Do I care about opening day?

[Bullshot]

Leaving tomorrow for WY. 2 day drive. Season starts on Monday. I have never hunted an antelope opener, not sure I even care to. I have over a week to score. Should I just go fishing instead, and start hunting Tuesday? Will I miss much except crazy people doing crazy things? I obviously have no scouting in, no buck picked out, no real goals except a decent buck (open to interpretation) and a good time. Fighting crowds is not my idea of a good time. Will Tuesday, Wed, Thursday of opening week typcially be any less?

 

[DoveEater]

It is Thursday, and you are leaving for a two day drive tomorrow, which means you should have an opportunity to scout on Sunday.

If I was you, I'd get there and scout on Sunday, try to find an area to try to get an animal opening morning.

I bet opening morning will be your best chance, after antelope start getting shot during opening morning the survivors are going to go hide away from people/roads as best they can.

Take what I say with a handful of salt, my one experience antelope hunting was in a unit in Nevada that had two rifle seasons, my tag was only good for the later season, and I saw zero antelope even though I was there for the opener of the late rifle season.

Edited to add: As you may already know, there was a big winter die off of antelope in WY this past winter due to both unusual snow fall and the spread of a disease, this hunting season for antelope there will be much tougher than average.

 

[winmag]

Drive Friday - Saturday. Scout all day Sunday. Shoot the biggest buck you scouted at first light Monday. Drive home Monday - Tuesday. Fish Wednesday - Thursday.

 

[Four22]

Every antelope I’ve harvested was at least a week after opening day. They’re not booners but decent bucks. Use your glass and make a stalk. If you scout a big one, get on them asap. Otherwise look till you find one you like and make a plan

 

[FairWeather]

I’ve been debating this myself about the deer season opener in a 2 weeks. On one hand, it’s always fun to get out and hunt. On the other hand, the crowds of people out there make it not as much fun as it is later in the season, and the odds of finding one don’t really start looking good for another 2-3 weeks anyway.

 

[2rocky]

If you are in the unit, you owe it to yourself to be at least LOOKING FOR/AT Antelope. If you don't want to hunt opening day, then don't be in the unit. There is no hunter more willing to dump all his intel than someone who just killed an animal. You can sit up on a high spot and see how the spooked goats react and know where the "escape route" is. You can cross off bucks you may have spotted that hunters kill. you can find the security spots off the main roads that bucks hole up in.

I'd say 75% of the successful hunters are on opening day. Half of those did some scouting and know where the good bucks are. You can look at opening day being a scouting day. My personal mantra is " I fish with bloody hands"

 

[Gr8bawana]

It is Thursday, and you are leaving for a two day drive tomorrow, which means you should have an opportunity to scout on Sunday.

If I was you, I'd get there and scout on Sunday, try to find an area to try to get an animal opening morning.

I bet opening morning will be your best chance, after antelope start getting shot during opening morning the survivors are going to go hide away from people/roads as best they can.

Take what I say with a handful of salt, my one experience antelope hunting was in a unit in Nevada that had two rifle seasons, my tag was only good for the later season, and I saw zero antelope even though I was there for the opener of the late rifle season.

Edited to add: As you may already know, there was a big winter die off of antelope in WY this past winter due to both unusual snow fall and the spread of a disease, this hunting season for antelope there will be much tougher than average.

To the OP

 

[DoveEater]

To the OP

View attachment 293534

 

[Bullshot]

@Buzz…. you got your guest room set up and coffee on??

 

[Bullshot]

Well, decided to hunt opening day. Maybe I shouldn’t have. Couldn’t resist this buck I found at dark last night by happenstance. I don’t hunt for size, really, and he’s not bad, maybe even better than average based on the half dozen bucks I’ve seen (been here barely any time). But his 20+ does and the older and younger bucks around the herd seemed to think he was boss. That’s all I needed to know. Onto the fishing now.

 

[2rocky]

And there you go....

Congrats on a very nice, heavy buck.....and enjoy fishing without wondering if you will kill.

 

[NEWHunter]

@View attachment 293765Buzz…. you got your guest room set up and coffee on??

Saw this and I was ready for another lively round of discussion about interstate access to pronghorn.

Congrats and cool looking buck!

 

[Bullshot]

Saw this and I was ready for another lively round of discussion about interstate access to pronghorn.

Congrats and cool looking buck!

Well, indeed I must thank Wyoming for the opportunity, and all of its residents, which includes Buzz, that make it possible for long distance travellers like me to enjoy all the state has to offer, if only too briefly.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Way to get it done on day 1.

My takeaway from hunting a high traffic antelope unit is pick out a buck the day before opener and get him on the opening volley, or else hunt the very end of the season.

I’m hunting the very end of the season on my tag this year.

 

[BradA]

Nice one congrats

 

[brownbear932008]

Nice job and the best part is the meat taste great!

 

[Bullshot]

Way to get it done on day 1.

My takeaway from hunting a high traffic antelope unit is pick out a buck the day before opener and get him on the opening volley, or else hunt the very end of the season.

I’m hunting the very end of the season on my tag this year.

I was first up and out this morning after camping on the buck. My plan, though it did not start out perfectly, came together in the end. I hiked out about 1/2 mile and found myself surrounded by antelope at first light, including this buck at 160 yards, but there was another buck I wanted a look at that was taller but he only had 4 does and was acting submissive to this buck. While evaluating this, wincing over the cactus spines in my legs and hands from dropping to the ground, and also debating whether I really wanted to shoot a buck at first light on the first day, I got busted and everyone ran off. I followed and set up an ambush in their last visible area. About 1/2 hr later they came back and milled about at 350 yards, with the buck putting on a good show. Chasing does, running off other bucks, raking sagebrush, peeing in scrapes. I watched for about 1/2 hour. The other taller buck showed up again, but he looked maybe thinner with smaller prongs. Who knows really, all I had was my binos and it was shaky trying to judge, but behaviorally, my buck was very dominant. Then two other hunters appeared over a ridge and all hell broke loose again with 25 antelope running. The buck ran across a parallel ridge to me at 300-315 and briefly stopped. I had a millisecond to decide and this was the result. Short hunt but it checked a bunch of the right boxes in the end.

 

[Falcon75]

Great job. Now go rent a drift boat in town or get a inflatable kayak on clearance at Walmart. The fly shops out of town south will get you set up. I wish I would have tried closer to the dam when I was there.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Well, decided to hunt opening day. Maybe I shouldn’t have. Couldn’t resist this buck I found at dark last night by happenstance. I don’t hunt for size, really, and he’s not bad, maybe even better than average based on the half dozen bucks I’ve seen (been here barely any time). But his 20+ does and the older and younger bucks around the herd seemed to think he was boss. That’s all I needed to know. Onto the fishing now.

View attachment 293845

That trophy experience is what I go for over score, as well. Big congrats

 

[ccc23454]

Congrats @Bullshot on a fine hunt and a good buck!

Since this spured conversation about when to hunt or format of hunt days i will throw out my favorite way to approach lope hunts. I seldom hunt openers atleast in Wyoming, more enjoyable anyways few days later. I am pretty sure only buck i have killed on a opener was a well scouted nevada buck last year and i was after him specfically. My normal hunt i dont scout, typically i take 3+ days to hunt, split unit in half. Hunt half unit first day other half second day then on third day i try to hunt where i seen biggest buck and then allow myself to actually pull trigger if i see what is a good buck for unit (now i know). Looking over dozens to hundreds of bucks before pulling trigger is a huge part of the joy of the tag to me.