to hit up those who said to PM them soon, been busy playing National Guard. Looking forward to the hunt, thinking it'll be closer to second week of October when I head west. Appreciate the encouragement.