Antelope/Muley Hunt

[Flatlander3]

I've been looking back at previous post and it seems like its 50/50 on if a newbie should double up on species on a hunting trip. I read post saying antelope are one of the easier western game species to hunt, so I worry if I were to take a week trip and shoot an antelope on the 2nd day, what do you do the rest of the time. I am leaning towards getting a general deer tag just incase that were to happen. What are your thoughts for a new antelope hunter? Is a week overkill for an antelope hunt?

Thanks

 

[Mountainguide]

If you enough time for both, why not?

 

[LCH]

If you're in a halfway decent pronghorn unit, a day or 2 should be plenty. Unless you want to stretch it out and look for something special, nothing wrong with that at all. Myself, I start to get an itchy trigger finger after looking over a dozen or so.

 

[HoytHntr4]

If you have enough time and you're hunting antelope in an area that also holds some deer, I'd say get the deer tag also. Never know when you could be out looking for an antelope and stumble across a good deer that you'd like to shoot

 

[Flatrock]

If you plan on having 5-6 full days of hunting, I'd get a deer tag as well. In most antelope units that have a decent amount of public land, you need about 30 minutes to fill a tag if you aren't picky on size. Lots of times, more like 5-10 minutes.

I plan on doing a deer/antelope combo hunt this year. I've antelope hunted there the last 2 years and have seen a few decent deer.

 

[Flatlander3]

Good to know guys. Do you guys look for an area that has some BLM low prairie sage areas and then has some foot hill areas for muleys? Or do you find them roamimg together?

 

[Arcola]

Do it. Their ranges overlap a lot. As stated above, you should be able to tag an antelope pretty quickly. Then you get to extend your hunt with a deer tag. Win- win

 

[375H&H]

I am constantly amazed by the quality of deer that I see on the plains while antelope hunting. I would get a deer tag for sure.

 

[JLS]

I am constantly amazed by the quality of deer that I see on the plains while antelope hunting. I would get a deer tag for sure.

I’ve seen a few crankers in the gumbo wasteland.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

I've done this many times. In Montana, deer opener is several weeks after antelope opener. So to overlap the two hunts, you'll have to hunt antelope that have been pressured for several weeks. They will be more on edge and some pushed on to private land, but the trade-off is that you will have much less competition from other antelope hunters by that point in the season.

Habitat should overlap somewhat. If there is a coulee or two pushing through the flatter antelope country, hunt it. There's a good chance it's holding a deer or two.

 

[dcopas78]

Wyoming antelope 2017

My nephew, father and I just returned tonight from our successful Wyoming antelope hunt. It was my nephews first trip past Indiana so everything was new for him and I think he is itching to get back. I made it a point to go through the Black Hills of South Dakota/Wyoming (my personal favorite...

www.hunttalk.com

Filled all three tags by 9:30 first morning for reasons stated in the thread and that's even with walking away from the roads a little. Granted this was a 4 point unit but you could fill your tag easy in most units I've saw with public land as long as you aren't picky. I'd say go for it if you got the time.

 

[Flatlander3]

Why is everyone saying to do both in this thread (which is the answer I wanted to hear) but in another thread a few pages back, they are saying just stick to antelope. Just difference in opinions?
Thread I am referencing https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/antelope-and-deer.285969/

 

[LCH]

Why is everyone saying to do both in this thread (which is the answer I wanted to hear) but in another thread a few pages back, they are saying just stick to antelope. Just difference in opinions?
Thread I am referencing https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/antelope-and-deer.285969/

My advice was different because that guy had 3 guys going. Takes longer to find and kill 3 good bucks than one. Then often you get one guy that can't hit the broadside of a barn, and you'll spend 3 or 4 days trying to get that guy his pronghorn, meanwhile everyone else spent money and burned points on deer tags they don't get to hunt.

 

[Washington Hunter]

Lots of variables. I think the biggest one being if the deer tag is not one that takes any points to draw, then it makes more sense. The other thread he was talking about using three points to draw the deer tag.

Is it only you and one antelope tag? If so, you could probably fill the antelope tag on the first day and hunt deer after that.

 

[Flatlander3]

My advice was different because that guy had 3 guys going. Takes longer to find and kill 3 good bucks than one. Then often you get one guy that can't hit the broadside of a barn, and you'll spend 3 or 4 days trying to get that guy his pronghorn, meanwhile everyone else spent money and burned points on deer tags they don't get to hunt.

Oh makes sense. Thanks

 

[Flatlander3]

Lots of variables. I think the biggest one being if the deer tag is not one that takes any points to draw, then it makes more sense. The other thread he was talking about using three points to draw the deer tag.

Is it only you and one antelope tag? If so, you could probably fill the antelope tag on the first day and hunt deer after that.

It will be me and my dad, which is different than a "group". The plan would be spend 1 to 3 days looking for antelope then the rest of the week deer. That being said, no experience out west, but not using more than a point for each species.

 

[PAGOAT]

I would have a deer tag with me, both of my antelope hunts in a unit with "limited access" lasted a whole half day each to shoot my buck.... I also saw a lot of mule deer. In the whole picture its not a lot more to add a deer tag to the trip. Considering 7 to 10 days off work, gas, stay and all. If you don't you'll regret it like I did my first trip out.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I've got 4 deer and antelope points this year for WY. I am considering putting in for both. I say do it!
I don't plan on holding out for a boomer antelope so I'd imagine my itchy trigger finger will probably fill the antelope tag day one...

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I did that combo in 1987 and again in 2017. Filled my tags both times, makes for a really satisfying hunt. Pick areas with good success rates and go hunting.

 

[Flatrock]

Good to know guys. Do you guys look for an area that has some BLM low prairie sage areas and then has some foot hill areas for muleys? Or do you find them roamimg together?

Seems like it just depends... In one antelope unit I hunted, I hardly saw any deer at all and then in another nearby unit that really wasn't all that much different of terrain, I saw a fair number of deer. To me it didn't seem like the 2 units were much different for mule deer but apparently they were.